“Luka Chuppi Is A Funny & Entertaining Take On Modern Relationships”
Banner: Maddok Films & Jio CinemaProducer: Dinesh Vijan. Director: Laxman UtekarStar Cast: Kartik Aryan, Kriti Sanon, Aparshakti Khurana, Himanshu Kohli, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Atul Srivastava, Alka Amin, Vishwanath Chatterjee, Neha Saraf, Ajeet Singh, Vimi Mehta, Arun Singh, Master Samarth, Sapna Sand, Abhinav Shukla & Nabil Singh Music: Tanishk Bagchi, White Noise & Abhijit Vaghani
Cinematographer-turned-director Laxman Utekar’s, from the Marathi film arena, debut Hindi film Luka Chuppi once again explores the subject of Live-in relationship. Incidentally speaking the year 2005’s film Salaam Namaste is credited for making the idea of live-in relationship popular in India. It’s been nearly 14 years since the film released & although live-in is a known concept by now & there have also been a few more films on this topic, it’s still considered a taboo topic in many places, including in some progressive urban areas of the country. Hence, to show a couple living-in in a small Uttar Pradesh town secretly can make for a fun & entertaining watch. Moreover, it stars Kartik Aaryan & this is the actor’s 1st ever film after the much loved & successful flick Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.
So the scripted scenario of Luka Chuppi reveals the story of a couple living-in with their family. Superstar Nazim Khan (Abhinav Shukla) gets into a controversy when it comes to light that he is living-in with his girlfriend & is unapologetic about it. The moral police come out in full force to protest against his “indecent” act. One such organization is Rashtriya Sanskriti Manch in Mathura, it is led by Vishnu Trivedi (Vinay Pathak). His daughter is Rashmi Trivedi (Kriti Sanon) & she joins a local news channel after completing her media studies in Delhi. Here she bumps into Guddu (Kartik Aaryan) & both fall in love. After a fight with his elder unmarried brother Vikas (Himanshu Kohli) & brother-in-law Babulal (Pankaj Tripathi), he decides to tie the knot as soon as possible. He proposes to Rashmi Trivedi. She however refuses to marry him so soon & insists on a live-in relationship. Guddu obviously freaks out. However inspired by an idea given by their colleague Abbas (Aparshakti Khurana), they decide to live-in when they go on a 20 day assignment at Gwalior, where no one knows them. Hence they could live-in without any fear. But in order to get the flat on rent, they pretend to be a married couple. Rashmi Trivedi also has to go out wearing mangalsutra & apply sindoor. All is going well when Babulal catches them getting cozy in a public place. Assuming they are married, he tells his family about it & they all land up at their pad in Gwalior. What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.
Rohan Shankar’s story is novel & entertaining & different from other such films in this genre. The characters are very well fleshed out & most importantly, they are relatable. Rohan Shankar’s screenplay is effective for most parts & evokes the right humor. At some places however, it is a bit weak, especially in the 1st ever half. In an attempt to establish the setting & the dynamics between the characters, the writer seems to have done a bit of a rushed job. On the positive side, a few scenes are exceptional & would surely be loved. Rohan Shankar’s dialogues are funny. Thankfully, there are no dialogues with double entendre.
Laxman Utekar’s direction is good but could have been better. The script gets a bit off in the 1st ever half & his direction does not do much to polish the minuses. But he gets better as the film progresses. One of the best parts of the film is how it addresses a taboo topic & yet makes it mainstream. In the past, there have been films based on live-in like say Ok Jaanu in the year 2017 but it was a niche product as majority of the country just couldn’t relate to it. Laxman Utekar however executes the plot well & the message comes out loud & clear. As a result, this film has a wider appeal & all thanks to the humor & the treatment.
Luka Chuppi begins on a surprising note, showing the Nazim Khan controversy. It makes it clear that besides being a comedy, it’s also going to make a social comment. Audiences however will go by the trailer & they expect to see romance & some dash of situational fun. And they definitely get that once the characters get introduced. At the same time however the film takes a while to get into its element. The falling-in-love happens quite quickly. The way the equation between Guddu with Vikas & Babulal is established seems forced. In fact the dream sequence where Guddu imagines that his nephew Chiku is getting married falls flat. It’s in the scene where the Gwalior neighbors create a havoc is when the film picks up. This particular scene is quite hilarious & even heroic & will be greeted with claps. The intermission point, when Guddu-Rashmi’s “luka chuppi” gets exposed (though not entirely) is also quite entertaining. Post-interval, the film gets even better as Guddu & Rashmi pretend to be married when they are not. The sequence at the temple is quite impressive, especially when it brings a new angle into the film. Guddu-Rashmi attempting to get married in their house is touching & yes, guffaw-inducing. The best however is reserved for the finale. Usually, comic capers tend to go all over the place. Fortunately in the case of Luka Chuppi, it doesn’t happen & it ends on a good note.
There are only recreated songs in the film which is a first. “Poster Lagwa Do”, the biggest song of the film, is shockingly missing from the film & is played during the end credits. This might disappoint its fans. “Coca Cola” is also played during the end credits & is foot tapping. “Photo” & “Duniyaa” are fine while “Tu Laung Main Elaachi” is melodious. Ketan Sodha’s background score has a funny touch that instantly make the proceedings light-hearted. Milind Jog’s cinematography is average. Manini Mishra’s production design is satisfactory. Sukriti Grover, Mallika Chauhan & Jia Bhagia’s costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Kriti Sanon. Manish Pradhan’s editing is appropriate. The film is just 126 minutes & moves swiftly.
Kartik Aaryan once again is in a great form. His boyish looks work instantly but it’s his performance that makes it even more endearing. In 1 scene in the bedroom with Kriti Sanon & Aparshakti Khurana, he does go into the “monologue” zone but quickly composes himself. His silent & deadpan expressions, especially in scenes when his family members are calling him names, are quite hilarious. Kriti Sanon has a fantastic screen presence & maintains a strong position. She also surprisingly shines in an important emotional sequence in the 2nd half. Aparshakti Khurana as always is dependable. The prejudice that others have towards his character’s religious identity is quite hard hitting. Pankaj Tripathi’s humor seems forced initially but later, it’s him who raises the maximum laughs. Vinay Pathak is a revelation. Till now, he has been associated with funny & light roles. But in this film, he plays a role of a dreaded politician & he looks very convincing. Himanshu Kohli is the surprise of the film & his character helps a lot in adding to the humor quotient in the film, especially post-interval. Vishwanath Chatterjee as Guddu’s brother Varun & Neha Saraf as Guddu’s bhabhi Janki also gets a chance to make their presence felt. Master Samarth as Chiku is adorable. Sapna Sand as Mrs Srivastava is good as the nosy neighbor in Gwalior. Ajit Singh as Srikanth is irritating as Vishnu Trivedi’s sidekick but that was the idea as his character has a villainous tinge. Atul Srivastava as Guddu’s father Badriprasad & Alka Amin as Guddu’s mother Shakuntala are decent. Abhinav Shukla is okay & ideally, the makers should have cast a superstar in his place.
Tail Piece: On the whole, Luka Chuppi is a funny take on the modern relationships laced with dollops of situational & funny moments. This clean comedy would get thumbs up not just from the youngsters but also from the family audiences. Strictly Recommended for One & All!
