'Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui' movie review: Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer fails to live up to expectations

The film has a bold plot but falls flats due to the mediocre execution

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Vaani Kapoor and Kanwaljit Singh

Director: Abhishek Kapoor

Rating: 2/5

If you were given a choice between being punched by a pro boxer and watching this week's new release Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, then think twice before choosing the latter. Nothing, just nothing, can be as exasperating as the experience of sitting through this mass of mediocrity that masquerades as an example of content-driven cinema.

The movie revolves around the life of a struggling gym trainer, played by Ayushmann Khurrana, who aspires to find success in life by winning a physically-draining competition. His world is turned upside down when a charming Zumba trainer, played by Vaani Kapoor, enters his life. The two become friends, which paves the way for love. Things seem to be going fine until he learns a secret about his lover.

Director Abhishek Kapoor has never hesitated to touch upon unconventional themes with his work, Rock on, for example, garnered attention as it explored the Rock music scene, something that can't be said about many mainstream movies. Similarly, the 'classy' Fitoor was hardly a run-of-the-mill affair. With Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, he again tries to touch upon the challenges faced by a 'trans woman'.

While the idea is praiseworthy, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The film dealing with a sensitive issue needs to have a certain amount of depth to do justice to the premise. Vicky Donor, a film about a 'sperm donor', is a case in point. The scenes involving the protagonist and his family proved to be its emotional fulcrum. Moreover, the lighter moments felt organic as they gelled with the plot. This sadly doesn't happen here. Most of the characters haven't been fleshed out properly, which makes it difficult for one to relate to the dynamics at play. Furthermore, some of the scenes involving the 'hero' and his friends feel too over the top.

While the first half registers despite its flaws, the second one falls flat. There are a few emotional dialogues here and there but that's just about all the flick has to offer. The climax, in particular, is quite disappointing as it fails to rise above the cliches associated with commercial cinema. While such an approach may have been adopted to 'normalise' the reel love story, one certainly expects a lot more from the film as it was touted to be a 'breath of fresh air'.

Coming to the performances, Ayushmann is the heart and soul of Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui. He gets into the skin of his character the way he did in Vicky Donor, highlighting his vulnerabilities.

He brings a certain 'desiness' to the table, which should appeal to the North Indian audience.

Vaani needs to be lauded for taking up a character that is as layered as can be. The star, sadly isn't able to do justice to it as she struggles to emote with her eyes. This dilutes the impact of a key scene in which she opens up about her 'past'. That said, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, is decisively a better outing for her than War or even Bellbottom. Kanwaljit Singh is burdened with one of the most poorly-written characters of his character. The film needed at least a couple of flashback sequences to establish the bond between his character and the one played by Vaani. In fact. this is an even more underwhelming outing for him than the forgettable Sardar Ka Grandson.

The music too is quite disappointing as none of the songs, barring the title track, make any impact. The editing too could have been better as the film drags towards the end.