It is therefore surprising that their keen appetite for the melodies of the past do not render themselves to any substantial or coherent commitment to creating a film about a quirky girl and her devoted next door neighbour who serves her purposes, whatever they may be. Both Ayushmann Khurrana and Parineeti Chopra are musicians. There is something distinctly stilted and artificial in the way the songs define the central relationship. It is how we see a Bengali household when the Bengali writer detaches himself from the milieu and language to the extent that he can no longer peer into the cultural dynamics without appearing touristic. This is not an authentic Bengali household. They are clownishly Bengali, screaming and bustling as though Kolkata was on fire. But the proceedings are as dull as ditch water with scene after scene serenading nostalgia with no room for the characters to grow beyond stereotypes. Ditto, the film which is as immaculately assembled in a retro huddle as Suprotim Sengupta’s writing permits. It is correct historically culturally but lifeless. This is a scene straight of a promotional film on Doordarshan’s glorious era. ‘ Aaiye Meherbaan Dekhiye Jaan-E-Jaan’ plays on a black-and-white television set as some poor man hangs by the roof adjusting the antenna. Clearly, Akshay Roy has a lot of fun picking out nostalgic nuggets from our musical past. The cultural mishmash ceases to amusing after a while.
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