Feels Like Ishq
RATING
It is raining anthologies! And it is yet again that platform that is producing it – Netflix! After Paava Kadhaigal, Ajeeb Daastaans and Ray, this is yet another anthology based on the central theme of love. And unlike some of the other anthologies, this Movie(or Series) is in the feel good zone and not in the dark space of depression and heartbreak. And there are as many as 6 different stories, so lets get to them one by one in our standard format!
Save the Da(y)te: A story of a runaway bride leading to two strangers looking for her, thereby spending quality time with each other. The story is warm and fuzzy and the screenplay is more reliant on the dynamics and the chemistry between the two protagonists which is truely infectious. Director Ruchir Arun has done a fabulous job here, slowly letting love simmer and also showcasing the fact that two strangers can truely get along like a house on fire! The fresh pair of Radhika Madan and Amol Parashar are splendid together. A very good looking couple with an infectious chemistry! I really enjoyed this slice of love film!
Save the Da(y)te Rating: 4/5
Quaranteen Crush: A story set against the backdrop of the lockdown due to corona, where love plays cupid for a teenage boy when he notices another girl staying in a house opposite to me. The story is light and frothy, at times relatable too. We have all been through a phase in our teens where we have experienced a strong sense of attraction. It is at this point that the screenplay begins talking to you as you slowly fall in love with the young couple. The cute glances and that unsaid attraction form the rest of the story, an ideal story for hopeless romantics like me. Here the music is fabulous with one song crooned by Ayushman Khurana. Director Tahira Kashyap Khurana has handled this delicate story(penned by Gazal Dhaliwal) beautifully, you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. Mihir Ahuja and Kajol Chugh look so cute together and they both are a natural onscreen. This one is one of my favourite stories from the lot.
Quaranteen Crush Rating: 4.5/5
Star Host: A Story of a guy playing a host to a girl who wants to explore life following an argument with her boyfriend. This one has a philosophical take on life along with the love element. Another story which shows that love might just be in the moment between two individuals along with a vibe of living in the moment rather than looking way beyond. This story also has a ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” vibe to it. A screenplay that slowly begins to soeak to you by making its way to your heart. Director Anand Tiwari has done a fabulous job creating that atmosphere of the magic of love so well. Rohit Saraf and Simram Jehani have a sparkling presence together. A simple story told beautifully!
Star Host Rating: 4/5
She loves me, she loves me not: A Story of a bisexual attracted to her coworker at work. This was is a soft and delicate representation of the LGBTQ community. It is stories like these that are the need of the hour here and important to the society that we live in! A screenplay that shows the qualms the individuals face, a far cry from the caricature that we are used to seeing in such movies. It also portrays the insecurity of the individuals but all in a light and frothy space. Director Danish Aslam has truely done a magnificent job handling such a sensitive topic so well. He is able to show successfully that love is as natural for every individual no matter who you are! Saba Azad is brilliant here but Sanjeeta Bhattacharya is on another level here. With such an infectious smile and a pleasant personality, she steals the show. It definitely feels like love here!
She loves me, she loves me not Rating: 4/5
Interview: One of my favourite shorts, a story of two individuals that meet at a place for an interview. The interesting bit is that they help each other out to prepare for the interview but fate might have bigger plans for them. One of the best written screenplays here, so natural probably the most relatable of the lot. Love can truely happen at the most unexpected of times where two strangers(yet again) begin enjoying each other’s company. Director Sachin Kundalkar has done a fabulous job, never letting the grip on the narrative slip by. The casting here is perfect. Neeraj Madhav is so sincere and genuine, basically very affable while Zayn Marie Khan is a firebrand here, so confident with a terrific screenpresence. This story deserves distinction marks.
Interview Rating: 4.5/5
Ishq Mastana: Well the law of averages caught up, but only relatively so. The weakest of the lot but only because others were brilliant! A Story of a guy looking for a rebound meets a girl at a rally. Thus begins their adventure together. As compared to the others, this one falls a little flat as it runs out of juice midway through. The premise and setup are excellent but somewhere it becomes a little too simplistic but it is still watchable, infact pretty good. Director Jaydeep Sarkar has done a decent job with the subject. Skand Thakur is pretty good but it is Tanya Maniktala that steals the show. She looks so cute with a disarming smile that totally wins you over. Overall a good watch.
Ishq Mastana Rating: 3.5/5
Feels Like Ishq reaffirms that warm fuzzy feeling of love. It is that one long hug that you often long for. Truely Refreshing and Another winner in the anthology genre, Feels Like Ishq is available on Netflix and Highly Recommended.