Single - Nein Danke!

A film I really enjoyed earlier this year was 'Hindi Medium.' Hilarious, moving, and boasting of strong performances it left a lasting impression. Watching the trailer of 'Qarib Qarib Singlle' reminded me of that in a way. Perhaps because seeing Irrfan in a comic avatar again brought back pleasant memories. So I ventured into the theatre hoping for a similar experience. Though I wasn't as impressed with Qarib Qarib Singlle as I was with Hindi Medium, this movie still managed to make me laugh and leave the theatre smiling.

Jaya is a 35 year old (she will tell you she's 33) widow who has a successful career, a loving family, and an otherwise boring life. On a whim she decides to try online dating and after a few obnoxious messages she connects with Yogi. Yogi, who is in all respects her complete opposite, annoys, surprises, and in his own unique way charms her enough that she continues to put up with him. A spontaneous decision leads them to travel the country in search of past loves. It's a very interesting premise. The characters travel in planes, trains, and taxis to different cities while discovering each other. Specific places aren't given much importance but the journey is still enjoyable.

The tone of the movie is consistently kept light and the dialogues, especially those delivered by Irrfan, are rib tickling. Director Tanuja Chandra strikes a balance between various themes including finding yourself, romance, and letting go of the past. For the most part, she does it successfully. Yogi's backstory seemed a tad weak…perhaps because Jaya's was so heavy. Nevertheless, some connect there would've helped the screenplay. Thankfully, Irrfan more than makes up for Yogi's deficits. His style of humor is one of a kind and doesn't leave any room for boredom. He's in fine form this time around as well. Parvathy, a South Indian actor making her debut in Hindi cinema, is compelling and takes to the character remarkably well. The leads' performances and the couple's banter make this an easy watch.

There wasn't much hype around Qarib Qarib Singlle. It released with little fuss relying on word of mouth to do the trick. So here's my mouth saying the words that this is a pleasant and feel good movie that finds its way into your heart. Give it a shot- and perhaps you'll figure out why 'Singlle' is spelled with 2 l's.

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Odd couples sometimes makes it an even watch. Audience loved pairing of Amitabh-Tabu in Cheeni Kum, Rahul Bose-Mallika Sherawat in Pyaar Ke Side Effects or Ranbir Kapoor - Konkana Sen Sharma in Wake Up Sid. More than the good-looks, I guess the chemistry between these pairing lit up the silver screen and so were the audience. Will the unusual pairing of Irrfan Khan and Parvathy Menon shine in Qarib Qarib Singlle ? Let us find out ..

Qarib Qarib Singlle tells the story of a divorcée Jaya (Malayalam film actress Parvathy Menon) who befriends the full-of-life, Yogi (Irrfan Khan), and agrees to accompany him on a road trip. Through the journey of fun ride, Jaya and Yogi realizes the true meaning of love.

Qarib Qarib Singlle marks a good comeback for Tanuja Chandra who made pretty popular dark and gritty 90's Dushman (Kajol and Sanjay Dutt) and Sangharsh (Preity Zinta and Akshay Kumar). Like her previous films, Tanuja Chandra chose the female character to be the protagonist. Though the film is narrated from the Jaya's point of view, it is the bindaas character of Irrfan Khan which electrifies the screen the moment he enters the scene. The immensely talented actor just pours in some superb witty one-liners that will bring down the house. The film is one hell of a ride in the first half while the second half scores well on melodrama. Despite some good hilarious scenes, the film does have its share of flaws and loses the track towards the end, especially the ordinary climax.

Tanuja Chandra does succeed in creating real-life characters that connects well with audience. The chemistry between Parvathy Menon and Irrfan Khan is simply superb and will engage you till the end. The romantic drama had add-on with tuneful songs, amazing cinematography which captures some exotic location of India right from Hrishikesh till Sikkim. Despite being her Bollywood debut, Parvathy Menon shows the confidence with her dialogues and expressions. Irrfan Khan is simply mind-blowing. This is second film this year after Hindi Medium where the actor does a fine job in comic scenes.

Overall, Qarib Qarib Singlle is a memorable trip that you should take. Good 3/5

Had a smile on face through its whole running time

My mother really enjoyed this film and urged me to watch it. My high school friend is an assistant director of this film. Irrfan Khan is playing the lead in this film. Those were my reasons to watch the movie. But the movie pleasantly surprised me beyond my expectations! The sentiments and the comic timing is so wonderfully written in the screenplay. And though there isn't chemistry between the lead pair, the jodi of Jaya and Yogi feels real and kept me engrossed throughout the movie regarding the fate of the jodi. Most amazing thing about this film: Jaya looking into the camera and speaking her dialogues. It looks juvenile in the beginning but when the reason is revealed as to why she does it, I was deeply impressed! Overall a fun and emotional journey about moving on in life. Now that I think about it, "qarib qarib single" is a brilliantly chosen title for this movie. :)

Jaya a young window meets Yogi on a dating site. Both are polar opposites yet end up taking a trip together, to meet Yogi's ex- GFs. This is a beautiful movie. Vulnerable, comic and real. It will make you laugh and reflect. Irrfan Khan shines. So does Jaya.

Go for you. It will leave a smile on your face.