(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

About 20 minutes into Sunny Sanskari ki Tulsi Kumari, I was admiring Janhvi Kapoor's wardrobe choices. How lovely did she look in her glittery bustier-lehenga combo! From where could you shop her Rajasthani-print shrug casually thrown over denims and a tank top? I also loved the pink and peach lipstick shades that accentuated her pout. Then there was her breathtaking all-gold slinky sari - a difficult style to pull off but an amazing addition to any stylista's wardrobe. And just what makeup wizardry does one need to get those stunning smokey eyes?

Focus...focus... I reminded myself as the story unfolded on screen. And for a while, I did. But soon I was distracted by the ostentatious sets of the Udaipur resort where the lead characters play out their fantasies. But when, as a viewer, your attention keeps drifting to the peripheries like the sets, costumes or the spectacle, it doesn't say much about the film's core content.

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Sunny Sunskari ki Tulsi Kumari belongs to that category what I call, the 'nothing' cinema. There is nothing deep about its romance. There is nothing outrageously funny about its comedy. There is nothing painful about its conflict. And there is nothing too offensive about it either to complain or rant about. The only verdict is that both the“rom” and the“com” in this romcom are grossly undercooked. You can enjoy it if you don't need spice or robust flavours or when there is nothing else to have.

Sunny Sanskari (Varun Dhawan; yes, that's our hero's name), a jeweller's son, gets dumped by his lady love Ananya (Sanya Malhotra) who chooses a richer and classier groom Vikram (Rohit Saraf) over the allegedly middle-class Sunny. Meanwhile, Vikram himself dumps Tulsi Kumari (Janhvi Kapoor; yes, that is our heroine's name), a teacher, to opt for the more educated and sassier Ananya. The heartbroken Sunny and Tulsi team up to break up Vikram and Ananya's wedding by pretending to hook up and make them jealous. In the process...surprise, surprise... they fall for each other amid exotic Udaipur's breathtaking locales.

The plot is thinner than a wafer chip but that's perfectly fine. Who expects meaning or depth from a wedding romance anyway? But at a time when shows and films are pushing boundaries of edgy entertainment, absurdist and unpredictable storytelling (the recently released Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood being an example), surely our mainstream movies can attempt to be a little less generic? Or a little more intelligent?

In this case, director and co-script writer Shashank Khaitan, whose resume includes the fun Humpty Sharma ki Dulhaniya (2014) and Badrinath ki Dulhaniya (2017) and the above-average Dhadak (2018), keeps it simplistic to be point of being banal. The story and the treatment follow the well-trod path of Bollywood romcoms: beautiful leads, good cinematography, lavish sets, a little bit of drama, hummable songs and a happy ending. The fact that we enjoyed Humpty and Badrinath... in the mid-2010s while this one leaves you flat, tells you how much cinema has changed since the pandemic. But are Bollywood bigwigs taking note?

Evidently not, because the ingredients look way too familiar with regular props. The hero's loyal funny friend (Abhinav Sharma, who also played Ranveer Singh's friend in Rocky Rani ki Prem Kahaani), a caricaturish wedding planner (Maniesh Paul) cracking whatsapp jokes, parents from hell, an overbearing brother (Akshay Oberoi)... you get the drift. There are hat tips to previous hits like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Chak De India and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G)-something we have seen in Dharma and Yash Raj Films' movies before.

Even the romance comes up without any context or lead-up. Janhvi falls accidentally into Varun's arms and suddenly he is tempted to look at her with dreamy eyes and starts to develop feelings for her. Most of the jokes don't land and the dialogues have gems like“Kapde joote fake ho sakte hain, par rishte fake nahi ho sakte” (Clothes and shoes can be fake, not relationships). However, there are some genuinely funny moments too, like the one where producer Karan Johar makes a cameo as the host of a wedding function. Pretending to be the bride and groom's best friend despite having no clue of who they are, KJo presents what he does best-self-aware humour. (Sidenote: Just how many cameos does Mr Johar do in a month?).

Technically, the film is polished but the editing is choppy. An emotional scene where Tulsi gets insulted by Vikram's family is immediately followed by a song set in a disco. There is a flimsy explanation for the setting but the sudden shift in tonality jars. Thankfully, the song, Bijuria, a remix of an old Sonu Nigam number, is foot-tapping. Similarly, a side track of a neglected bhabhi comes up every now and then but it serves no purpose other than to get in a few token lines of women's empowerment. A leopard sighting gets mentioned but then it's all forgotten in a jiffy. In a hospital sequence, a qualified doctor takes tips from the heroine to save a life. It's like a few points needed to be checked off a list and the director and writers were in a hurry to tick them off.

Overall, the film is as Dharma-core as it gets. Janhvi never looked this gorgeous and even Sanya looks pretty. The men are well dressed with Varun carrying off a bright red shiny Dhoti-kurta rather well (sorry to be distracted by the outfits again!). The tears and drama never get too uncomfortable either. In such a scenario, you depend on the charm of the leads to keep you engaged. But Janhvi still looks awkward and out of sorts when it comes to comedy. She looks like a million bucks but her dialogue delivery is weak and comic timing, non-existent.

Varun compensates. Or should we say over-compensates! It's great to see him on screen in a fun role after a long time but his performance seems to be a continuation of his Humpty Sharma. And it's been a decade since that film. One truly feels for Rohit Saraf and Sanya Malhotra, two talented actors who end up as supporting cast. Sanya isn't given much to play with but her natural effervescence makes her stand out in the midst.

Overall, Sunny Sanskari...is a lazy stress-free watch, the kind you call 'timepass' films. Don't expect too much, don't ask too many questions, feast your eyes on the colours, songs and the actors and you can have a fine time at the theatres. It's charmless but entirely harmless.

Rating: 2.5

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