Delhi’s multiplexes now serve decent popcorns in a much indecent price. But weekends are meant to be all about spending money for some relaxation.
The movie is Half-Girlfriend. Directed by Mohit Suri. The movie is based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel. Bhagat is also a producer of the film. Let’s not go to the novel. If you have not read the book that really doesn’t matter.
The story is about two people, Madhav Jha (Arjun Kapoor) and Riya Somani (Shraddha Kapoor). They met at St. Stephens’ College, Delhi. Madhav was from Bihar and Riya stayed in Delhi. The problem with the film starts, when you first see Madhav. It is a directorial fault that Madhav’s appearance was very urban and the expressions never matched the emotions he tried to portray.
Let’s take the example of the film Ranjhana. The film got a good review not because of the acting but also the characters were convincing. Starting from make-up to the way they are talking, the body language and everything. In Half-Girlfriend, you will see Arjun Kapoor, a tall well-built man walking like an urban stud but talking in a Bhojpuri accent.
You may feel that the film was dubbed but its not that. In youtube there are many dubbed videos of Titanic, Anaconda and all. The way Arjun has talked in the whole film will make you feel the same.
Shraddha Kapoor never tried to act in the whole film. You will see the same expression starting from playing basket-ball to when she was singing song. For once she has not acted in this film.
Now imagine, a stud talking to a woman from high society in a Bhojpuri accent. Every moment in the film when they have conversed it felt the same. They loved each other, then goes apart, then again met, then again goes, then and then… Well no I should stop, though Suri didn’t.
To be a Bollywood hit, the film has everything like hero getting drunk and running to meet his heroine. Then collision with a car, but again he will stand up and run. All these things are there. But why? Nobody knows. If you have not read the novel, then also before the interval you can predict the end.
A predictable, poorly executed script gets a fantastic acting from Madhav’s mother. The songs of the films are great. Arijit Singh and others have done their job. Camera? Well yes, of course, it is shot by a camera or more. No, I am not cracking a poor joke but the way it has captured shots are pathetic. Close-ups when you don’t want it, long shots when you want to see the emotions, cameras are moving round and round when you want to focus on the person.
Well, this is all about the film. I know, it will be a hit but at last for a director shouldn’t have made a movie like this.