When was the last time we saw Shahid Kapoor in an out-and-out rom-com? It was Shaandaar, in 2015. YES, 2015!!! God have I missed Shahid’s rom-com era. Isliye when he announced this movie, I was so relieved to see Shahid move on from that ‘angry young man’ vibe and do something he’s loved for. But again, “Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya” isn’t your typical love story – it’s a wild ride through the tangled wires of modern romance, where humans have started falling for… robots (ye AI jaha dikh jaye gussa aur aata hai mujhe). And tbh, it was a pretty interesting concept, until directors Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah decided to make it a commercial film. You can’t always have the best of both worlds yaar :/ And that’s why the film, even though fresh, feels like a mixed bag.
Plot
So we have Aryan Agnihotri (Shahid Kapoor), a robotics engineer, who works fot his maasi’s (Dimple Kapadia) company. Aryan isn’t ready to commit to anyone, but his classic Indian family wants him to marry ASAP. Iske beech Aryan’s maasi calls him to US for some work. Par bechare ko ye nahi pata hota ki he’s gonna be a lab rat for an experiment. He falls in love with her assistant Sifra, and just when everything’s going smooth, the maasi returns and reveals Sifra is a robot. Par ab toh pyaar hogaya, ab kya? What happens next is for you to find out. Abhi bass itna jaan lo ki what follows is a combo of hit and miss gags, some wannabe serious storytelling, and ultimately an underwhelming climax, even though there’s a big twist.
Performances
Shahid Kapoor literally lights up when in a rom-com. His cheeky smile, bright eyes, energetic dance moves– it’s pretty clear that he enjoys this genre. But, Kriti Sanon steals the show this time. Her balance between the human side and the robotic side is so pitch perfect ki at no point does it feel fake. Her deadpan delivery, those robotic quirks, and that beauty (>>>)– perfect, absolutely perfect, down to the last minute detail. Dimple Kapadia and Dharmendra add a touch of nostalgia, but don’t really have much to work with. They’re just there mostly. Baaki ke cast members are also cool, but that ‘family-time humour’ plan doesn’t work always.
Direction and Writing
I think the biggest problem with this movie is that it tries to balance such an important subject with commercialism. It should’ve either been fully serious, or just out-and-out popcorn dumb fun. Ye beech ka bandar phase is what reduces the impact of the film the most. Towards the end, the movie tries to make you feel for the characters, but uske liye waisa build up bhi toh hona chahiye. You never really feel for them. Also, the humor is a hit and a miss. No, it doesn’t get cringe, but it sure falls flat on a lot of occasions. Really loved the subtle symbolism of how the expectations of an Indian household on their ‘bahu’ can only be fulfilled by a robot, but again, they don’t dive deep enough into it. All in all, the storyline is fresh, but the makers keep on adding too many elements just for the sake of it, and boom, kardiya kaam kharab.
Screenplay and Cinematography
The screenplay is engaging— you never feel bored. There are no unnecessary subplots, but there are a lot of unexplored themes that are present just to tick off boxes, and that’s annoying. Cinematography bhi theek hi hai, I mean what could go wrong with shooting Mumbai and New York ke skyscrapers. The CGI is pretty mehhh. They had to render an AI lab/office ka set, and they made it look like a video game. I mean, come on. The songs are damn good though, my fav being Ankhiyaan Gulab (Mitraz supremacy>>>). Also, shout-out to Shahid dancing his heart out on banger songs, gotta be one of my fav genders frrrr.
In a world obsessed with blockbuster spectacles and same-old romances, “Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya” dares to be different, while trying to be the same. The movie had a fresh concept, but phir wahi commercialism ke tante. The day producers in India stop thinking about BO numbers for a second is the day we start making more amazing films. This one is a decent watch, might wanna go w your fam.
