Rating – *** (3/5)
The absence of fun and harmless romantic comedies continues to feel like a breed that’s in danger of extinction, where any film that does come with the flavor is always under major scrutiny with the consistently changing times. With Ishq Vishk Rebound, there always seemed to be promise as the four faces at the forefront exhibited genuine off-screen and on-screen chemistry and a banger soundtrack. But to have conviction in a rom-com is so essential, and Ishq Vishk Rebound only showcases that in flickering moments.
Impeccable Soundtrack & Relatability
To have an all-encompassing soundtrack is a rare feat to achieve in today’s times. Gone are the days when you would only wait for an Emraan Hashmi movie to hear/get addicted to the latest album of scintillating songs. But the soundtrack of Ishq Vishk Rebound which consists of recreations and original songs doesn’t just act as an aid to the film but becomes one of the highlights. Rochak Kohli deserves kudos for that. The recreations of ‘Ishq Vishk Pyaar Vyaar,’ ‘Chot Dil Pe Lagi,’ and ‘Gore Gore Mukhde Pe’ are some of the best recreations you would have heard in recent times while the soulful and playful ‘Rehmat’ and ‘Soni Soni’ respectively are great additions as well.
For a film that’s about young romance and delves into the complexities of modern relationships, the most important factor to take care of is – relatability. It is a very alluring prospect to get diverted from that and fall into the trap of sounding cool and trendy. To the writers, Vaishali Naik, Vinay Chhawal, and Ketan Pedgaonkar; dialogue writers, Akarsh Khurana and Lisha Bajaj’s credit – they don’t subject themselves to any of those tropes and they walk on the tightrope efficiently.
The Muddled Screenplay, Mixed Bag of Performances & Feeling Incomplete
The burning question I was left with as the end credits rolled, was why did Naila Grrewal sign up for this film or was it intentional to just be as much as we see in the film from the inception? A fabulous young talent, who has already proved her mettle earlier barely has a presence in the film which is such a pity which is sad given how it is consistently marketed as a four-actor-led film. The problem doesn’t lie with just her screen time but how incomplete her arc feels and her presence makes no difference after a point of time. The film is essentially a Pashmina Roshan launch vehicle and Rohit Saraf is the Rohit Saraf you love from something like Mismatched. And while it is applaudable how Roshan can do certain sequences, the naivete and inexperience of being an actor is apparent.
Also, it doesn’t help that her character Sanya is kinda annoying initially! Saraf is at his goofy and charming best – something he convincingly aces as always. But it is Jibraan Khan who makes a great impact despite having lesser screentime and layers than his male counterpart. Khan is a natural and while his K3G days were no indicators of that, Khan proves that he can be the next big thing. His obvious good looks, real-life comic prowess and inherent charm help.
The screenplay always seems scattered and the choice to be meta with Saraf’s character being a film writer and incorporating his story into the film he is writing for seems so banal. His breaking the fourth wall acts as an effective tool but is overdone.
Ishq Vishk Rebound pirouettes between being fun, campy and entertaining in some instances while struggling with a muddled screenplay, and questionable character choices.
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