We’ve reached the end of February and barring Mukkabaaz and Kalakaandi, both of which released in the first week of January, I haven’t liked a single film this year, oh and also Love Per Square Foot. I’m not saying that I hated Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety but just that it didn’t excite and entertain me as much as Pyaar Ka Punchnama. Now it’s not the kind of film where I’d see poetry (Lootera, Bajirao Mastani even Queen) so all I ask for is entertainment. I agree that the film would keep you somewhat entertained but I have seen this before. So, let’s call it a sub-entertainer. Essentially, SKTKS is nothing but a revamping of Pyaar Ka Punchnama. Boy meets girl, best friend sees a problem in it and tries to solve it.
Director Luv Ranjan needs to stop feeding us with the same narrative over and over again. I would have rather loved to watch a film where the concept of being a ‘third wheel’ is explored. SKTKS has an amazing cast and so much can be done with the same but Ranjan’s knowledge of the world seems to be limited to ladki chutiya banati hai. From PKP to now, there is no change in this school of thought and hence what we get is a dysfunctional tale that is anti-women. PKP and its sequel released in 2011 and 2015 respectively, so of course a lot has changed in these seven years. But not in Ranjan’s world.
In a world where all of us, man or woman, are fighting towards a common goal -equality, Ranjan decides to explore the misogynist.
Credit where it is due, the dialogues – not as funny as PKP but they are good. And Mr Ranjan and cinematographer, Sudhir K. Chaudhary, shooting songs like those Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani don’t make them YJHD songs.
You need to watch films with an open mind, especially when you’re judging them. So I keep my brain literally empty, thinking that I will take the film as an when it rolls. But when I see the voyeuristic use of the camera, I am sorry, I cannot forget scopophilia. I mean this is basically how a song opens in the film:
Now coming to the performances. Sunny Singh plays Titu who is basically a seedha sada banda. He is arranged to get married to and falls in love with Nushrat Bharucha’s Sweety Sharma. Now, I LOVED, Singh in PKP2, but here there is a huge flaw in his character. It’s one dimensional. He does the best he can with what is given to him but there isn’t much to play with. Kartik Aryan as Sonu is perfect! After his last outing, Guest Iin London, he has raised himself very pretty much! Possibly it is his chemistry with Singh and Bharucha that brings out the best from him. His dialogue delivery is on point, comic timing is great and he looks so good. I wish Aryan had a better script to show much more of his talent. And the same goes for the wonderful Nushrat Bharucha. It was so good to see her not play the damsel in distress for a change. Like Aryan, she too is perfect! But perfect in what sense? I don’t mean Kangana Ranaut and Irrfan Khan level perfect! But that, they fit these characters perfectly and do well. But is there scope for more, definitely!
But Ishita Raj, what are you doing in the film? I mean I know it is not your fault, but Mr Ranjan, what is she doing in the film? And what is Babu (a servant) doing in the film? Those are just redundant narratives forced into the main one!
For me, Alok Nath takes the cake! From saying dialogues like “Bittu, waha koi sapne dekh raha hai. Tu bas unme rang bharti ja” in Vivah to drinking and smoking and sneakily eating Chicken Tangdi, OMG, I love him!
All in all, SKTKS rests completely on performances and hits the nail right on its head in that department but otherwise it’s “okay”.
Bombay Balloon 