MUMBAI: Hindi cinema was known for introducing or re-introducing fresh young pairs in glitzy, romantic films intermittently across every decade since the 70s. From Bobby, Love Story, Betaab, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, and Maine Pyar Kiya to Prem Qaidi, Aashiqui, Yaara Dildara, Barsaat, Saawariya, and Band Baaja Baaraat — these films not only clicked big time upon release, but also resonated long after their theatrical runs. However, for some unbeknownst reason, such films dried up from Hindi cinema's canvas in last decade or so, with only Aashiqui 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, and Dhadak being the successful ventures that come to mind, and several debutants from successful film families bizarrely opting for offbeat releases thought the OTT gateway. Finally, logic seems to have struck Aamir Khan's son, Junaid Khan, and Sridevi's younger daughter, Khushi Kapoor, after their initial OTT experiment, and the result is refreshing to say the least as Loveyapa turns out to be a great romcom, that all ages other than gen-Z can enjoy for their own reasons.
The trailer pretty much explained the premise, and the film seldom takes a detour from it. What Loveyapa does really well though is to hold our interest, especially in the second half — always the more important half in the larger scheme of things — with copious humor, a steady flow of touching emotions, and Sneha Desai's dialogues that connect with you on a realistic level.
It pays rich dividends that both Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor display remarkable improvement after their lackluster OTT debuts, especially the latter, while the former holds his own this time before a veteran performer as Ashutosh Rana unlike earlier when he was all at sea before Jaideep Ahlawat. It also pays that the rest of the supporting players — Kiku Sharda more than others — more than pull their weight while the songs, too, though not instantaneously memorable, evoke a youthful, zany vibe, ideal for a film of this kind.
Now, Antara Lahiri's cuts could've been sharper, but, thankfully, the film never drags at any point in time, whereas Rajesh Nare's camerawork, again, gets the job done despite not being really eye-catchy at any point. The production design also suffices. If only Director Advait Chandan paid more attention to the first half, Loveyapa would've been even better, but for what it's worth, the movie not only proves to be a smart adaptation of its Telugu original, Love Today, but also a youthful, refreshing romcom that's been sorely missing from Hindi cinema.
4/5 stars
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