26 July,2013 05:11 PM IST | | Shakti Shetty
What can one possibly say about a film that is so unidirectional that you get tired of correctly predicting what the next scene will be? It's like driving on a familiar highway - minus the thrill. A love story set in destiny but making itself apparent in a college couldn't get cheesier than this. Almost every single frame reeks of the been-there-seen-that feel. Save the few moments of laughter, there is hardly anything to look forward to with glee.
'Luv U Soniyo'
Directed by debutant Joe Rajan, the first half walks you through a campus. As expected, the protagonist is a popular guy with girls drooling all around him. However, he has an artistic side that is best camouflaged by his truant behaviour. On top of that, he's single too. So life goes on as usual before he realises that he has fallen in love with a fellow student. Incidentally, she too likes him back but she is way too obedient to go against her parents. After all, both of them belong to different religion and she (or her parents, for that matter) can't help being 19th century in 21st century. Similarly, there's another goofy character who casually suffers from night blindness without resorting to medical aid. Seriously?
Too many yawns later, the story finally picks up pace - for a short while - after intermission. There's some level of drama with a nice touch of existential philosophy mixed with pragmatism in some scenes but before you could absorb it, it's replaced by scenes that goes back to what the film is trying so hard to do: entertain. To add to the dullness, the dialogues are bland for the most part. Even the songs aren't catchy enough.u00a0
In terms of performance, Tanuj Virwani looks like he knows what he's doing in front of the camera. His confidence and restrain carry him. The same can't be said about Neha Hinge. Shyly smiling can't hide the fact that you're hamming like a pro. The supporting cast is present for the sole purpose of filling up space and time. None of them are written well nor do they stand out except one college professor who mimics Aamir Khan from 'Taare Zameen Par'.u00a0
Love triumphs in the end but the journey leading to that moment could have been more entertaining. In conclusion, for a Friday consumed by below-average releases, 'Luv U Soniyo' is just another happy addition.u00a0
