Cast: Nushrat Bharucha, Kartik Tiwari, Sunny Singh Nijjar
Direction: Luv Ranjan
Genre: Romance
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

STORY: Should you get married to someone you barely know, just to make your parents happy or should you rather marry the person you love?

MOVIE REVIEW: The topic may sound archaic and something that has been addressed in Hindi films a billon times before, but director Luv Ranjan moulds the story in a contemporary setting, making it relevant, especially for women who succumb to societal pressures when it comes to marriage. Akaash (Kartik Tiwari) and Vani’s (Nushrat Bharucha) is a college romance. Like all campus love stories and films made in the 80’s and 90’s, they go to a snow-clad hill station on a college trip where love blossoms.

The couple sings songs and dreams about their fairytale future together until parental and societal pressures force them to part ways. The bitter reality of life shatters dreams.

Vani who has always looked at life through rose-tinted glasses, finds herself trapped in an obnoxious, loveless marriage. Given the situation of women in the country, the film rightly touches upon topics like psychological, sexual harassment post marriage.

The characters, issues are realistic and sensible; except for the multiple irrelevant songs and scenes that drag the movie endlessly. Length is a major flaw. The film boasts of some solid performances. Lead actress Nushrat Bharucha is highly impressive.

Sunny Singh Nijjar, who is seen in a supporting but crucial role as the chauvinistic husband Ravi, fits the bill. Kartik Tiwari is decent but needs to grin less and emote more.

The film has an impactful background score, which helps in creating the somber mood required during the crucial confrontation scenes. Akaash Vani makes women realize that it’s more important to be happy and respected than being considered as righteous. It works strongly as social drama than a love story.