Abhishek Kapoor’s unconventional love story is set at the heart of masculinity, and is essentially a case study of a man and a woman struggling inside the body that nature has allotted them.
Our mythology is full of gender-fluid tales, and our laws have begun to respect sexual diversity, but our mainstream Hindi cinema continues to narrate love stories, which is Abhishek Kapoor’s latest leap of faith. Like the protagonist Manu Munjal, he is Ramrod-straight. An unconventional love story set at the heart of masculinity, it is essentially a case study of a man and a woman struggling inside the body that nature has allotted to them.
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Manu (Ayushmann Khurrana), a bodybuilder and fitness trainer, bullied after his mother’s demise to build the best body in town, seeks to put an end to his difficult past, but his softcore refuses to crystallize. Is.
A Zumba instructor, Maanvi Brar (Vaani Kapoor), tries to align her anatomy with her personal understanding of her gender, but the scars placed on her by family members and society continue to haunt her.
As Maanvi attempts to bring some rhythm to Baahubali, sparks fly, but Manu’s social grooming – which also reflects the conditioning of a large section of the audience – does not allow him to see that both he and Maanvi sailing in it. boat and meet each other.
Even as they bond and giggle to the hormone-rushing music of Sachin-Jigar, the film constantly asks what is normal. Manu’s widowed father (Girish Dhamija) is in an inter-religious relationship, which he has hidden from his family, as he feels he cannot process it. Manu’s English lacks change, but he longs for a well-groomed girl, and Manvi sees a softer soul beneath his rude behavior.
Actually, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui pitches A forward-looking idea and initiates a conversation whose time has come. Afterwards Kai Po Che And KedarnathiAbhishek pushes the envelope once again but this time the resolution is convenient and predictable.
At the beginning of the film, we are told that there is no money problem with Maanvi; It removes the emotional upheaval and economic cost that gender reassignment surgery, without which the story could not have taken place, entails. The medical aspect of the complex procedure is rarely given due attention. Sure, it’s a conversation starter, but instead, under the guise of a bright mainstream romance with a message, it looks like manufacturers are selling the benefits of cosmetic surgery to unsuspecting youth.
After providing some laughs, the supporting characters fizzle out, except for Manvi’s retired brigadier father Kanwaljit Singh. Character arc of Manu’s sisters, who insist on bringing a fair and beautiful tradition Daughter in law, is also disappointing.
The acrimonious chemistry between Ayushmann and Vaani, however, ensures that the luscious romance seeps through the screen, and paper over the cracks that appear in the script in the second half.
As a self-suspecting and courageous human, Vani is a revelation. Giving a hint of hoarseness in her voice, she deftly exudes the confidence and complexions of a girl who loves to mirror, but whose eyes go blank in the middle of a conversation. It is his reliable performance that helps us configure Maanvi’s backstory.
At once against playing imperfection with conviction, Ayushmann shines as a jaded boy who grapples with his social prejudice. For once, he gets a chance to flaunt a ripped body with his acting and Ayushmann does not disappoint in either case.
When Manu punches his own weight in the finale, commentators compare it to Sanjeevani lifting. It really is, because it symbolizes the dispelling of centuries of misconceptions and prejudices. The reality will come out later!
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui is currently running in theaters
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