Movie review: Not everything in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is logical but it is entertaining
Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is definitely entertaining. It is old wine in a new bottle, but one that will make you say cheers.
Still from Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
UPDATED: Jun 22, 2018 17:56 IST
Cast & Crew
Faheem Ruhani's rating: 
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Circa 1998 in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ). Kajol by mistake gets drunk before breaking into Zara sa jhoom lo mein. Shah Rukh Khan joins his prospective father-in-law in feeding pigeons. Cut to 2014. In Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (HSKD) Alia Bhatt challenges Varun Dhawan that she will gulp down beer before he can. She does and parties with him in his father's book store in the night and willingly crashes there for the night. Though Varun is still in small town Ambala, there are no pigeons in sight. He lights up a cigarette with his to be father-in-law in the night.
Times have changed but love stories in Hindi films don't. Their packaging changes but the core remains the same. Debutant writer-director Shashank Khaitan knows how to tell an engaging story and is bloody good in the way he crafts a mushy, feel-good affair which does not falter in its entertainment value. Most of HSKD is an easy breeze since you are already told in the beginning that film is a tribute to DDLJ. It is the lead pair's infectious, zingy chemistry and youthful performances which takes this film several notches higher. Crackling, dialogue ensures that you are laughing every two minutes and interesting situations hold your attention.
Ambala resident Kavya Singh (Alia Bhatt) is about to get married to an NRI groom Angad (Siddharth Shukla), chosen by her Bauji (Ashutosh Rana) in about a month's time. Kavya has no problem with it as along as she gets to adorn a designer lehnga worth Rs 5 lakhs in her shaadi ka mandap. For her wedding shopping she undertakes a few days trip to her uncle's house in Delhi. As expected over here she bumps into street-smart Humpty and love happens and they even make out one day before she has to return to Ambala.
Just like in DDLJ Humpty Sharma lands up at the bride-to-be's house in Delhi and has to win over his dulhania by impressing her father. You already know how the film will end. What you may not know is that after making a dashing entry Siddharth Shukla's character Angad just disappears from the scene on the day he has to marry Kavya.
HSKD is packed with assorted likeable characters that you find in several Hindi film, fat Punjabi weddings - Biji, Veerji, Bauji and others. It also has two guys who are Humpty's friends -- Shonty and Poplo - both in good form and manage to make you laugh. What is also interesting is the rapport that Humpty shares with his book-seller dad. Right in front of him he plans to have a beer party in the night in the book shop. Even Kavya's father though not approving of Humpty's love affair with Kavya is more relaxed than the Amrish Puri's patriarch character in DDLJ. His naughty streak in seeing his to-be son-in-law's predicament at convincing him is enjoyable and the two of them sharing a smoke, a refreshing nuance to their characters.
Varun Dhawan is immensely likeable. He serves a confident performance which is as endearing when he is a cocky go-getter as it is in his emotional scenes with Ashutosh Rana and Aalia. Aalia too gets into the skin of her character easily and sparkles with her zesty act though she appears unnecessarily screechy at places. It's wonderful to see Ashutosh Rana after a long time play a character which is not theatrical like in his earlier films. He impresses as the patriarch who is hurt but still has a heart. Unfortunately though Siddharth Shukla looks impressive, he doesn't have much to do.
Not everything in HSKD is real or logical but all of it is entertaining. For sure HSKD is old wine in a new bottle but one that will make you say cheers.
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