Once again, fans had to miss a Hindi film that distributors omitted from Chennai, but this romantic comedy starring Virr Das, Vega Tamotia and Anindita Nayar was easily the best of the three Hindi films released two weeks ago.
Like its predecessors in the genre, Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Pyaar Ka Punchnama , Ajay Bhuyan’s Amit Sahni Ki List is one of those romantic comedies that tells you the story from the guy’s perspective.
The story about finding love stays clear of the chick flick template and takes a leaf out of the Judd Apatow school of bromance-laced comedies about modern-day love. That comes with its own trappings and there’s probably a lot more talking to the camera than needed, but there’s no denying that this is a film that totally GETS guys.
Amit Sahni (Virr Das) has a list of things he wants in a girl — he wants her to have the same tastes as him. But only because his first girlfriend broke his heart. The list is something he made as a shield to protect himself from heartbreak. And then one day, he meets his manic pixie (not dream) gypsy girl (played by the spunky Vega Tamotia) with a zest for adventure. He is instantly attracted to her. She makes him want to bungee jump, even if he’s scared of it…
It’s all about that leap of faith. (The film begins with him on a plane before he’s going to skydive and he begins telling us the story of how he got there.)
What happens if you meet the girl of your dreams after you have fallen in love? Is there anything called a perfect match? Amit Sahni epitomises this confusion in boys before they turn men. And despite finding the perfect match (Anindita Nayar plays a flawless beauty with brains, like she was programmed for perfection), he finds himself questioning his choice because it doesn’t feel right. Even if there is no conflict.
If it makes Amit Sahni sound flaky, that’s because he IS messed up. It is the story of a guy who needs to figure out what he really wants. Even if his best friend has the most useless advice. Kavi Shastri and Virr share a terrific chemistry and their moments of bromance give the film quite a few laughs.
Despite the odd attempts at lame puns, quite a bit of the writing is pretty good and some of it intentionally farcical (like the app that lets you check romance levels and the break-up specialist, a cameo by Anu Menon). Yes, it did have greater potential than the final outcome, but there’s no denying that Amit Sahni Ki List is a fairly entertaining romantic comedy, one of the few made in its genre.
Watch out for it on DVD, TV or online, if it doesn’t make it to your city.It checks off everything you would want in a date film.
