Kya Love Story Hai – What a Love Story (2007)

Directed by: Lovely Singh | 125 minutes | comedy, drama, romance | Actors: Tushar Kapoor, Ayesha Takia, Kareena Kapoor

‘Kya Love Story Hai’ is a strange phenomenon: although there is little in the film to really get excited about, it has actually become quite a pleasant film. Strange: the viewer is confronted with a clichéd love story, annoying sidekicks, contrived dialogue that only exists to propel the plot, while you can see every twist coming miles in advance. And yet… still the film is often, surprisingly enough, very enjoyable. Well, sometimes as a critic you just have to throw your hands in the air and accept that some films do their job well as a crowdpleaser. Such a film that is not necessarily intended for critics, but mainly for the pleasure-loving public.

But is there nothing to point out that explains the effectiveness of the film? Anyway. After all, what is extremely important in this type of formula film is the casting. And that’s right in this movie. Not that we’re talking brilliant actors here, but rather a case of the right person in the right role. The main female character, Kajal, is undoubtedly the most important, as she is the pivot around which everything revolves. Both Arjun and Ranveer fight for her favors and the whole movie leans on who she will ultimately choose. Rajal is in the picture for almost the entire film, so an uninteresting actress would be the death knell for the film. But let it be Ayesha Takia who makes the most impression as Rajal in ‘Kya Love Story Hai’. Her cheerful, fresh attitude and cute smile are so contagious, you almost forget the simple dialogue and plot twists. From her archetypal introductory scene – walking down the street, in slow motion, with hair flowing and dressed in an angelic white dress – the viewer, along with Arjun, is sold for good.

Arjun is so captivated by her that he even mistakes an opponent in a rugby match for her. In one witty scene, he sees her walking with him in slow motion and hands her (i.e., his male opponent), with a blissful smile on his face, the ball and loses the game; much to the chagrin of his teammates. Another funny scene, but played for (melo)drama, is the classic scene where two lovers – in this case Rajal and Ranveer – see each other on the beach and romantically run towards each other in slow motion, with the result that she runs past him and flies into someone else’s arms; namely Arjun. A dramatic music cue is launched, but the spectator cannot help but laugh.

Tushar Kapoor is also in the right place as the baby-faced handsome soft-hearted Arjun, who is secretly in love with Rajal, but at first is afraid to tell and later does not want to jeopardize her relationship with Ranveer. When he smiles or sheds a tear, he comes across as a bit dorky, but he has mastered sadness and tragic longing with his puppy eyes. All in all, it’s believable as the loyal friend who is, or seems, doomed to stand on the sidelines. And then there’s Karan Hukku who plays Ranveer, the successful businessman on the white horse. As a younger version of John Abraham, his shaggy five-day beard will make many women’s and girls’ hearts beat faster. For Rajal, there can only be love if there is also respect for the man’s pursuits, and Ranveer is a godsend in that regard. He works hard, is successful, and has his own identity. The latter is very important to Rajal, we hear her explain to Arjun, and this fact is later used literally as an argument by Ranveer, who apparently feels exactly what Rajal is looking for.

However, Rajal is not looking for an unfeeling businessman, when she corrects Ranveer after a rude remark by stating that he has traded his humanity for success. So a seed is already being planted here for a possible reunion with Arjun, who is all humanity. Contrary to expectations, Ranveer is not portrayed as a typical bad guy. He comes to realize that success and work are not everything, and that love (for a partner) sometimes deserves priority. None of the characters are actually portrayed in a bad way, which is both pleasant and uninteresting. This is nice because there are no standard confrontations to take place and a problem analysis can be immediately carried out. And uninteresting, because a lack of conflict means a lack of drama. But luckily in this case it’s okay to make every character an understanding person, because the drama takes place inside; especially in Arjun’s mind and heart. Arjun’s sacrifice – he’s willing to keep his feelings a secret in order for Rajal to be happy with Ranveer – actually makes for some touching scenes towards the end of the film. A film that until then just told a simple, bite-sized story. Another positive point is the music; also not an unimportant factor in a Bollywood film. As the main composer responsible, Pritam has provided an attractive collection of poppy songs. Actually, there is not a real miss in the repertoire: every song manages to hold the viewer’s attention. There are a few catchy highlights, including the opening track ‘It’s Rocking’, performed by Kareena Kapoor (which is her only appearance in the film).

The filmmakers have tried to inject some humor into the film through the trickster antics of two of Arjun’s friends. Every few scenes we see these lollipops popping up again as they stupidly try to hit on a woman and get screwed over and over again. Perhaps their presence can be justified by saying that they have to find out that it is about Love, instead of superficial conquests, but the lame slapstick humor of the two does the film little good. And then there is certainly a number of snails to which salt can be put, but why ruin the fun? ‘Kya Love Story Hai’ may not be a film that will stay with you for days, but during the two hours that this smooth, unpretentious film takes, the viewer will have a good time. If only because Ayesha Takia’s smile will no longer burn off your retina.