Kucch Luv Jaisaa is the type of film that will have you curious on the outset. The film sees Shefali Shah and Rahul Bose in lead roles for the second time after 15 Park Avenue, and is the debut for Saurabh Shukla’s wife Barnali Shukla. Adding to the mix is producer Vipul Shah, who agreed to produce the film after Shefali’s National Award win. But is the curiosity of an unconventional cast and an interesting trailer enough to pull an audience? Read on to find out.
Sometimes, having the nice house, nice car, working husband and 2 lovely kids is all people want in life. A cushy lifestyle that doesn’t demand much of them and simply goes with the flow. And then there are others that live life on the wild side, with adventure and danger lurking at every corner. For Madhu (Shefali Shah), she has the house, husband and kids but wants more. Her mundane life is consumed by her workaholic husband, demanding children, caring but distant parents and the newspaperwala who never comes on time. But she thinks what can be done to change it. Zindagi to aisi hi hai. However, the 29th of February isn’t a date that comes around every year and for this normal housewife, her birthday falls on that exact date. So as fed up as she maybe with her life, she decides to make a change this year, if only for her birthday. Shopping for not just new clothes, shoes and a new look, but for a new take on life. At this point she meets Raghav (Rahul Bose), a mysterious individual claiming to be a detective who speaks less and hides more. A casual interaction with the complete stranger will takes a different turn and before Madhu realises it, she is on the adventure she went looking for as she becomes a part of the investigation. Yet it’s not all fun and excitement. Will this modern housewife be able to return to her predictable life? Or has the chance encounter changed more than Madhu realises?
To be honest, the curiosity that the lead pair, the trailer and the premise provoke is enough to get you to watch the film once. But that’s about it. Shefali Shah is refreshing and adorable as Madhu but even her comical innocence could not save grace. Add in the normally dependable Rahul Bose who has done some great work, pitching in a rather dull performance and you have a lead pair that lacks the chemistry the screenplay presumes they have. Understandably this is an unusual event but the way the two bond seems childish to the point of ridiculous, especially since Shefali is supposed to be a bored housewife not a stupid one as it would seem. Sumit Raghavan is average while cameos by Neetu Chandra, Makrand Deshpande and Om Puri are wasted to say the least.
Cinematography by Bobby Singh works well for the film, keeping it stylish yet natural to the flow of the narrative. Music by Pritam is hummable while the lyrics by Irshad Kamil are likable. But regardless of these plus points, the glaring absence of logic, excitement and chemistry simply does not relent enough to let them shine through. Barnali Shukla made a smart move with her cast and the premise but it would seem she got lost along the way and could not keep the proceedings interesting enough to hold her audience. In fact, the only emotion that the audience catches on is boredom.
In a nutshell, Kucch Luv Jaisa lures the audience to the screens but doesn’t know what to do with them, becoming a clear case of curiosity killed the cat.
