Film Review- Loveyapa - A Tamil Film Remake, but Lacks Impact

By Shanti Swaroop Tripathi

• Producers: Pradeep Ranganathan, Bhavna Talwar, Shrishti Behl,  Madhu Mantena  
• Writers: Pradeep Rangnathan, Sneha Desai, Siddhant Mago
• Director: Advait Chandan
• Cast: Junaid Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Tanvika Parlikar, Kiku Sharda, Grusha Kapoor
• Duration: 2 hours 18 minutes
• Director: Advait Chandan

In today's digital age, everyone, from kids to elderly people, has become a slave to their smartphones. Every individual’s phone is filled with data and apps. But how the information on a phone can ruin relationships is the central theme of Advait Chandan's modern rom-com film Loveyapa, which is a Hindi remake of the 2022 Tamil film Love Today. The film stars Junaid Khan, Aamir Khan’s son, alongside Khushi Kapoor, the daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor. Unfortunately, the film fails to live up to its promise of entertainment and, in some ways, even disrespects the youth. It wraps up significant themes in a heap of triviality.

Story

The film revolves around the characters of Gaurav Sachdeva (Junaid Khan) and Bani Sharma (Khushi Kapoor), who are deeply in love with each other. They affectionately call each other 'Bani Boo' and 'Gucci Boo.' Bani is afraid of her father, Atul Kumar Sharma (Ashutosh Rana), as well as her younger sister. She lies to her father, claiming that the phone she received as a gift from Gucci was won in a mall competition, but her father realizes she is lying. He is a talented sitar player and speaks refined Hindi.

When Gaurav visits Bani's father, he behaves like a well-mannered boy from a good family, but Atul sets a condition: both must exchange their phones for 24 hours. The moment they swap their phones, chaos ensues. Gaurav discovers that Bani has had past affairs and chats with other boys, including a trip to Mussoorie. Meanwhile, Bani uncovers Gaurav's questionable behavior. Along with their story, we also follow Gaurav’s sister, Kiran (Tanvika Parlikar), and her fiancé Anupam (Kiku Sharda), whose relationship also faces a challenge over phone privacy, leading to its own set of complications.

Advait Chandan's directorial venture Loveyapa is his third film after Secret Superstar and Laal Singh Chaddha. So far, all of his films have been produced by Aamir Khan, but unfortunately, Chandan has yet to live up to expectations. Laal Singh Chaddha was a massive failure, leading Aamir Khan to take a break from acting for a while. Currently, he is producing multiple films. Loveyapa, too, fails to deliver and makes several missteps. However, it’s important to acknowledge that Chandan did attempt to show the consequences of mobile phones hiding secrets that can disrupt relationships, which is a bold move. Unfortunately, the film handles sensitive issues like body-shaming, deepfake, and toxic masculinity in a rather trivial manner, which feels inappropriate.

Chandan tries to capture the essence of the mobile era and its impact on relationships, particularly focusing on how both men and women have secrets hidden in their phones that can complicate matters. While this is an interesting concept, it is executed poorly. The director seems to mock Gen Z and the younger generation without acknowledging the real issues people face, such as older generations also sharing inappropriate content in WhatsApp groups. The film never addresses these important topics with any depth, and instead trivializes them.

Sneha Desai, who was previously associated with the OTT film Maharaj, has written the screenplay for Loveyapa. Desai, who has written several TV serials and films like Lapata Ladies, fails to capture the essence of the characters in this film. The characters feel detached from reality, and it is hard to connect with their emotions or motivations. The father of the female protagonist, Bani (Khushi Kapoor), is portrayed as a cultured and highly educated individual who is skilled in playing the sitar and extremely proficient with technology. This unrealistic portrayal is laughable, and the characters’ development is weak.

The film attempts to address the modern love story where societal pressure doesn’t seem like the villain, but instead, it is the couple’s own insecurities. However, the film’s handling of this concept is shallow and doesn’t offer anything new or impactful. The notion that today’s youth might introduce their ex-lovers to their current partners seems far-fetched and misguided.

Loveyapa touches on body-shaming, a topic that has been dealt with in several films in the past, including Sonakshi Sinha’s Dabangg 3. However, the way Loveyapa deals with it is hardly groundbreaking or insightful. The movie never truly explores the complexities of body-image issues and instead uses it as a superficial plot device.

The film’s other themes, such as relationships in the age of social media, are not explored with the depth or sensitivity that they require. The approach to relationships and communication feels outdated, and the film doesn't resonate with today’s younger audience, who face more nuanced challenges in their relationships.

The cinematography, editing, dialogues, and music of Loveyapa are all subpar. These elements fail to elevate the film, making it difficult to engage with the characters and their situations. The technical execution is disappointing for a film that tackles such a contemporary and significant issue.

Performances

Junaid Khan lacks the depth and emotional engagement required for his role. He appeared much better in his earlier project Maharaj, but his chemistry with Khushi Kapoor is non-existent in Loveyapa. Khushi Kapoor seems unprepared for acting, and her performance lacks the nuance needed for her character. Kiku Sharda, as Anupam, delivers a more memorable performance, bringing some light-heartedness to the film. Ashutosh Rana, Grusha Kapoor, and Tanvika Parlikar deliver decent performances, but the script doesn’t allow them to fully showcase their talents.

Read also:

• Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha reveals why she got slapped as a child
  
• Arjun Kapoor reacts to wedding rumors, says, "Will happen at the right time...
  
• Sonam Kapoor breaks down while paying tribute to Rohit Bal on the ramp
• Anjini Dhawan confirms working with Salman Khan in Sikandar