This romcom is completely too expected

Produced By: Yash Raj Films
Written and Directed By: Ali Abbas Zafar
Film Cast: Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ali Zafar, Parikshit Sahani,
Tara D’Souza, Kanwaljeet, John Abraham (Special Appearance)

Movie Review: ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’ starts favorably – with a nod to that most classical of classic Bollywood comedy ‘Padosan’. It’s followed by a swift break-up between London-based Love Agnihotri (Ali Zafar) and Piali Patel (Tara D’Souza), who’d been seeing each other for five years. In a fit of post-split impetuosity, Love calls up younger brother Kush (Imran Khan) to find him an Indian bride, pronto.

And thus begins the dulhan hunt. Kush, who’s an Assistant Director in Mumbai, heads home to Dehradun on his mission and meets a series of ‘suitable girls’ (in a pretty funny montage). Things seem to be going from bad to worse after he puts out a matrimonial ad, until he gets a call from a diplomat (Kanwaljeet) based in Delhi about his daughter Dimple Dixit (Katrina Kaif) as a prospective bride.

A quick closeness develops between the shy Kush and the wacky Dimple (who’d first met each other years earlier). They bond over scooter rides, all-night parties and hangover remedies; and there’s something to be said about Imran and Katrina’s comfortable chemistry that brings their scenes together to life. So it is entirely believable (and, of course, entirely expected) that Kush and Dimple fall in love even as her wedding to his brother is just a few days away.

The first-half of the movie floats along nicely on the light momentum as we also meet the assorted family members and friends who populate the typical Yash Raj Film. It closes on a moral dilemma – how can this couple manage to get together without scandalising their families. As Imran’s character points out, he’ll forever be known as the guy who ran away with his bhabhi if they follow the course Katrina’s character has suggested.

And so they come up with a plan that will get Luv to say ‘The wedding is off’ so that there’s no stigma for Dimple and her family in particular. The plan is entirely predictable, despite a few hiccups (much like the movie itself) but does have its moments.

We did feel that the second half of the film was weaker than the first, and not entirely confident of its tone. But some scenes and situations do stand out in ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’ overall, as much for their honesty as their humour. Watch Dimple’s response after Kush wonders why someone as free-spirited as her is opting for an arranged marriage; the ‘Koffee With Karan’ inspired rapid-fire Q&A round with a tongue-in-cheek salute to Salman Khan; Luv’s jealousy on seeing his ex with a new man; and how you can never really hide anything from your best friends.

Imran works well in what seems to be his comfort genre – the romcom – and while he’s still not developed too much range as an actor, he does have an infinitely charming screen presence. This, combined with his obvious sincerity, makes him just about the best thing in the movie.

Katrina’s got an interesting role here – and, in the slightly serious scenes (where she questions the double standards rampant in Indian society), she’s actually effective. She also gets a chance to joke about her accent, not something you see too often! But comedy’s not really Kat’s strong suit yet, though, we’ve got to admit, she looks stunningly beautiful no matter what she’s doing in the movie. And she rocks and dances up a storm in style in the very catchy ‘Dhunki’ and ‘Do Dhaari Talwar.’

Ali Zafar has fun playing the preening, confused Casanova Luv, but we wish the talented actor had more to do in the movie. He’s definitely a star-in-the-making (and he sings here too – in the rocking ‘Madhubala’ number) and make the most of his monitor time, any which way.

Final verdict: ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’ is fairly enjoyable, and its three leads are attractive through most of it. Just don’t go expecting too much from the movie and you’ll take pleasure in it while it lasts.

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