In Bewakoofiyaan- at least they got the title right, for it rarely rises above the foolish, being one long journey of excesses. Is it a satire on today's shallow consumerism? Or a medley of brand endorsements? Is it about the intricacies of yuppie, fashionable love? Or about the perils of recession pockmarked life? Either ways, Bewakoofiyaan is mediocre, dim-witted and uninspiring.
Not that there is a story. The setting is flashy Gurgaon, specifically Cybercity. High rises, malls, coffee shops, and the occasional fisticuffs on the road- the signatures of Gurgaon is on show here. Young, upwardly mobile professionals Mayera and Mohit are very much in love. She, a Mango, Zara, Steve madden wearing chic financial whizkid, and he, arrogant and street smart, always struggling to keep up with his more gifted girlfriend. Unfair combination, right? Yes, that's what life is.
Leave Mohit aside, but Mayera, despite her middle class upbringings and apparent emotional intelligence treats her love story as an endless materialistic and hedonistic journey- pubbing, shopping, dining, pubbing, shopping, dining, pubbing, shopping, dining...you get the point. He flashes a credit card with a 3 lakh limit, to which she pulls out one with a 5 lakh limit. Mohit lets out a sigh. It is that kind of movie.
Things go downhill for him as he is laid off. On top of his demanding girlfriend and his own insecurities, Mohit has to battle a bulldog of a father in law who suffers from an extreme case of "no guy is good enough for my darling daughter" syndrome.
Ayushmann had a crackling debut in Vicky Donor, but much like his character in the movie, he has been straining to match those highs ever since. Here he, like Sonam is curiously flat, and they have zero chemistry. Sonam has this carefully coiffured image of a fashionista in the real world, which she has carried forth in this movie too. But there is little else about her, and she seems to have forgotten to carry her acting manual onto the sets of Bewakoofiyaan. It is only the past few years that Rishi Kapoor has grudgingly buried the mantle of eternal lover-boy and experimented with variety- pity that he has realized so late in his career that villainy, drama, comedy all does come naturally to him. Here too he tries to keep things energized, but there is this much you can do when saddled with a bland script.
Everything is forgettable- the music, the cinematography, the dialogs, the plot. There is zero emotional connect with the lead characters and that is kind of sad coming from a lady director who specializes in youth focused flicks. The film did not do anything to me, despite the familiar surroundings, or having actors that I like. Director Nupur Asthana barely touches upon real life issues such as joblessness, and changing gender expectations. Instead she focuses on buffoonery and style statements. Don't like, don't recommend. 5/10
