There’s typical love story and then there’s Aashiqui 2.
The typical story goes like this. Boy meets and falls in love. Girl likes him. They overcome obstacles. Love triumphs, and they live happily thereafter.
Aashiqui 2 however starts on a sad note. The protagonist Rahul Jaykar (played by Aditya Roy Kapoor) is a rockstar with a career and fame on a decline – duly ruined by alcoholism. Been there, done that, disillusioned. He falls in love with a struggling singer Aarohi Shirke (played by Shraddha Kapoor), who has given up on her dream of making it big.
He takes her under his wings, and makes her a successful singer. In the process, she too falls in love, while his career nose dives.
Taken to heavy drinking, he becomes a professional and personal wreak. She puts her career at stake to dig him out of addiction.
They reach a point where it would be all or none for both of them. They want to cling together, but that would mean that they both may go down. However, separation is not an option. What do they do?
It’s like a story of a night-insect that is attracted to a light bulb, and pays with his life for that infatuation.
The story isn’t very unique – it’s a mishmash of emotions of jealousy, distrust and misunderstanding, and finally empathy and ultimate sacrifice.
What touches the chord is the honesty of delivery, and refreshing absence of over-acting, unnecessary dramatization of scenes, and sensitization of dialogues.
While the movie could have been a bit pacier, and the direction a bit finer, you still enjoy the sincerity of execution. The audience is driven into the constant conflict of a lover torn between his addiction and his love.
You fall in love with the girl from a modest background, who wants to live her dream, and yet is committed to throw it all away for a man because he believed in her when she had lost her self-belief.
That tug-of-war of emotions hooks you in, and you are kept there by soft music that plays along, like a kayak floating on a tide. The sensual music (composers Mithoon, Jeet Ganguly and Ankit Tiwari) is a great companion to a story of passion.
Aditya Roy Kapoor, though not outstanding, plays a relatable character. The real charmer is Shakti Kapoor’s daughter, Shraddha Kapoor. Not only does she stand her ground but also makes you fall in low with her. She shows a consistency of character, and while the story finally weighs heavily in favour of Aditya and wins your sympathy, Shraddha wins your heart.
The younger generation, used to faster pace of story-telling and more ‘practical’ approach to relationship, may find it hard to relate to the near-idealised story. Those grown up with older movies will likely enjoy the journey.
Arijit Singh, a former contestant of music reality show Fame Gukukool, has sung most of the songs, which are memorable and passionate.
All in all, a sincere execution of an ordinary story, which is enacted with conviction by an almost new pair.
Film: Aashiqui 2
Director: Mohit Suri
Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Shraddha Kapoor
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