college comedy/ teen flick

Starring Shahid Kapur, Amrita Rao, Shehnaz, Yash Tonk

Directed by Ken Ghosh

Music Anu Malik

ISHQ VISHK comes on screen with a bundle of joy for sure. One of the finest college capers of Bollywood in a long time, Ken Ghosh’s directorial debut is the closest we have come to imitating the Archie comics. 

For one of the leading music video directors, this giant leap into Bollywood is a two thumbs up. He might have had a very ordinary college love triangle to handle, but the treatment of it is definitely special throughout.  

Meet Rajeev (our desi Archie played by Shahid Kapur) and if you have met him, then also take time out to meet his best buddy Mambo (our Jughead-substitute, Vishal). And together they form a formidable duo and regular college guys trying desperately to do the in-things and get around with the in-gals.

 Rajeev actually need not look really that far since his childhood pal Payal (Amrita) is in fact head over heels for her. But Rajeev is definitely on the lookout for a hot chick and opts to avoid the ‘behenji’ Payal’s oh-so-obvious feelings for him. But he decides to change his mind only when his gang of college buddies decides to go on a picnic trip of sorts, and the only way Rajeev can make it is with a female as it is a couple thing. So desperately in need of a partner, he decides to pretend to be deeply in love with Payal.

 However this game finally breaks down at their outing itself and results in a ugly confrontation between the two culminating in a breakup.

In enters (much much later) the other woman of the tale, Alisha (Shehnaz). The rest is of how Rajeev tries to impress everyone by wooing Shehnaz only to realise that Payal is still the one for him.

 So what really works for this movie has to be the cast. Each and every actor, inspite of having the newcomer tag, has come out tops with the acting display. Shahid Kapur certainly is very confident about what he is doing out there and is very comfortable in front of the camera. At times he shows the presence of Shahrukh, while the next shot he dances like a Hrithik…and then all of a sudden, he plays it out like the boy next door. He definitely have the talents and is sure to be a big asset, if he can sign up the right movies.

Amrita Rao also puts in a splendid performance and definitely is the soul of this movie. She totally brings out the freshness to her character. And she looked too hot to be branded a ‘behenji’, mind you!

 Oh yes…Shehnaz simply was the bump in the ride. When the whole college goes ga-ga over Shehnaz, then you know something is wrong. And Shehnaz hardly could pull of a Veronica-kinda seduction and charm. For more details on how to play it, refer catalogue Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander – Pooja Bedi. 

But keep aside Shehnaz and you have a great cast and more importantly great characters. Yash Tonk as Rocky and Vishal Malhotra as Mambo are both real gems to this film.

The dialogues are definitely fresh and witty. It is very casual and just like the youth’s daily life lingo. Absolutely nothing filmy about it and that makes it a whole lot better. And the best part is never for once they tried to go with cheap bathroom humour to get its laughs. They have managed to keep it much cleaner and simpler than what we would have got keeping the present kinda gross out humour that is in fashion.

Another real good thing about the movie is the lead character of Rajeev. He isn't your goody goody college hero. He has the negative qualities in him making him more real than the reel hero.

   If a real flaw can be pointed out in the movie, then it has to be fact that the love relationship between Shahid and Amrita misses that emotional bonding, and plays out like that of a lesser kind- like your hit and miss college crush. Oh wait- that is what Ghosh was telling all the way, rite?  Maybe with all the karva chauth scenes, I might have got it wrong and might have been looking elsewhere.

For a change no one can point his fingers at Anu Malik. This time he does come up with rather good songs, but then again it does lack that one superhit item song. If something like that could have been cooked up, it would have even bigger wonders for this film.

Definitely this movie would have been something more grand if it had a real novel tale to tell. But the story is hardly anything new, but thankfully  these guys have found a new and spirited way of going about things. Moreover the movie definitely have a real solid repeat value too.

  The film is a light fun-filled entertainer and that is what exactly it ends up being. Never does it try for once to be anything more than that and thankfully, the director knows his course well and takes the gang right there. Easily one of the best entertainers of the year. Kudos to the gang!

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