Loveyapa review: A refreshingly relatable rom-com marred by awkward acting

Loveyapa review: Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor star in this Gen-Z rom-com exploring the trials of being in a relationship with such smartphone-dependent lives

Loveyapa
Director: Advait Chandan
Cast: Khushi Kapoor, Junaid Khan, Ashutosh Rana, Grusha Kapoor, Kiku Sharda
Runtime: 2 hours 18 mins

While the trailer of Loveyapa did show some promise, I wasn't expecting much from the film given the title and the premise. I sat down in the movie hall, ready to consume yet another unfunny rom-com pretending to represent Gen-Z relationships. And I was, much to my delight, proved wrong. 

The film took me by surprise. I did not expect Loveyapa to be funny, super relatable and also point out how our dangerously dependent our lives are on the smartphone. Trust issues in relationships, misunderstandings and the scary world of cyber harassment – the film touches upon them all, without giving too much gyan.

Kahaani mein kya hai?

The story is about Baani (Khushi Kapoor) and Gucci (yes, that’s the nickname of Junaid Khan in the film) who are in love and speak to each other in corny, cringe-inducing terms, like 'Baani Poo' and 'babbu'. Once you are done squirming at those, the real fun begins.

Baani's strict, shuddh-Hindi-speaking father (Ashutosh Rana) finds out about their romance and asks them to take a trust test. How? By swapping their phones for a day. At this point, the couple, who seem to have a bond stronger than calcium fluoride, start to hesitate. What is in their phones that they are scared that the other might discover?

A lot, it turns out. It rocks the boat so hard their relationship hits rock bottom. In the process, the story demonstrates that even the strongest relationships can also be flawed. And that Baani and Gucci are just 24-year-olds who are still navigating the exciting dating life and figuring out what they want for themselves.

The good, the bad and the ugly

Loveyapa is a remake of the 2022 Tamil film Love Today by Pradeep Ranganathan. This is Advait Chandan’s third directorial, after Secret Superstar and Laal Singh Chaddha. Kudos to the director for, firstly, taking up a story like this which could easliy have been dismissed as frivolous, and secondly, telling it in such a relatable manner. Writer Sneha Desai too deserves applause. 

There’s hardly any dull moment in the film, it is peppered with ludicrous situations and chucklesome dialogues that will keep you entertained. Despite being a Bollywood rom-com, there is just one song-and-dance sequence, Rehna Kol, where Junaid tries hard to pull off some Aamir Khan-esque moves from Pehla Nasha.

The lead actors' performance is the most disappointing part of the film. Khushi still shows some promise in the emotional scenes, especially when she points out how women are subject to harassment online every day. But Junaid is no Delhi boy. It is probably not fair comparing him to Ranveer Singh from Band Baaja Baraat and Rocky Aur Rani… but Junaid’s Gucci is completely devoid of the Delhi dude swag. Just mouthing some gaalis don’t make you a Dilliwala, bro.

There's a certain innocence in Junaid and Khushi's faces, which work for the rom-com, but they look like a force fit into the Delhi setup. Supporting characters that will command your attention are Ashutosh Rana as Baani’s strict father, Junaid's mother played by Grusha Kapoor and Kiku Sharda as Gucci’s would-be brother-in-law.

Should you watch it? 

Yes. It is fun, sometimes frivolous, at times serious, but definitely enjoyable, if you can overlook the lead pair's shortcomings.

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