Anurag Kashyap

• APWDJM is one of those films that requires you to look at the screen in a completely different way.
• Kashyap infuses in his story that requires you to concentrate on the screen.
• The screen a bit harder to understand what is even happening.

Anurag Kashyap’s Almost Pyaar featuring DJ Mohabbat might seem a little unusual if you are tired of seeing mindless movies that only look wonderful on screen and don’t ask you to search for logic. You have to focus a little bit more on the screen to grasp what is even happening due of the story’s overwhelming complexity, not because of any outstanding aesthetic that Kashyap has included.

The movie depicts two concurrent storylines in two distinct settings, one in Dalhousie and the other in London. Both novels feature confused young people who, while never explicitly admitting their connection and calling it love, leave enough room for a Romeo and Juliet-style romance to be inferred. Although their love tales are already doomed, Kashyap’s approach to them is really peculiar. Local Dalhousie kid Yakub (debutant Karan Mehta), who distributes counterfeit film CDs, is drawn to Amrita, a 16-year-old student, and offers to take her to the movies for free because he thinks she’s “attractive.” The two leave their house to attend DJ Mohabbat’s concert because they admire him so much. Meanwhile, in London, a spoiled affluent girl named Ayesha (also Alaya F) is obsessed with a small-time DJ Harmeet (also Karan Mehta) who plays at a club where Ayesha visits to take a break from her ‘modern’ family.and are inextricably linked somewhere. He ends up taking on much too many topics as a result of the process. To a greater extent than it is capable of handling, Almost Pyaar attempts to merge patriarchy, love jihad, homophobia, and religious fundamentalism. As a result, it’s unclear to you what the movie is trying to express. Do the two terrible love stories represent the conclusion? Or does it genuinely want us to feel resentment at patriarchy and all of the aforementioned problems that persist in our society?

The thing that annoyed me the most with Almost Pyaar is that despite mentioning far too many topics at once, none of them are discussed in length, and their remarks simply pass by without having any lasting effect. In the end, it begins to appear chaotic and incredibly confusing because there are too many subplots included. Even though the movie is just 121 minutes long, you still wish the climax would arrive a little sooner.

Each assignment Alaya F does sees her improvement. She is assured, convincing, and brings out the depths of her personalities as both Ayesha and Amrita. She conveys the polar opposites of the innocence she emits as a schoolgirl and the flamboyance she wears playing a rich brat with equal ease. As a debutant, Karan Mehta—the son of a Punjabi filmmaker—shows promise and receives ample screen time to demonstrate his acting abilities. However, both Yakur and his hairand Harmeet frequently serve as diversion, but I had the impression that Kashyap made a purposeful attempt to highlight only particular aspects of Mehta’s characters. Vicky Kaushal, who plays DJ Mohabbat, is endearing every time he appears on screen, but I couldn’t understand how his character connected the two tales other than the fact that the four kids all enjoy music and want to see DJ Mohabbat perform. In truth, Kaushal’s opening comments in the movie are lifted directly from Javed Akhtar and Gulzar’s novels, but his sporadic appearance in different scenes serves more as a puzzle piece than as the movie’s narrator.

All in all, I thoroughly adored the soundtrack of the movie. After dev D and Manmarziyaan, Kashyap teamed up with Amit Trivedi once more to produce an album with cool and funny lyrics that talks to you and engages you. Mind you, the movie has maybe eight songs, and each one advances the story rather than merely serving as filler. The following love anthem may very well be Mohabbat Se Kranti. Arjun Kanungo makes a lovely cameo appearance while performing at a club, and the song “Netflix and Chill” features a plug for the well-known streaming service.

To sum up, I’d advise seeing Almost Pyaar as if you were attending a musical concert, with short sketches interspersed to keep you engaged. However, don’t strive too hard to understand the film’s purpose; otherwise, your efforts might not be successful. And the cliffhanger conclusion might pique your interest. Is a sequel already in the works? Perhaps Kashyap can provide an answer for us.

[embedpost slug=”/anurag-kashyap-on-the-cancellation-of-sacred-games-3/”]

Read more