Date:22/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/22/stories/2007042206030200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Nothing really new on offer here

Kya Love Story Hai (Hindi)

Director: Lovely Singh

Cast: Tusshar Kapoor, Ayesha Takia

If he were to get lucky, Tusshar Kapoor could get toothpaste advertisements. Clothes hang on his tiny frame; words don't fall off his lips. Charisma avoids him like the plague. But, boy! Can he smile! Short in height and accomplishments, he is Bollywood's perennial also-ran: give him a little slot in the shadows and Tusshar fits in nicely. He is a measured actor who makes the maximum use of his limited abilities.

Bring him to the spotlight and the man is found out: Tusshar, for all his hard work and sincerity, cannot help sell a dozen tickets at the box office. He is competent without threatening to appear interesting. Much like Lovely Singh's film released this week. It is the kind of film you watch on a bad day and then thank God it did not get any worse! You walk in on a good day and wonder you could have done better!

A simple love story of an architect who does not need to put together two slabs of stone — his parents have left him all the riches — and a girl who has had to make her life, brick by brick. The problem arises because the guy cannot express his love, the girl cannot understand his seeking. Remember "Mujhe Kuchh Kehna Hai", in which Tusshar suffered from similar problems of expression? Throw in a rich brat and you know it is going to be a love triangle which will end like all Hindi film stories do: the winner is invariably the guy with greater substance. And a better known name at the box office! That is where Tusshar wins: newcomer Karan Hakku has to be somebody's conspiracy to make Tusshar look handsome and heroic!

But hey, how can one talk about "Kya Love Story Hai" without talking about Ayesha Takia? As the girl sought after by two guys, she is so sweet. Any expression other than joy has probably never been registered on her face. Want to watch this love triangle? Do so for some breathtaking shots of South African landscapes. They are really soothing but leave you wondering, how about a bit of India in a Hindi film?

Z.U.S.