Not A Love Story (Hindi)

Release Date:
August 19, 2011

In the summer of 2008, an aspiring actress was doing the rounds of the Mumbai film industry. In the course of her efforts, she met a man who lent her a helping hand. She got into a relationship with this man in spite of she already having a boy friend back in her home town. And one fateful morning, her boyfriend landed up when she was with that man in her apartment... What followed after that, Shook An Entire Nation

In the summer of 2008, an aspiring actress was doing the rounds of the Mumbai film industry. In the course of her... Show More

Rohit Banawlikar’s story clearly lacks appeal and clarity. Elaborate narrations of Anusha’s affair with Robin and her goal in life suddenly gain speed and drown deep in the pool of suave editing to be followed by elongated courtroom scenes. The murder of Ashish, a significant juncture in the movie as well as the emotional turbulences in the characters subsequently, has been insufficiently dealt with.

Not a love story is a lust story. A voyeurs dream come true. Ogle at Mahie Gill and learn the art of popping your eyes out from Deepak Dobriyal.

Rating: **

Ticket meter: Worth 100/- bucks.

Superlative performances hook you into a disgusting story that comes from newspapers despite RGV going even crazier with his camera and sound departments.

But as far as sheer anti-vision and shock therapy is concerned, this film might make you forgive RGV for all the sins that he has unleashed upon us prior to this effort (including his disturbingly devastating tweets) but strangely, it also makes you want to strangle him for being a tortured wizard of blatant exploitation.

Not a love story is RGV's DDLJ

Almost 16 years ago, Amrish Puri said to Kajol: “Jaa jee le apni zindagi” in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Not a love story begins where DDLJ ends. Robin (Deepak Dobrial), the obsessed boyfriend of Anusha (Mahie Gill) lets her off to carve a niche in Hindi film industry.

The disclaimer at the beginning is clearly not meant to be taken seriously, as we all know that we’re watching the story of Maria Susairaj and Jerome Matthew. Director Ram Gopal Varma basks in his past glory with the title track of Rangeela. The track acts as a leitmotif, which soon begins to sound irritating after a point of time, especially when it’s used as ringtone of Mahie.

Deepak Dobriyal showcases his histrionics, while Mahie seduces the camera with her assets. Ashish Bhatnagar (Ajay Gehi) plays Mr. Fix-it with élan, especially the drunken scene. The ‘chopping of body’ scene gives you goose-bumps without witnessing anything gory. The much overrated lovemaking scene near a corpse is actually Deepak Dobrial’s way of crooning ‘Tujhe dekha’ to the perturbed Mahie.

The background score by Sandeep Chowta complements with the crazy camera work, which employs low angles from the ‘wrong places’. RGV spares you from the futile police investigations and courtroom dramas, by keeping it short and simple. The writer Rohit Banawlikar deserves a pat in the back, especially for twist in the climax – something much more romantic than SRK embracing Kajol in the mustard field. If RGV were to make DDLJ, this is it.

- Prakash Gowda
Vadodara, Gujarat