Almor, a small town somewhere in North India which
observes regular frictions between 2 politically powerful families - Chauhans
and Qureshis on various issues be it diesel purchase, celebrations or political
campaigns. Aftab Qureshi is current MLA of the area, while his sworn enemy
Surya Chauhan is desperate to gain the supremacy in Almor. Guns and pistols are
like gadgets in Almor and people use it at will on any damn issue. The enmity
between two families is so strong that even the kids of respective families
indulge in regular verbal fights and stone pelting.
Gown up in these family tussles, Parma Chauhan and Zoya
Qureshi are child hood hate-buddies. Parma is a prodigal, rowdy grand son of
Surya Chauhan who is staying with his widow mother Parvati. He most of the time
hangs around with his two best friends and enjoys throwing tantrums at the
locals. Zoya Qureshi is a firebrand daughter of Aftab Qureshi who equally hates
Chauhans and ever ready for a face-off with them along with her brothers. It
becomes even more intense when Parma abducts Chanda – a local dancing queen of
Kwality Bar from a function at Qureshi's bungalow. During one political
campaign at their collage Parma and Zoya enters into a verbal tiff when Parma
and his friends disperses the crowd gathered by Zoya to promote her father's
candidature as MLA. Parma urinates on the poster of Aftab Qureshi which
provokes Zoya and she slaps Parma in front of entire college. This event marks
the beginning of a seemingly impossible love story. Of course not without a
twist right before the end of first half. Shocked by the twist just before the
interval, when we go back to our seats with more curiosity and anticipation of
what's next, the movie unfortunately disappoints us. Contrary to the
entertaining first half, second half lacks much needed intensity and reduces to
mundane and loosely handled sequences with predictable incidences.
The script of Ishaqzaade has nothing new to offer – Two
lovers from completely different background, family resistance, rebellion,
confrontation and a tragic end. A formula we have seen since donkey’s years in
Indian cinema. And such mundane script requires lot many catalysts to push the
envelop. Ishaqzaade succeeds in doing this to an extent with fresh pair of
Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra, convincing performance by entire star-cast
and its not so long running time. Talking about the performances, Arjun Kapoor
looks pretty convincing. His eccentricities (especially his kaminee smile with
full show of battisi) as an arrogant, spoilt brat looks very much real. Though
he looks clumsy at few instances but otherwise does a good job. Parineeti
Chopra is definitely an actor to watch out for. She does full justice to Zoya's
character as a rich, pampered fire brand girl who is ready to face anything for
her ambitions. While she may not have a larger than life screen presence like
Kareena or Katrina Kaif, her bindaas attitude, child like enthusiasm and a cute
girl next door personality makes you like her instantaneously.
Director Habib Faisal who did a fantastic job in directing
Do Dooni Chaar, a story of a simple, lovable middle class family, seem to have
lost the track somewhere in Ishaqzaade. While the first half is entertaining,
Habib never could generate the intensity in tragic second half. Movies like
QSQT, Ek Duje ke liye etc. which had almost similar endings were so brilliantly
portrayed that we almost weeped while watching them. Ishaqzaade fails to
deliver here completely. For example, what Parma does to Zoya by betraying her
and the events that follows after wards are very poorly handled. The way he
wins the heart of Zoya again even after such heinous deed looks so mediocre.
Unwanted melodrama, Indiscriminate gun fire, unnecessary use of slang language,
haywire law and order situation in the town
etc. some drawback of the movie which looks unreal.
Ishaqzaade, with its limitations, however has some
entertaining value thanks to the performances of lead actors and other
supporting actors. I can safely say Catch it!
