Movie review – Luka Chuppi – You will enjoy this family hide-n-seek entertainer
By Joginder Tuteja
What happens when a couple lives-in just as an experiment, only to realise that the decision has actually backfired and now it is tough to get married legally and as per the rituals?
Well, this is what Kartik Aryan and Kriti Sanon go through when latter insists for a live-in relationship because ‘in big cities this is anyways a trend’. Though Kartik Aryan, in a role remarkably different from the kind that he has played in his Pyaar Ka Punchnama series and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, believes in ‘shaadi ka bandhan’, he ultimately gives in to the demand of his newly found soulmate. The trouble begins though when the families of both the youngsters takes them for a much married couple and as a result the duo finds itself on the midst of a ‘ghar parivaar’.
The storyline is such that it reminds of the kind of cinema that Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee made in the 70s and the 80s. Back then, an Amol Palekar or a Farooq Shiekh would have gladly stepped into a role like this with a spunky Deepti Naval stepping in. Of course, since this is 2019, a per-marriage lovemaking episode is mandatory and so is the spread of a variety of flavoured condoms. However, what stays with you is the light hearted humour that is the mainstay of this Laxman Utekar directed fun entertainer that never bores you.
Yes, at times the narrative does get a bit sluggish, especially during the middle portions when you want the story to move forward at a much rapid pace since you believe you have got the gist of it all. After all, with the stage been set for the live-in relationship and the confusion that follows, you really want to know what follows next. This is the reason why you get back to the humour in the offering once a new plot twist of Kartik-Kriti (re)marriage in a temple is introduced into the narrative. This is something that leads to quite a few laughs, especially with Pankaj Tripathi coming into picture.
Not that this ever-so-reliable actor gets consistently great scenes right through the narrative. As a matter of fact his characterisation is the kind that Rajpal Yadav could have enacted with great gusto on his average day. In fact had Pankaj Tripathi actually played the part that is enacted by Vinay Pathak, it could well have set the stage for a Mirzapur redux, hence making the drama run even deeper.
Nonetheless, the idea of Luka Chuppi is not to have enhanced drama in there but some ‘hansi-mazaak ki luka-chuppi’, which is also the core intent of producer Dinesh Vijan. He definitely is in the mood of making a statement or two around women empowerment. He did that with Stree last year through horror comedy genre and now he has done that with a family comedy Luka Chuppi, with the common element being a small town setting.
There is something really likeable about such small town settings that make film watching experience truly relatable. Now with Kartik and Kriti coming up with a very likeable act that makes them a delight to be seen on the big screen, courtesy their endearing persona, Luka Chuppi indeed turns out to be a fun entertainer that is set to keep you in good spirits.