‘Luka Chuppi’ is a modern-day rom-com that revolves around the issue of live-in relationships. While the comedy stems from a blend of political satire and Bollywood stereotype of a weird joint family, the romance is pretty simplistic and at times feels rushed. If anything, this movie is a “brainless comedy” but nonetheless also a stellar entertainer.
The story follows Guddu Shukla (Kartik Aaryan), a reporter at a local TV station at Mathura who’s gotten himself quite a reputation for his quirky TV persona with his best friend and cameraman Abbas Sheikh (Aparshakti Khurana). Funded by Tripathi Ji (Vinay Pathak), the chief of a Hindu nationalist party (that makes demonizing live-in relationships and PDA its political agenda), the TV station assigns Guddu the issue of live-in relationships. For his new assignment he gets partnered with Rashmi Trivedi (Kriti Sanon), daughter of Trivedi Ji. Their friendship quickly escalates into full blown romance in the course of their assignment.
Who should watch it?
Fans of rom-coms should totally watch it. If you’re looking for a total entertainer to unwind this weekend, this is a good option. And most definitely if you’re a fan of Kartik and/or Kriti. They won’t disappoint.
Guddu then drops down on his knee and proposes Rashmi. Even though she freaks out at first—part confused, part curious—Rashmi proposes they first try a live-in relationship to test their compatibility. The story follows their adventure as they experiment with a post-modern concept in a conservative Hindu society.
Both Aryan and Sanon are fully into their roles, almost intoxicatingly so, with their amazing chemistry. While that can be said for most of the cast, the over-the-top character of Babulal (Pankaj Tripathi) feels a little out of place.
The comedy and the irresistible romance make up for an utter disregard for logic
With its political satire, situational comedy, and plot twists, the movie is sure to give the audience a good dose of laughter. The story also peddles a host of other societal issues like misogyny, gender inequality, caste bias and moral policing, all of which get a funny treatment. And the story couldn’t be easier to follow.
The plot is a little predictable; the trailer makes it even more predictable and spoils important scenes. The plot also feels repetitive at times. On the plus side, there a number of good political satires. (In a scene a journalist is seen asking “So you’re an anti-nationalist?” when an actor reveals he’s in a live-in relationship.) The subtle dig at the moral policing of the BJP-allied Bajrang Dal is also on the mark.
Again, while the movie displays an utter disregard for logic, the comedy and the irresistible romance make up for it. If you’re willing to leave behind logic at the ticket counter and watch the movie for what it truly is, you’re surely to be entertained for the two-hour runtime. As a debutant, director Laxman Utekar does an amazing job of bringing it all together.
Movie: Luka Chuppi
Genre: Comedy/Romane
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Aparshakti Khurana, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Atul Srivastava, Alka Amin
Direction: Laxman Utekar
Rating: 3.5/5
