Big love in 'Aashiqui 2'

KATHMANDU, April 27: Rahul Jaykar is a superstar whose alcoholic tendencies are pulling him down. As his friend points out, his career has fallen from huge shows at international venues to those in small towns across India.



He meets Aarohi who is eking out a living as a singer in a beer bar. The meeting is like a breath of fresh air for both of them, giving them a much needed new turn in life.[break]



For those of us who didn’t know that this was a remake of the old hit film ‘Aashiqui’ starring Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal, the first few minutes of the film will make us worry. The singer superstar, the alcoholic and the melancholic all point towards the Ranbir Kapoor starrer ‘Rockstar’. To our relief, we soon find out it’s not what we think.



Aarohi becomes a star. Rahul concentrates on giving her a chance and trains her to become better. And as she wins one award after another and her career soars to new heights, Rahul’s has gone downhill. He continues to struggle with alcoholism, and even after repeated attempts to give up the habit, he ends up in circumstances that draw him to drink.







The viewer can feel that the grey side hasn’t been explored as much as it could have. We see Rahul as someone whose good intentions are constantly thwarted. It would’ve been more natural to see a bitter fading superstar who has to see his girlfriend/protégée shine so bright.



Also, the gossips and the subtle and not so subtle putdowns he has to face should have made him a harsher man towards Aarohi. Yet the only guilt he suffers from is the fact that he is pulling her down with him. There is so much love in ‘Aashiqui 2’!



As a director, Mohit Suri should have seen his story from all angles. He failed to tell us the story that Rahul tells Aarohi about the sadness in his life. Rahul’s father, who is apparently close to his son, never visits him or helps in any way that matters. In fact, there’re only around three phone calls to establish the father-son relationship.



The viewers will have no problem watching the performances of Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. To note is also the fact that though it’s a film about singers and music, there’s no song more memorable than the chorus of ‘Tum Hi Ho.’



Screening at QFX Cinemas.

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