Ishq Vishq Rebound, directed by Nipun Avinash Dharmadhikari is not a sequel to the 2003 starrer, Ishq Vishk starring Shahid Kapoor but is another rom-com from the same banner. Starring Rohit Saraf, debutants Pashmina Roshan & Jibraan Khan along with a seasoned Naila Grrewal, the film releases today worldwide.
Overall Rating : 3/5
When Ishq Vishk released in 2003, a star was born called Shahid Kapoor and the film did give a new definition to new-age love to a whole generation. While Ishq Vishk Rebound falls in the trappings of trying to show a lot of emotions and layers in a concise 1 hour 46 minutes long run, the movie has it’s elements of entertaining and making people think about some questions which everyone faces when they are in a relationship or in friendship! Read the full review…
Plot : Three Gen-Z friends, who have grown up together, Raghav (Rohit Saraf), Sahir (Jibraan Khan) and Sanya (Pashmina Roshan) are literally all the time together and have different dreams and issues. While Sahir & Sanya start dating and find themselves in a bumpy relationship, Raghav is their permanent third-wheel who sees & experiences all the phases of their relationship. He is involved in both the highs and the lows of their bond and also is an equal friend to each of them having a different equation one on one as well.
Things change when Raghav bumps into Riya (Naila Grrewal) and has the ‘love at first sight’ moment. They both start dating each other and things start going south in the trio’s friendship. While Raghav faces difficulty in compartmentalizing & prioritizing between love and friendship, Sahir and Sanya also break up as they are not able to keep up to each other’s expectations. This leads to a lot of confusion between the four and the confrontation happens eventually for which Raghav faces the brunt of it and makes a walkout. As a viewer, I kept trying to convince Raghav not to go ahead with the messy decisions he is making but to no help after-all, Raghav is the narrator of the film where he breaks the fourth wall several times.
With Sahir and Riya gone from Sanya’s and Raghav’s lives, a low & depressed Sanya finds most of her time with Raghav where they both decide to go on a trip which was early ideated for Sahir and Sanya. Sahir also encourages Raghav to take this trip and what follows next is somehow predictable yet entertaining.
What We Loved : We have to have to mention that the music and the songs add such a high to the film’s otherwise bumpy storytelling and writing. All the songs land and how be it the title track, ‘Soni Soni’ or ‘Chott Dil Pe Lagi’. The audience’s reaction to the music of the film was so visibly amazing and we have to give credits the forces behind the film’s music headed by Rochak Kohli. Not to forget, a profound cameo by Sheeba Chaddha wins the hearts and the soul and a consistent Supriya Pilgaonkar makes the most of it in her extended cameo.
What We Liked : A dependable Rohit Saraf is the core of the film at it’s heart and carries the whole film on his able shoulders. He delivers both his convincing & unconvincing dialogues with equal finesse using his strengths more than adequately. Raghav is also very relatable given to the mess we create and when he does the same, the audience goes ‘Shit! Same!’ thus making it believable. A lot of people would be able to see themselves in Raghav and that is a big win for the actor in Rohit. His scenes, especially, where he is talking to the audience and when he is scared to death give a lot of joy to the audience. Also, the film is entertaining and we need to watch movies just for the entertainment-sake because everything else is so semi-serious these days.
What We Didn’t : While the writing of the film is sloppy and most importantly inconsistent, despite having scope, Ishq Vishk Rebound falls short of being the go-to film for the rom-com lovers. While it does cater to the Gen-Z audience with his slangs and situations, the film feels dragged in the second half after a brilliant and entertaining first half. Also, Naila’s role is so limited and I was so looking forward to her character & performance, she is simply wasted. She could have been a wonderful asset if her role was lengthier given she is a remarkable performer.
A Promising Jibraan Khan : In his debut film itself, Jibraan shows a lot of promise and command. He emerges as this wonder boy who is ready and prepared to grab a lot of eyeballs and love from the audience, definitely in a good way. Again, while his role is limited and has parts to fill in the narrative, he does it with utmost conviction and charm. His screen-presence is commanding and he is a treat to watch especially when he is dancing and hyping his friends. Not to forget, he shines in one particular scene where he is trying to hide his trauma to Raghav and finally confront his toxic father. Jibraan’s future projects would definitely be on our watchlist. Lastly, his onscreen camaraderie with Saraf is brilliant!
A Hit & A Miss : Pashmina Roshan, who plays Sanya, a girl who finds herself lost between her own dreams, expectations from her dad and what she actually wants from her life. Pashmina, who has a meaty role, makes her debut in this films amidst a lot of expectations given her lineage. Pashmina struggles when she has to deliver in scenes which demand a lot of emotional graph and given her character is a wreck, she is inconsistent at the same. When we say inconsistent, we don’t say she has wasted this big opportunity because in all her scenes with her onscreen mother, she is in fine sync whether she finds solace in her company or when she is being a rebel. Her scenes where her sassy dialogues and the badass avatar are portrayed, do go along with her character. Despite all this, she is primarily inconsistent.
Conclusion : A movie with a heart at the right place faces the brunt of execution, weird camera-angles and sloppy writing. Despite all the flaws, the movie gets saved by it’s foot-tapping music, entertaining situations, brilliant cameos and a formidable Rohit Saraf. The film is entertaining and goes like a breeze. The film might finds it’s core audience in the Gen-Z janta and a few millennials. You can watch it in a theatre near you and we give it 3 stars out of 5.
