How does one make a cliché love story interesting in Bollywood? Follow the steps:
- Add some (unnecessary) action sequences in it.
- Introduce a psychopathic antagonist who is a billionaire, by the way.
- Finally, add a ‘pichla janam’ concept where these lovers were not able to unite so had to take a rebirth (they should look amazing in both lives, by the way).
Raabta, directed by Dinesh Vijan, is said to be a romantic thriller. Well, we will definitely ponder on the thought of it being thrilling.
The story revolves around Shiv (Sushant Singh Rajput), a bloke who is charmingly good at flirting with women. Shiv, then, meets Saira in Budapest and ‘love at first sight’ happens. Even after being in love with Saira, Shiv never stops checking out other girls. Such a guy would sound a real creep in real life, but it is all okay when it is reel life. (Please refer to 50 Shades Of Grey to get my point)
Saira reciprocates in full measure, basking all the attention coming from Shiv. Now enter Zakir Merchant (Jim Sarbh), an eccentric and wealthy liquor baron. He is the villain of the “romantic thriller” so obviously he is pretty cold and ruthless in his actions. He is the proverbial villain. Although his character is pretty pretentious, one constantly gets the antagonist vibes from him.
As I mentioned above, this movie is a thriller *cough cough*. So the entry of the villain transforms it into one. Zakir is a crazy, obsessed lover who was not taught to handle crushes. He sucks at taking rejections, just like a kid cries when his mother denies him a toy. So, he gets Saira kidnapped and she is whisked off to his fancy mansion on some island.
Then Saira realizes that she shares a bond with Shiv that transcends time. Yes, here comes the reincarnation tangent. In the previous life, Shiv was a fierce warrior who fell in love with this brave princess, Saira. Just like Mirzya, this warrior-princess sequence looks a pretentious inspiration from Game of Thrones.
After this, the movie simply loses its logic. Approaching towards the climax, the lover fights all the goons of the villain to save his love. The climax is really funny, but I guess it was intended to be serious.
Image Source: YouTube
The choice of the pair is perfect, for Sushant Singh Rajput says the cheesiest pickup lines with such ease that the audience does not cringe or rolls their eyes. Kriti Sanon seems to be a perfect match for him. Both look really sweet together and their romance seems to be quite amiable. However, their acting will not impress you that much. Coming to the villain, Jim Sarbh, who is known for his antagonizing role in Neerja, makes his character obsolete.
The only thing that saves your interest in the movie is its music. Pritam, Meet brothers, JAM8 and Saurav Roy are the only people who saved this movie. The songs fit perfectly with the sweet love story and the whole European setting.
All in all, Raabta is a one-time watch and if you like cute romance with a blend of fantasy, then you will enjoy watching it.
Our Verdict- 2/5
Cover Image Source: bollywoodhungama.com