MUMBAI: Aashiqui the original became a legend thanks to it musical score. Aashiqui 2 has nothing to do with the original except to cash in on its title, logo and poster design. While doing this needs little extra imagination, the rest, such as putting a script together and executing the film needs quite a lot. In the original Aashiqui, the hero was a go-getter who faced all the challenges to get his girl. Aashiqui 2 is about a guy who is a loser on all counts.

Aditya Roy Kapoor is a famous singer on the wane; he is in a self destruction mode. He guzzles alcohol non-stop and generally indulges in self pity. He has a dad in the form of a telephonic voice from the US who always promises to stand by him but never comes to the scene. Actually, the writer/director doesn‘t bother to tell you why he is such a loser. He even drops a concert halfway through in Goa. So just when he has almost destroyed his career, he sees a bar singer, Shraddha Kapoor, singing one of his own compositions! Our hero takes instant fancy to her and her voice. He knows he has stumbled across the next Lata Mangeshkar. He decides to promote her career, finding love in the process.

Producers: Mukesh Bhatt, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar.  Director: Mohit Suri. Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor.

Having found romance, one would think that the hero would now have a reason to give up alcohol and live a decent life. In fact after making Shraddha a successful singer, he sinks deeper into alcohol. Now he is a total failure while she is on top. The hero becomes the butt of all jokes and taunts. You can‘t make out whether he is angry or happy with the people‘s behaviour. After all, his expressions never change!

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The couple is deeply in love but never happy because Aditya‘s first love-or weakness-is alcohol. Sharaddha can‘t enjoy her stardom because she spends her time keeping him away from the bottle. There comes a stage when Aditya runs out of money and has nothing left. At one point he steals Shraddha‘s purse to buy alcohol. Finally realising that he is a hurdle in Shraddha‘s career, the very career he helped build, the hero gives in and jumps into Vasai Creek! That is the end of a man who made a life out of inflicting pain on himself and those around him.

Aashiqui 2 is a total script of convenience with no care for logic or purpose. It is a forced tragedy where one can‘t empathise with the boy or the girl because there is no real plight in their lives. As the film progresses, it meanders and the scenes get repetitive. The direction is patchy. Music, mostly background songs, has a couple of good numbers. Performance wise, Aditya lacks in expressions while Shraddha is suitably vulnerable as per her character.

With excellent promotion by T Series, Aashiqui 2 has managed to get very good opening collections which will be enough for this low priced film, lack of appreciation not withstanding.

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Shree: Badly scripted sci-fi fiasco

Producer: Vikram M Shah. Director: Rajesh Bachchani. Cast: Hussain Kuwajerwala, Anjali Patil, Paresh Ganatra, Shivani Tanksale, Rio Kapadia, K C Shankar.

One often sees money being poured into films by people with various intents but no creative sense. Finally, such money goes down the drain. Shree is one such film. The film is bankrolled by a diamond merchant firm and deals with some sort of sci-fi.

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A call centre employee, Hussain Kuwajerwala, is in the 12th day of his new job when he is asked to meet the owner of the company, Rio Kapadia. The boss is surrounded by his secretary, Shivani Tanksale, a scientist and the local police commissioner. Kuwajerwala is presented with Rs 10 lakh to be available for 12 hours two days later with a promise of 10 lakh more at the end of those 12 hours. The offer also includes a car and a four BHK apartment at a posh Mumbai location.

For Kuwajerwala, who has been courting Anjali Patil for eight years and faces her mother‘s taunts on daily basis for not having managed to settle down and marry her daughter, the offer seems to have come just in time. The initially sceptical and reluctant Kuwajerwala accepts it.

On the appointed day, Kuwajerwala lands up at an abandoned bungalow at a secluded sea side. He is needed to give his boss 12 hours starting at 7 am. But, five minutes into the 12 hour period and he is scared, loses confidence and tries to run only to be stopped and drugged by boss‘ henchman, KC Shankar. When Kuwajerwala emerges from his drug-induced trance, he is a fugitive. The police are looking for him for the murder of the police commissioner. There is a chase and there are two Kuwajerwala‘s and multiple conspiracies.

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It turns out that Kuwajerwala has been born under circumstances whereby he is gifted with the power to travel in future. The police commissioner thinks this will help to solve crimes which are yet to happen. Others want to use it to wield power. But, having once travelled into the future and seen the conspiracy, the hero manages to foil the dirty designs of the villain.

The story is not at all convincing and narrated without conviction. While Kuwajerwala acts well, Patil is hysteric most of the time. Rest support well.

Shree will go down as an also ran.

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