I Hate Luv Storys
wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?) - unless you don't mind a half-bad film
Was there any good reason why they had to give us one more reason to cringe at love stories? Sure, I hate luv storys makes for a decent date flick, but it's not perfect and neither is it the kind of imperfect which is out and out enjoyable.
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Call me old and senile, but it did take me a long while to overcome the irritation that sms-spelt words bring. That done, I'm in a mode to just give up on an intelligent film. Just give me a decent flick, people and I'll owe you one.
Will this be the one then? I'm willing to welcome a rom-com instead of the pretentious serious films being thrown our way off late. The good news is that it is a 50-50 situation, so the expectations will be neutral.
And the feel created by the news, interviews and promos is pretty balanced too. For example the official site describes the film as
‘I hate luv storys’ is the maxim Jay lives by. But as an assistant director to Veer, the most famous romantic filmmaker of Indian Film Industry, Jay has little option but to live with larger than life, glossy, cinematic love on an everyday basis
The irony and contradiction is fairly intriguing, but as soon as you say "famous romantic filmmaker of Indian Film Industry" I cringe. Basically I'm being asked to prep myself for mockery of Bollywood. Not because I don't enjoy it, but more because it's overdone and they'll have to be real novel to entertain. I'm also being asked to be ready for some spoof material. I love spoofs, but I think it is one of the most difficult genres. It's a challenge to not fall into the same pitfall as the instance you are making a joke out of.
Add to this, the fact that this is a Dharma Production product, not to mention that director, Punit Malhotra started off as an assistant to the man himself, Karan Johar. So, you are bound to have the self-referencing. I have incriminating evidence :P -
AND the director in the film played by Samir Soni is based on Karan too. -
My character does dress up like Karan. Once Karan had come for the shoot and we were wearing identical clothes. I said, ‘Oh my god Karan, I’m you!’
BUT, in this interview, there is a ray of hope. Karan Johar is actually caught saying - I've outgrown mush. But I've not outgrown love
.
Also, I'm thoroughly impressed that the promo doesn't give away anything more than the one-line premise, so the curiosity is wide open. The marketing department has found a new way of publicizing the film -
The exclusive tie-up will have a series of eight books. It will have the cover of I Hate Luv Storys and will be a story of Imran, who does not beleive in love
There is an evident attempt to be contemporary. Films like Wake Up Sid by the same manner have confirmed that the focus is on confronting the internal barriers to love, as per 3-film old actor, Imran Khan. Having been a part of the changes made in the original script, he also promises…ahem…subtlety -
That is the whole point of the film…It's about making jokes on other romantic films and labeling them as corny and tacky, whilst subtly weaving a sub-plot of its own, which incidentally is a love story.
I haven't heard too many of the songs, but from whatever I did, the lyrics sounded inane and the music is yet to grow on me. But album has glowing reviews by one and all, so I'll reserve judgement till I see them in the film on July 2nd -
Music reviews - milliblog , Bollyspice indicine, merinews, NDTV, Stardust, desi hits, Bollywood Hungama, Apun ka choice, and Hindustan times
~ ~ ~
This article was first published at meetu's Times of India Blog
- meeta, a part of the audience
I hate sinking feelings. And I hate them even more when they have come after a happy spell. Exactly what I hate LUV stories did to me. The only difference is that it was the reason for the happy spell too which had an untimely death. If you haven't gotten it yet, this one is your regular love story, despite all the dressing up.
The cute quips and the charming one-liners make you smile all through the first half, save maybe the first 5-10 minutes when the lead pair's voiceover is reading you their story. You actually start caressing the hope that the film might actually be 'different'. Only the wishful thought is muscled to pulp in ultra s…l…o…w motion as the second hour begins.
The silver lining is that the film doesn't entirely lose its sense of humor even when the going gets bad. Post-interval too, the everyday humor stays and that's truly a relief from the ping-pong ball treatment accorded to the audience.
Also fortunately, Imran Khan and the music/lyrics/picturisation of the songs keeps you entertained through the trauma. Imran has certainly added well to his range of expressions. Only he has too perfect a face to be a chocolate hero and thus a non-believer in love doesn't quite suit him or rather he failed to get that across. Sonam Kapoor is plain, stiff, flat and I'd like to say expressionless but I can't because of the one expression she maintains.
I'd have loved to brand all love stories as hateful, but we've seen some decent ones. And I'm not talking about the traditional MPKs, QSQTs, and DDLJs. The urban takes on the subject - Love Aaj Kal, Wake Up Sid, Luck By Chance, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na - have not been bad. But remaking all of them and a few more in one film and that too under the guise of a spoof, doesn't really make it a new story. Note that 2 out of the 5 mentioned are from the LOVE GURUS Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions and 2 others are spoofs.
Statistics, oh well. I can churn out many such numbers to no avail. A good film is one which doesn't rid me of my happy feeling or at the very least wins the make-audience-happy vs. screw-audiences-gray-cells battle. Let's just say the wait for a good film has become just about bearable thanks to I Hate LUV storys. I hope this is the lull before the Hindi filmmakers will hit us with a huge storm. Waiting. . .
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice : ...an every-day date flick which you can relate to and definitely enjoy with or without your girlfriend or boyfriend... full review
Thumbs up, by Akhlaq, BollyPlus : ...the list of positives is much longer... full review
Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...Writer-director Punit Malhotra wins Round 1 by casting the right actors in the roles of Jay and Simran... full review
Thumbs up, by Citizen Journalist, Daily Latest News : ...In the last few years there has seldom been such chemistry among the lead actors.... full review
Thumbs up, by SpiceZee Bureau, eTalkIndia : ...n. With a good dose of jaunting and jiving on screen, the physical compatibity between this irresistible jodi will have you asking or more.... full review
Thumbs up, by Guneet Wadera, filmi cafe : ...Special mention must be made to Kavin Dave ...He plays Imran’s friend and confidant and is the film’s scene stealer with his witty banter and amusingly hilarious t-shirts... full review
Thumbs up, by Divya Solgama, Gomolo.in : ...Story is typical popcorn type film, but the treatment in first half works brilliantly.... full review
Thumbs up, by Lisa Tsering, Hollywood Reporter : ...But nepotism can only go so far, and Malhotra, Khan and Kapoor are naturally talented enough to deliver the goods... full review
Thumbs up, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...What’s Bad: Nothing really except, perhaps, the slow pace at times and the film industry-centric jokes.... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...even then, what handicaps the film is its thin plotline.... full review
Thumbs up, by IANS, NDTV : ... Punit Malhotra proves his mettle by narrating a predictable story in such an interesting manner that you are hooked till the end.... full review
Thumbs up, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...you're delighted at Johar's self-derogatory humorous stance... full review
Thumbs up, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...dialogues are enchanting.... full review
Thumbs up, by K K Rai, STARDUST : ...Sonam Kapoor looks so comfortable in her new glam avatar that the character seems to be tailor made for her... full review
So-So, by Stefan S, A Nutshell Review : ...while it doesn't stand out, it also doesn't fall flat on its face as well, making this a simple, breezy romantic tale to sit through... full review
So-So, by Roshni Mulchandani, Bolly Spice : ...The film in itself is a fresh attempt by Punit Malhotra however, has Karan Johar written all over it.... full review
So-So, by Daliya Ghose, Bollywood Mantra : ...Manish Mahotra’s costume is mind-blowing, very trendy and appealing.... full review
So-So, by Bollyfan, Cinemaa Online : ...In a time when candyfloss romance is the most prolific genre in Bollywood, to the extent that even films of other genres tend to end up as one, there has been an understandable backlash from the audience in general and the critics in particular against it.... full review
So-So, by Johnson Thomas, DNA : ...The discontent is verbalized but visually there appears to be a disconnect. We get to know all this mainly from the superbly written dialogues and not from the visual plotting. ... full review
So-So, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...The genre demands running along a predictable course... full review
So-So, by Manisha Lakhe, Film Impressions : ...Loved Sonam's clothes. Her make-up is patchy, but the dress she wears to the cinema where Imran stares at her, is awesome... full review
So-So, by Kaveree Bamzai, india today : ...it's no small feat to make a romantic comedy. You have to marry a self-mocking tone with a sensibility that believes in pink hearts, cuddly toys and cute-as-a-button clothes... full review
So-So, by Abhijit Mhamunkar, real bollywoood : ...Imran Khan, after a lackluster performances in Kidnap and Luck is back in top form and very much at ease playing a rom com lead... full review
So-So, by Khalid Mohamed, Review and views uncensored : ...But hey when the temperamental director morphs into a Chweetie-pooh Cupid, the changeover strikes you as counterfeit as a Rs 30 currency note.... full review
So-So, by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice : ...What is endearing about IHLS is that it is a fitting tribute to every prominent romantic comedy of the 1990s and the new millennium.... full review
So-So, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...Punit Malhotra's story is ekdum simple and predictable. But then, when was romance supposed to be rocket science! ... full review
So-So, V Love Movies : ...Director Punit Malhotra has a knack for non sequiturs and sight gags, and the less filmi the movie gets the better the humour plays. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...The jury is still out with respect to her range of talents, but she has a summery presence that intensifies the wattage of every frame she’s in... full review
Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...ery unexpectedly the film is as predictable as the night coming after the day.... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Gahlot, Film Impressions : ...There is no substance to the fluffy plot... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com : ...As for the visuals, they're expectedly slick, but the obsession with all the movies makes it a uni-themed approach to the story.... full review
Thumbs down, by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com : ...The most novel part of I HATE LUV STORYS is its interesting title and cast. But that's just about it.... full review
Thumbs down, by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com : ...Vishal-Shekhar's catchy music does gel well with the candyfloss nature of IHLS, so does Ayananka Bose's glossy cinematography... full review
Thumbs down, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ... the film has some funny scenes, comical one-liners plus some hilarious love graphs and T-shirt graffiti... full review
Thumbs down, by Amrita, Indiequill : ...If you don’t know where this movie is going by now, you should get your noodle checked coz it’s turned into soup. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint : ...It’s a world far removed from today’s India, which is not necessarily a bad thing if I Hate Luv Storys (produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions) was a period film... full review
Thumbs down, by Mr Inketi, Mr. Inketis Weblog : ...There is no context for the characters to become who they are... full review
Thumbs down, by Minty Tejpal, Mumbai Mirror : ... In between everyone sings a few smart songs, Bruna Abdullah pops up with her cleavage in a ridiculous side track, and the film travels to New Zealand, but the story refuses to go anywhere... full review
Thumbs down, by Sujoy, OneKnightStands.net : ...its unashamed and narcissistic self-promotion of supposed Hindi ‘romantic cult favourites’... full review
Thumbs down, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...Malhotra seems to take every single cliché you can think of and insert that into his film – while pretending that this is a different love story.... full review
Thumbs down, by Amitabh Thakur, Sulekha : ...I Hate Luv Storys has all of them exactly in this manner, in ample amounts and in a well-ritualized manner. It had to be that way because it is a Karan Johar movie and Karan Johar movies must exactly be so. ... full review
Thumbs down, by flyingrodent, Upper Stall : ... Sammir Dattani as the clueless fiancee appears to be earnest but actually has no clue what he is doing or what his character is supposed to do... full review
Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Plot Summary
Boy meets girl. Boy hates love. Girl loves love. Etc, etc, etc…
What Worked
- The concept that Imran Khan's (J's) character is presenting the critic's view of candy floss love stories.
- The graphs were cute.
- Some of the one-liners were awesome.
- The list of signs that one has fallen in love. Made me smile.
What did not
- Who was Simran (Sonam Kapoor) the assistant art director assisting?
- Is an assistant art director senior to an assistant director?
- Erich Segal, pink props in Simran's room!
- 'Mahi ve' playing as background music every once in a while.
- The entire pub scene was predictable!!
- Simran's friend, Gizelle's horrible accent and dubbing
- J being punished by the director.
- The fact that Raj had nothing that the audience could root for!
- Why was anyone from the art direction team practicing lines?
- The whole phase when it looked like he felt responsible for leading her on.
- the "I'm sorry", "no, I'm sorry" game
- Sudden involvement of mom and the backstory, even if it's a one liner.
- the AIRPORT scene!!!! MUMMMMMY!!!!
- Spelling mistakes in "Its a saga." Instead of "It's a saga"
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: None
- Language: clean
- Nudity & Sexual content: The main lead flirts and sleeps around
- Concept: That of love being magic
- General Look and Feel: Light and bright
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Comments (15)
I am planning to review this movie, do I do not hold much promise to it - it is already a runaway hit with the 'oooh so cute' and 'eh tune usko SMS kiya kya' crowd, so it will be difficult to get my point across if I don't like this movie through the hordes of almost anorexic chicks with dudes who wear glasses to make them look intelligent who would be thronging the movie on a discounted ticket rate :)
@roy i assume you meant "though I do not..." :P
but i know what you mean. **fingers crossed** i'm getting desperate to enjoy a movie 100%
There is a huge potential for spoofing the cliches of Bollywood...but IHLS doesn't seem to be tht film...I think it'll start well but fall back to the same formula it is looking to deride as the lead actor realizes his "true love" and so on...the reason for such premonitions is the sentimental song "Bin Tere"...
@Jitaditya we'll know soon enough. The show I'm going to watch starts in 35 minutes :D
yes yes...as expected...thnx for the confirmation...so I don't hav 2 spend money in these difficult times...
@Jitaditya exactly as expected for you ;)
@Adi d thank you ji!
Yea, when I first came to this site, the notepad was the most refreshing thing I read. Dont discontinue that please.
Ditto and more, Meetu. I so wish I'd read your review before going for the movie. The past few movies have put me completely off Bollywood. No more movies unless you give them a glowing reference!!
@Manan @Roy @shilpa extremely sorry for the delay. I promise I'll publish it with the review now onweards. Till then, here goes
http://wogma.com/movie/i-hate-luv-storys-notepad/
@Idea a lesson learned the hard way :P
@Shuchita I think it should be a light, lazy Sunday watch on DVD or when it's on TV.
@Manan hota hai. you have a long rest ahead. :)
If we compare "I hate love stories" with "Jaane tu ya jane na" then what do you think?The concept of the movie is same and the role of Imran khan is also similar to "Jaane tu ya jaane na".
@Joydeep well, i'm not too much for comparing films, but yeah...Imran Khan does have similar roles and I'd say I enjoyed Jaane Tu better...
Its like the Murphy law, the more you hate it the more it thruster at you. The title said "I Hate Luv Storys" and the movie was projected as a take on the ever so pretty life at Karan Johars.
http://funmidnight.com/i-hate-luv-storys-movie-review/
i think its a good one do watch it.
I think it can be watched once at least.
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