Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat Review: It Almost Happened In The First Half
But it's a must-watch!
Anurag Kashyap has a knack for creating some real, complicated and rather twisted romantic drama films. But that’s exactly what makes them more appealing because love is, after all, complicated and messed up. In 2023, we’re still juggling with loads of preconceived notions about love and romance and how things should and shouldn’t work in love. In line with the same idea, the filmmaker is all set to introduce us to a new contemporary love story or shall I say love stories, with his latest creation. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, the romantic drama film Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat stars Alaya F alongside debutant Karan Mehta. Vicky Kaushal has a cameo appearance in the film as DJ Mohabbat. The film featuring a truly captivating tale of love had a world premiere at the Marrakech Film Festival 2022 as well as an Asian premiere at the Hainan Island International Film Festival.
The Story Of Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat
Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat follows the story of two couples, Amrita and Yakub who reside in Dalhousie and Ayesha and Harmeet who live in London. What makes this tale of love even more interesting is that both couples live in the same time but look identical.
Amrita and Yakub are teenagers who share a love for the same DJ, DJ Mohabbat and his music as well as his podcast. The duo is elated when they find out that he is holding a concert at a secret location near their town on the occasion of Holi. And as they plan to attend the concert, trouble comes knocking at their doors when Amrita’s brothers find out about her friendship with a boy from a different religion and social class. But their love for DJ Mohabbat pushed them to flee from the town together but will they be able to live their dream? Or will class and religion divide get to them before?
On the other hand, Ayesha and Harmeet are slightly older and live in London. Harmeet is a DJ and music composer who happens to be inspired by DJ Mohabbat while Ayesha is a rich brat. Ayesha meets Harmeet at a club where her friend sings and ends up falling for him. But her love turns into an obsession as she begins chasing him despite his resistance. After much convincing, he agrees to give her a chance but her lies land him in a trouble much bigger than he had ever expected. And once again, class and religious divide paired with lies cause trouble in their paradise.
Also Read: Pathaan Review: The Sexy Blockbuster That Was Promised To Our Shah Rukh Khan-Starved Hearts
But the question is, will love truly happen in both these love stories?
Cast And Characters
Alaya F as Amrita/Ayesha: Alaya F made her debut with Jawaani Jaaneman alongside Saif Ali Khan who set the bar so high that it made it extremely tough to evaluate her acting skills. While she did give us a glimpse of her skills in Freddy, her work in this film speaks volumes. The actress was the perfect fit to play both, Amrita and Ayesha who were alike in far too many ways but also very different from each other. Alaya played the role of a naive Amrita with absolute ease while also switching to the role of a sly and twisted Ayesha.
Karan Mehta as Yakub/Harmeet: Considering that it was his debut film, Karan Mehta somehow managed to prove his worth with his role as Yakub and Harmeet. He eased into the character of Yakub who is free-spirited but also understands the realities of the world he lives in. But at the same time, he managed to also ace his role as a silent, introverted Harmeet.
Vicky Kaushal as DJ Mohabbat: Vicky Kaushal had a very tiny cameo in the film along with some glimpses here and there as he shares beautiful insights and lessons about love in his podcast as DJ Mohabbat.
Also Read: Mission Majnu Review: More Engaging As A Love Story, Less As A Spy Thriller
Music
Since Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat has a lot to do with love, romance and music, it has several songs. Shailender Singh Sodhi aka Shellee penned all 8 songs of the film with music by Amit Trivedi. The film has some hip and gen Z songs like ‘Woman Desi’, ‘Netflix & Chill’, ‘Ghanghor Connection’, ‘Mohabbat Se Kranti’ and ‘Maintenance’ but it also has some truly beautiful songs like ‘Duniya’, ‘Banjaare’ and ‘Tabah Tabah’. Even though some lyrics will make you cringe, the bar remains low for good music thanks to all the remixes made by Bollywood, which means that you actually won’t mind them. However, some songs are total earworms with some amazing beats.
Verdict: Almost Escapism With Love, Life Lessons And Confusion!
Before I being sharing what works and what doesn’t for Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat, let me tell you this – this film has an open ending that leaves a lot to imagination and perception with a lot of unresolved feelings and questions!
To begin with, it’s amazing how Anurag Kashyap addressed a hot topic of debate like love jihad in a subtle manner without actually saying it out aloud. The religious and class divide in both love stories is evidence for those who wish to see it. It carefully deals with the love jihad theme with immense sensitivity. And what makes it better is that it also addresses the impact this has on both genders without demeaning either of the two.
When I sat down to watch Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat holding the hand of a fellow reviewer who happens to be a friend, I was blown away. The first half had me engrossed as I escaped into the world of Amrita-Yakub and Ayesha-Harmeet’s budding romance. But at the same time, I could also understand Amrtia’s privilege and Ayesha’s entitled and obsessed behaviour. Those are two things you simply cannot ignore, especially since it was paired with some lessons about pyaar from DJ Mohabbat. Anurag Kashyap weaves the web of two romances with truth bombs from DJ Mohabbat in his podcast with creates the perfect mix of escapism and reality. The first half make me hungry for more, it made me want to know how the love stories developed and what they led to. TBH, the first half had me thinking 4 or maybe even 4.5 stars while taking into consideration that as viewers, we truly are hungry for some fresh stories instead of the same old remakes that Bollywood has been serving us on a platter.
However, the second half brought with it a lot of chaos and confusion. Years ago, at the end of a beautiful date (that was, obviously, not going anywhere), my date told me that his father gave him a lesson on love in the form of a filmy but beautiful quote. “Jis kahani ko anjam tak lejaana mumkin na ho usse ek khubsurat mod pe la ke choda dena hi acha hai” – is what my date’s father had taught him. Now, one would think that that’s how these love stories would end considering the title – Almost Pyaar. But nope, they took an ugly turn with the pace and the confusion and the unnecessary but incomplete subplot in an attempt to intertwine the two love stories. If Yakub’s shrill and annoying laugh doesn’t give you nightmares, the confusion in the second half surely will.
In the second half, the film picks up the pace with a break-neck speed leaving you extremely confused in the middle of chaos as you try to piece the story together. Sure, it does slow down a little to give you some time to understand what’s going on but this time is paired with an unnecessary subplot of Harmeet’s grandparents in India meeting Amrita and Yakub. This might leave you wondering if the two stories are of the same two people or if they’re parallel stories. Just as you begin understanding that they’re actually parallel love stories with different life lessons but just set a few years apart, Harmeet’s backstory about his parents and their appearance in the film will leave you with questions.
Also Read: ‘Chhatriwali’ Review: Rakul Preet Singh’s Drab And Awkward Sex Ed Film Couldn’t Get It Up
There’s no doubt that the second half was poorly done but somehow it all comes together in the very end as the story of Amrita-Yakub and Ayesha-Harmeet’s pyaar comes to an almost end. Sure, it could have been made better but irrespective, this isn’t a romantic drama that you want to miss. More so because Anurag Kashyap beautifully weaves millennial romance with some gen Z vibes. All in all, it’s a film high on raw emotions, mistakes, lies, romance and almost love!
Don’t forget to book your tickets because Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat hits the big screens on February 3.
