Movie Review : Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

[amazon_link id=”B009VGREIU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Rating : 3.8/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2012
Running time : 2 hours 20 minutes
Director : Sameer Sharma
Cast : Huma Qureshi, Kunal Kapoor, Vinod Nagpal, Rajesh Sharma, Rahul Bagga, Mukesh Chhabra
Kid rating : PG

I hadn’t expected this film to hit theatres in the US, given that it is a low-budget, starlet-adorned film from Anurag Kashyap’s production house (yes, they of Gangs of Wasseypur fame). But it did. So, of course, I watched it.

This is a film of NOT-in-your-face-Punjabiyat. The bhangra is muted, the singing-dancing is occasional, and the Balle-Balle’s are missing. But this is a Punjabi film – in Hindi. It is set in a small town of Punjab where the fields are large and green, the havelis sprawling, and the families typical. The film’s essence reminds me of the title of an Amulya Malladi book “Serving Crazy with Curry”. Because like the much-touted saag, crazy is abundant here.

The hero, Omi Khurana (Kapoor) is your average spineless no-gooder Punjabi brat. Omi ran away from home with the family’s savings wanting to make it big, and believing that the UK was where it’s at. 10 years later and neck deep in trouble, he returns to the family fold trying to siphon off their funds again. The family welcomes him back, although some members like Omi’s chachaji still have reservations about his character. Daarji, Omi’s loving indulgent grandfather, has since lapsed into dementia. And Omi’s first love Harman (Huma Qureshi) has become a doctor and is now engaged to Omi’s cousin Jeet. A loving and forgiving Chachiji, and her nutcase of a brother, Titu (Rajesh Sharma) round off the Khurana family.

This film has a stellar cast, with the exception of the charming Kunaal Kapoor, whom I found unconvincing. He can adlib the less intense scenes but where it’s really required, can’t quite project the right emotions. I remember him in films where he appeared in a non-major role (Rang de Basanti, Ranbir starrer Bachna ae haseeno) and it seemed like he had potential. Those illusions shatter with this film, because when placed front and center, he just doesn’t light up the screen.

But the rest of the cast – they’re all stars. Huma Qureshi we saw in Gangs of Wasseypur II and she is just as perfect here, as a feisty Punjabi doctorni. The wonderful Vinod Nagpal (of Basesar Ram in “Hum Log” fame) plays Daarji, and Rahul Bagga as Jeet is the quintessential runt of a brother – harangued by his loud family and hiding a deep, dark secret. The actress playing the ever-smiling, easily beguiled Chachiji is fantastic, and Rajesh Sharma is just as good as her lunatic perpetually-pajama-clad brother Titu.

LSTCK is a rare film in that it actually has an innovative storyline where the loose ends tie up neatly and (almost) believably. The ending was so pitch-perfect; it was like desi Tarantino. The characters were very well scripted – from the silent Daarji, the skeptical Chachaji and the once-bitten-twice-shy Harman to the wannabe property-businessman Lovely or the servant Dalidri. The British hoodlums Manty and Shanty cracked me up, and the character of the weed-smoking Sant Buaji was a hoot. The film has a story (yay! for Bollywood), a great cast, melodious music, good production values and attention to detail, humor and a warm, fuzzy feel-goodness.

So, if the film has all that, why less than 4 star rating you wonder? Because this film could have been knock-your-socks-off spectacular and it’s not. It is a good film, but in an underwhelming sort of a way. It’s probably still one of the better movies of the year and loads better than crap like “Ek tha tiger”, but it is slow and meandering and lacks that oomph which would have made it special. This is still worth a watch – for the humor and the bonhomie and the eccentric characters and their crazy situations. It reminds one of home, because the Khuranas – they’re OK-shokay.

Kidwise : Apart from some scenes in the beginning and some language, the film is mostly clean. Might be wasted on younger kids, because of oblique humor and references, and adult situations.