Hasee Toh Phasee

Before I get on with the review, let me tell you I'm not a hardcore Parineeti fan. Just like I'm not Kareena's fan even though Jab We Met is in my top 5 list. I went in to watch Hasee to Phasee casually without any expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised. I found the movie to be superb!

From a critics point of view, this movie has nothing new to offer. In fact, you can complain about many things. But this is one movie, where I beg to differ with the critics. Even though I have seen such movies plenty of times, I couldn't help myself from loving Parineeti's character. And needless to say, nobody but Parineeti could have brought the character to life.

Aggressive, Submissive and Whacky! Parineeti's character Meeta has so many shades, you couldn't tell what she'd do next. The only thing I didn't like was : hero falling head over heals for a girl he met just a week back. Maybe they could have given more time for their relation to mature. But that doesn't stop me from LOVING each and every bit of the movie. Like the sequence where the heroine casually asks her sister's fiancé to marry her. Or, the "locked in the room" sequence where Parineeti gives an excellent performance.

I couldn't give much credit to Adah Sharma for acting. Having said that, she is also extremely gorgeous. I'd definitely like to see her in more movies. Chemistry between the lead actors is quite sparkling, and I was quite satisfied with how the things turned out.

I'll be heading to the theater soon to watch this movie again. This movie is definitely going to be in my Top 10 list.

The movie has a few flaws. Thing that irritates me the most is when something change suddenly without any reason. Like Parineeti was acting all weird at the start of her character but for no apparent reason all of a sudden starts acting somewhat normal, without any apparent reason, makes you ask why? how come?? Was it because she was in love ??? I give up.

That aside, the movie on it's own is watchable and somewhat different. It will definitely appeal to the masses and might just get some attention from the critics. Siddharth in my opinion is a good future prospect. Parineeti has done a good job. The senior actors paid their parts nicely. The surprise package for me was Anil Mange, I think he was brilliant, hats off to him. Songs are appropriate and a few of them will become very popular with the masses. You can watch and enjoy this movie with your family, it may not be the best movie you have seen but will not make you regret watching it either.

It had been a longtime since I opined about a Bollywood movie, the reasons for which happens to be its duration and there was nothing that caught my attention or even the slightest bit of intrigue. So let me just a stretch a bit. Hasee Toh Phasee was something I initially turned my back on thinking its your usual romcom then I decided to give it a chance, just for Parineeti Chopra. It was anything BUT your usual romcom. There were indeed antiques of it from time to time but it was much more enjoyable thanks to the film's slightly artsy production. Unlike the typical Bollywood romcoms 'cheesy' had not been served hot from frame one but as I said there were scenes that constantly reminded you that you were indeed watching one.

Parineeti Chopra just steals the show. She'd already proved her talents with her debutante performance in Ladies Vs Ricky Behl and through out her career till date she has done nothing but racked up commendation. She never did really improve. Why? Coz there was no need for improvisation. She was doing the best, bringing her own brand of acting to whichever roles she played in. And in Hasee Toh Phasee's oddball, innocent Meeta, is the more diverse side of her acting we get to see. I haven't seen Sidharth Malhotra's Student of The Year so I had nothing to compare his performance to and I found it a good thing. I was in for Parineeti and I got served but what surprised me was Sidharth as well. Sidharth's Nikhil Bhardwaj, despite his cold steel looks, was convincingly acted out. Special mention goes to the strong supporting cast as well, be it Manoj Joshis performance as the subtle and loving father or Ada Sharma's ab initio knockout-turned-bitch. Brownie points goes to that uncredited actor who plays Nikhil's cousin who breaks out into weird Anu Malik acapellas and twitchy dance moves at the slightest excuse. Scenes with him and Nikhil's paranoid ex-cop dad (played by Sharath Saxena) had me in splits.

Vishal Dadlani's music had been spot on, catchy tunes further adorns the romance and festive visuals Be it the funky Shake it Like Shammy or the soothing Zehnaseeb, it goes perfectly in sync with it all. And of course it wouldn't be complete if I don't quote something on Drama Queen track and what more to add than its great to shake a leg.

Debutant Vinil Mathews' Hasee Toh Phasee is a modestly entertaining movie but not without flaws. A level of Bollywoodism in certain spots borders on mundane and had it not been there I would have loved it even more. Lets not forget that Hasee Toh Phasee becomes a bit tiresome towards the end what with it being victim to our usual chunk of Bollywood cheesiness. But a lot of heartfelt moments and earnest performances overshadows those, making it a pocket-sized enjoyable one time flick. And if it still doesn't sound appealing, watch it for Parineeti's efficaciously riveting performance.

Okay, this is a very watchable film, no doubt, but I wish it was a little less messy and focused more on the story of the two leading stars without too much detail into the proceedings within the family. The film is still quite colourful and I'm glad the big production houses stopped the pathetic tentdency to make films which reek of Western influence. Finally there are films based in India and celebrating the beauty of Indian culture. The film is very colourful, the songs are nice, and although the love story is not entirely convincing, the two leads make it worth a watch. Parineeti was very good in previous films where she played the sassy young lass. Here she plays an awkward sort of scientist and although she knows her lines well, something is missing and she doesn't totally get the jerky nature of the part. She is still pretty good and pretty in general so it's nice to watch her. Sidharth Malhotra is a good leading man - he has charisma and a pleasant presence and acting-wise he performs naturally throughout. Together these two leads make the film even more watchable than it would have been, so if you're into this kind of romantic films, go watch it.

Parineeti Chopra's livewire Meeta doesn't become the victim of what initially looks like a 'taming of the shrew' story, while Sidharth Malhorta's charming Nikhil doesn't make of her the demand to conform. Hasee toh Phasee is enchanting in the sense that it gives Bollywood romance that lovable twist which was indeed long overdue. Set against a big fat Indian wedding and a herd of annoying relatives that cannot be done away with, Hasee toh Phasee pleases by critiquing what it seems to exalt. It's indeed one of the very first commercial Hindi films to foreground the hegemony of the family and the pressure it unnecessarily exerts on those who are different. I am absolutely delighted that Karan Johar, the devoted perpetrator of lachrymose family dramas in Bollywood, has broken out of that bubble world to debunk what he had been promoting so far. It's indeed praiseworthy that Johar is trying to break out of his kind of cinema, as already attested by his endorsement of Lunch Box, last year. Two other names, Anurag Kashyap (who has also penned the dialogues) and Vikramaditya Motwane, who have joined hands with Vivek Agarwal and Johar to produce this film, might give you an idea that Hasee toh Phasee is no run of the mill Bollywood rom-com. Director Vinil Mathew's choice of title, however, seems a tad misleading. Hasee toh Phasee sounds frivolous; but, the film has a profundity which the title doesn't give the slightest inkling of.

Nikhil's appeal lies not his looks (as was expected from the devastatingly debonair Sidharth Malhotra), but in his integrity of character. Malhotra subtly downplays his Greek God charm to get into the skin, heart and soul of the character which is truly modern, progressive, yet deeply rooted. No! Not in traditions. Nikhil's strength as well as vulnerability comes from his mature take on relationships and his deep humaneness. And that makes him the most desirable Valentine this year! Meeta's queerness, which strikes you at the very outset, is sustained throughout the film, though she does change into flashy ghaghra-cholis once or twice and dances to typical Punjabi wedding songs. Her difference from other Bollywood rom-com heroines is that her tomboyishness does not come in her way of wooing a man and make him fall in love with her. Meeta, in a way, marks a remarkable transition of the conception of the desirable woman Bollywood has so far projected: she is no Anjali of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), who learns to adopt feminine grace and seductively dance with an unruly anchal flying in the breeze, to win the man of her dreams. The most important twist comes in the end. Watch out for the little epilogue at the airport.

While in the entire ensemble cast manages to keep you at raptures all through, it is Parineeti who takes the cake with her comic timing. Sidharth's suavity is in perfect rhythm with Mr. Goodness act he has to put up, and he performs with rare panache. Adah Sharma, the dolled-up heroine of the small screen, brings into her performance the right degree of peevishness in order to appear irritable. The music is a slight letdown, but that does not really matter since this film, unlike other romantic comedies, does not depend on good music to carry forward the plot.

One of the best Valentine gifts that have come from the Bollywood stable, Hasee toh Phasee is truly a 'come fall in love' experience, that also marks Hindi cinema's coming of age.