2 States : Movie Review

Page3 Nashik reviews this week’s friday release 2 states..In the movie 2 States, the unabashed shallowness of a Chetan Bhagat book meets the inane glitter of a Karan Johar-Sajid Nadiadwala production. 2 States is a cross-culture love story that strives to be funny, sweet, and emotionally wrenching all at once. To get their respective families to accept their relationship the story crisscrosses the country – from Ahmedabad to Delhi to Chennai and then back to Delhi and finally to Chennai again – as the lovebirds struggle. The family drama at the film’s core has a severely stultified feel but is occasionally funny and sweet in parts all right. Debutant director Abhishek Varman’s adaptation of Bhagat’s characteristically facile but dispiritingly popular story is at best a pretty looking film with a likeable young lead pair that thrives on staying within their limitations. By the vacuity of its pivotal situations 2 States is hamstrung primarily. The film does have some moments of inspiration, like when the hero, armed with four rings, proposes collectively to the girl’s family over lunch. But to add up to much in the final analysis these are too few and far. 2 States is just as much a film about a boy who wants to give his ex-soldier dad a hug. Sadly, the old man is an ogre. He drowns himself in alcohol, treats his wife like a load of dirt, and what could give his son a reason to take him into a warm embrace, does nothing at all. It sets out to be a slice-of-life drama about a real couple grappling with the politics of inter-community marriage, but it fails to generate enough energy and warmth to draw the audience into a tight clinch.That is pretty much the story of the film itself. 2 States makes no heavy duty demands on Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.  The basic premise of 2 States is as old as the hills, a Punjabi lad falling in love with a Madrasi lass and the ensuing complications. The best example of the cross-cultural romance remains Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), where Kamal Hassan and Rati Agnihotri scorched the screen with their passion.   The film touches upon such facts but also points out that we can rise above the differences with the given time and effort. Another home truth brought out by the film is that they might irritate us to hell but parents love us in a complex, uncomprehending ways.   Krish Malhotra (Arjun Kapoor) and Ananya Swaminathan (Alia Bhatt) meet at the IIM Ahmedabad and instantly connect. He’s a clean cut Punjabi munda at odds with his father. She’s a chulbuli Tam Bram who likes chicken tikka and beer. The usual college friendship leads to the friends-with-benefits arc. In between, they discover love and decide to get married. That’s where things get complicated as they want to get hitched with their parents’ blessings and don’t want to elope. How they go about getting their folks around that difficult bend and go through their own relationship niggles forms the crux of the story. Arjun and Alia have shown a certain growth as actors. Alia once again shows her spirit and she is bright. Actress Amrita Singh also gives a wonderful performance in the movie. 2 States will be a Big fat and thumping hit, so Guys its a must- watch for everyone!!