Kucch Luv Jaisaa is not compelling enough

Preeti Arora says Kucch Luv Jaisa is entertaining but lacks the punch. Post YOUR reviews here!

Madhu Saxena (Shifaali Shah) is the bustling busy housewife and mother of two angelic kids. Her parents dote on her, the in-laws worship her, family friends look up to her. But Madhu's life isn't perfect. Her husband is barely aware of her existence. And while she craves the romance and excitement, which is conspicuously absent from her life the husband trips on share prices. Well, not so idyllic after all.

Birthdays are a huge event. After all she was born in a leap year and gets to celebrate it only once in four years. And then her husband is insensitive enough to forget about it. Poor lady. Add insult to the injury. Mr Saxena (Sumeet Raghavan) has the nerve to compare her to a lizard; her father (Om Puri) tells her to get a life.
Grumpy and grouchy Madhu, played by Shifaali Shah is at the end of her tether. She steps out of her house, in a querulous mood oscillating between fatigue and euphoria. Appears to be more schizophrenic than frustrated.

Good old retail therapy comes to the rescue and the salwar-kameez is discarded in favor of a pink dress. Revealing just the right amount of cleavage. Oodles of make-up and a car follow. Of course no documentation is needed. Large loophole in the script. But that's Kucch Luv Jaisaa for you. A storyline riddled with implausible situations…

Shifaali stumbles into a coffee shop, itching for a fight. A chance encounter with 'bad guy' Raghav played by Rahul Bose. Together they set off on an escapade. Suddenly Shifaali pipes up 'Sabko laagta hai ki meri life mein koi problem hi nahi hai.' We agree with the verdict too. It's really simple to predict the scenario from there on.

Kucch Luv Jaisa focuses on two actors, Shifali Shah and Rahul Bose. The plot is contrived. Two people being thrown together in a chance encounter has the surprise element, two people literally throwing themselves at each other produces yawns.

There was ample scope for the writer, Barnali Ray Shukla (who is also the director) to create nail-biting suspense and tension. But the inherent flaws in the story don't let it happen.  There is a very fine line between creating empathy for your character or trying to manipulate the audience. And the debutante director has opted for the latter. Forget the subtleties, let's aim for the gut.

With a predictable end, the only saving grace to this film could have been the unpredictability, the rough road taken. But the director plays it safe. Shifaali is insane enough to voluntarily travel a few hundred miles with an unknown companion who also wields a pistol. But she's also the bhartiya nari who won't act on her impulses and do what's uppermost on her mind. (Talk about self-control)

One wonders what Om Puri was doing in a blink-and-miss appearance as Shifaali's father. The sophisticated Rahul Bose is a complete miscast as the 'tapori' on the run. Raghav needed to be played by somebody comfortable with the 'mawaali' culture. Rahul Bose can't shed his upper crust elite persona. He delivers his dialogues in a flat monotone but they fail to terrorise. Although he tries very hard, burps etc, the end result is unconvincing.

Initially Shifaali Shah appears on-screen as the frumpy middle-aged housewife with skeletal make-up in a baggy salwar-kameez. Courageous of her!  Then the glamorous avatar takes over and stays for the rest of the film. She dominates the frame and camera angles have been chosen with great deliberation so that she looks suitably glamorous. Every strand of hair stays in place. Even when she's trying to run across the highway.

Sumeet Raghavan maintains the same stoic expression through the film. Guess that was his interpretation of playing the boring husband. The music by Pritam is forgettable except for Thoda Saa Pyaar.

The climax which is to an extent predictable is far too simplistic and naive. Too removed from reality as is the rest of this film.

Rahul Bose fans may enjoy this film. Or Shifaali Shah fans, (yes she does have many admirers). Or if you enjoy 'multiplex' films which take over two hours to get a 'message' across to you. The rest are safest giving it a miss.

Rediff Rating: