Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) Reviews

• Old Wine in a Styrofoam Cup

  ayanpal12014-07-12

  Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania has a "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" (DDLJ) Hangover. Well no this isn't the Bradley Cooper infused - "Now I am gonna enjoy this for the next two hours" kind of Hangover. But rather the kind that causes headaches and makes you hate yourself for throwing up - not just your money, but also time, that you could have surely spent elsewhere. The story goes like this - wait - there was a story? Well yes there was one you see! Someone watched DDLJ. Convinced Karan Johar that now is the time to milk DDLJ, and irrespective of the daring "Neil and Nikki" vanishing off without a trace, Karan actually agreed to fund this! The film, to give credit where its due, has totally done away with logic - thus saving us some more pain in trying to link the sequences happening purposelessly in scene after scene. Sample this - a drunk girl decides to stay back with 3 drunk men she hardly knows in a commercial establishment, claiming that its late at night and risky outside. Now that's what I call logic empowerment! Wait! There is more! Amateurs shoot videos of lovers having sex, blackmail them for money (after all, one is an unhappily married MILF and the other young enough to be her son), and actually end up committing the perfect crime! If that isn't innovation at its best, I don't know what is! Wait - wondering where DDLJ comes into play? Here it goes - This film you see is essentially about the heroine - Alia Bhatt falling for a random stranger even after having her marriage fixed with someone she regularly interacts with on Skype. Of course all men she Skypes with look hot, can you blame her for not being sure about this one? And yes, she needs to buy a Designer Ghagra, and save a dear friend from getting blackmailed, and earn some fast money, and evaluate some exam papers, and be a good Samaritan to a man who always dreamed of buying a car, and look fresh, and dance at weddings, and pout, and effortlessly say some dialogs that were surely written with least effort, and basically do a lot of unnecessary running around in between. Still wondering how it is inspired by DDLJ? Don't worry! There is of course an interval, post which the hero - Varun Dhawan tries winning the heroine DDLJ style even as a 'gabru jawaan' - Siddharth Shukla - the only character who actually stays in character and has a semblance of logic - plays a spoilsport by being perfect in every way possible. The only thing that works for the film is possibly the song "Saturday Saturday" - which has the power of actually eclipsing the impact of the William Pharrell Song "Happy", for the moment it comes on screen, you realize that the film is at last over and believe me! Nothing will make you happier! P.S: There is a scene in the film where Varun breaks down inconsolably upon reading a message on his phone; and the audience breaks down in an attempt at controlling their laughter. I am not sure whether Varun had managed to glimpse the fate of this film while shooting that scene. 3 out of 10 stars from me, for the technicians who added the required sheen, for the song 'Samjhawan' and for Siddharth Shukla who did not let go of an opportunity of showcasing his skills. But I so wish Alia had chosen better...

• Goodbye Dharma productions.

  abhishekx2014-07-10

  Some movies are made with passion while some movies are made to make money out of it. Humpty falls in the second category. Since, Alia and Varun are the current youth icons, the young generation is crazy for them and they do watch their films in theaters just because they both are good looking, Karan Johor thought that why not rope in these two actors and make a very mainstream but glamorous movie and make money?! Both Alia and Varun are overrated and so is their movie. And the irony is that, while promoting this movie, they said that Humpty is gonna be the new DDLJ and KKHH which I don't agree. DDLJ and KKHH were iconic movies. Humpty is just another SOTY. I am sure, this movie will make money. People will love this film BUT, it will only be the dumb ones to love this film. Intelligent people won't have this film in their list of favorite movies. I would recommend you to not watch the movie. Definitely a waste of time but also you will come out of the theaters irritated and flooded with the thoughts that if Alia and Varun can be superstars then why cant I be one?!

• Anurag Kashyap Ki Dulhania

  Razor_20052014-08-06

  The poster of 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania' is a 'selfie', aptly depicting the brutally modern times we live in. On face value it is a 'popcorn' tribute to 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', but at a deeper level it is an ode with a sociological twist and a candid introspection of our modern times. It as much a reflection of Aditya Chopra's opus as it is of new age auteurs like Anurag Kashyap. It is juxtaposition of the old-world simplicity and modern-day savagery. We live in tough times. We live in brutal times. Modern society is full of contradictions and paradoxes. We live in a society that champions libertarian socialism, yet is consumerist to the core. Kavya won't settle for anything less than a 500,000-rupee wedding dress. But she has the cheek and the enterprise to raise the required money. Perfection is new-age imperfection: in other words, being perfect is a sin and being flawed is a virtue in the modern society. Kavya rejects Angad, who is better than Humpty in every way. He is a doctor; he rakes more money; he has more brawn and brains; he can dance; he is rational; he has better social and clubbing skills. In simple terms, he is an ideal man who withstands her father's meticulous quest for her prospective husband. But despite that, it is Humpty who charms Kavya with his glaring flaws. Like any self-conscious modern film, it pays obeisance to Facebook. It, however, saves Humpty from proffering the silly colloquial 'I want to do friendship with you' to her. Instead, Facebook provides him a subtle approach to take things forward. Their transition from friends to lovers is seamless without any melodrama or jingoistic lines, which would have been must in the nineties. Both films deal with facets of patriarchy. In 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', Amrish Puri was a strict patriarch, marching in austerity; assertive, yet without any violent tendency. The patriarch here, Ashutosh Rana, from his humble beginnings as a mechanic, is now a rich and powerful transport honcho. The father-daughter relationship is relaxed. She's daddy's princess, pampered and over-protected by the typical modern-day big poppa daddy. But he can impose his preferences on her when it comes to her marriage, because he believes that his choice would be better for her in the long run. The patriarch knows that he is not a perfect husband to his wife, but he aspires to be a perfect daddy, even if it means overriding his daughter's volition. A snooty Philistine like him does not read books, but one can expect him to have posters of Bajrang Dal or Noam Chomsky in his closet. Unlike the patriarch in 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', he can be violent, not towards his daughter, but towards any 'unsanctioned' suitor. He sends Humpty and friends packing in a truck, battered savagely by his sycophants. Humpty is a run-of-the-mill exponent of yuppie breed, who any average six-pack Joe can relate to. Like modern-day heroes he digs it out in the gym and proudly possesses six-pack abs. Many social commentators look askance at the shaved torsos and muscular physiques of modern heroes, questioning their masculinity. In the past, heroes didn't need gymnasiums to exhibit machismo: hirsuteness was an emblem of masculinity. But things have changed. So have the ethos of machismo. Moreover, the parameters of modern masculinity are tougher, as drudging machinery in the gym calls for hard work and dedication, compared to having follicular growth on chest that requires no talent or effort. He swears by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge's philosophies. And he strips himself of dignity at the patriarch's behest, ready to undergo an excoriating examination. In spirit he is a younger version of the patriarch. His deportment and methods different but his ideologies are the same as his. When Kavya decides to elope with him, his paternal instinct kicks in and he persuades her to stay under the patriarch's aegis. In spite of his tender exterior, Humpty is a savage at heart. When his desperate attempts at nitpicking Angad fail, he almost gives up, but Kavya's wit saves him. She artfully incites Angad to pick a fight with a lecherous hooligan at the dhaba. But Angad, instead of getting in a mad-cap brawl, calmly calls the police; whereas, the frantic Humpty, desperate to outdo Angad, throws himself on the hooligans. Although the patriarch sees himself in the savage Humpty, he is too brutal a pragmatist to let his emotions take over logic. Although the patriarch himself was a mechanic when he got married, he still cannot let his princess marry a stranger with rickety finances. Humpty is too big a risk for him. Like every big poppa daddy, he seeks a better life for his daughter than he did for his wife. The climax has an oneiric feel — a salute to Martin Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver'. The drunken Humpty is howling on the eve of Kavya's wedding. Then suddenly the patriarch emerges to bless his approval for Humpty. It's likely to be Humpty's histrionic imagination. The schmaltzy Humpty, deeply inspired by 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', always hankered for the patriarch's blessings. It is a very dream-like scene. Then Kavya's standing on a truck, calling Humpty, is another surreal moment. Angad's abrupt dismissal seems amiss; it is again Humpty's imagination, which has no room for Angad. Humpty's dream is an idealistic climax, his solace to his quest for Kavya, but alas, idealism has no room in Humpty's brutal modern society.

• One of the most ridiculous and most overrated films EVER!

  klitru2014-07-12

  I am usually pretty lenient with films and rarely find films to be THIS bad. But Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania takes some of the most overused concepts in Bollywood films and puts it in one film. While the movie may be able to make money, it is definitely not the DDLJ of this decade - and it's far from it. The story line is absolute garbage, and the actors are not able to make up for it. Yes, both Alia and Varun look great in the film, but I personally do not care for their acting...other Despite being only slightly over two hours long, the movie felt like a drag to watch. Even the music is not up to par. The bottom line is that this movie does not live up to its hype and does no justice to Dharma Productions. Please save yourself the time, and if you are looking to watch a movie in the theater, go watch "Ek Villain" instead.

• Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania movie review

  cseiitkamit2014-08-18

  I recently watched the movie "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania".The movie is about the love story of a middle class boy and a middle class girl.Movie is directed by Debutant director Shashank Khaitan and produced by Karan Johar.It is a tribute to famous movie "DDLJ". it is a love story with modern behavior of the boy and the girl and their families.boy's role was played by Varun Dhawan as Humpty Sharma and girls role was played by Alia Bhatt as Kaya Pratap Singh.When Kavya ,a chirpy girl from Ambala, decides to make a trip to Delhi for her marriage shopping, she meets a young, carefree Delhi lad, Humpty Sharma. Humpty's father is the owner of a campus bookstore, where Humpty and his two best friends, Shonty and Poplu, have grown up together and which remains their hangout spot even now. Kavya is unattainable for Humpty initially, which makes her even more endearing to him. But being a Delhi boy, he is not the one to give up so easily. With some help from his two best friends, he finds out all about her and through an interesting turn of events (including a ploy to save Kavya's friend Gurpreet's marriage), they start growing closer to each other. The more time they spend with each other, their love-hate banter grows, but their chemistry is apparent. They are both different, yet very similar as people. They are young, feisty and carefree, and it's the spurge of life which attracts them to each other. As per plan, once Kavya's trip ends, she heads back to Ambala, knowing very well that her father, the very strict, yet loving Mr. Singh, would never accept her love for Humpty. But even though they both weren't looking for love, love happened.So Humpty,accompanied by his two friends, decides to go get Kavya. That's the beginning of a journey for him that he wouldn't have imagined undertaking even in the wildest of his dreams. Humpty, against all odds, decides to convince Kavya's family to agree to his alliance with her. How he does this and if he succeeds in his mission forms the rest of the story. Music in movie was very nice with super hit track "Saturday Saturday".Director has done considerable justice to story and screen play.Acting of characters is very entertaining.In short it is average movie with some good dialogs and character plays.