Feels like Ishq

 Feels like Ishq is an anthology of six stories of millennials and GenZ couples. It is a modern-day take on love and relationships and how people find love in the most unexpected places and circumstances. The trailer seemed promising and I went ahead to watch the anthology of these 30-minute odd stories that were mature and unique in ideation but not very appealing on screen. Anyway, here’s my synopsis of each story- the shots that hit the mark and those that misfired.

1.    Save the Da(y)te

In this short directed by Ruchir Arun, Radhika Madan is Avni Kalra, the outgoing social media queen who is just about to make another bunch of stories and posts for her gram followers because it is her BFF’s wedding. That’s exactly when her BFF caves into anxiety and decides to run away. Avni ropes in Jay (Amol Parashar), the wedding manager to help in the search. 

What ensues is the typical conversation on the sham that is marriage, love that is temporary and some cheesy dialogues on finding true love. The visuals are appealing thanks to Goa and its landscape. The story is platonic at best and Radhika’s character is a bit over the top and even Amol Parashar’s realistic performance can’t save this one. Jay has the best dialogue when he lambasts the self-proclaimed cupid that Avni is by saying, “Hype your friends into marriage. Drink, dance, eat and post for the gram with all the hashtags and captions and you are done. Nobody cares about the feelings and desires of those getting married.” The makers have tried too hard to make it “COOL” but it is everything but cool. Save the Da(y)te is rated 6.4 on IMDb but in my opinion, honestly, you can skip this one.

2.    Quaranteen Crush

This one directed by Tahira Kashyap Khurrana has a certain air of freshness because of its debutants. The setting is relatable and reminds you of all the activities you did in school to impress your crush. The story takes place during the ongoing pandemic and explores how two teenagers (Mihir Ahuja and Kajol Chugh) develop their fondness for each other living across one another.

  The plot takes off interestingly but fails to build up barring a few comedy scenes. Mihir and Kajol deliver their roles convincingly bringing in teenage charm and innocence and the heartwarming ending do just enough to make this one worth your time. Quaranteen Crush is rated 7.6 on IMDb and definitely feels like Ishq. (Do not watch this one if you want to get over your school crush- jk😊)

3.    Star Host

Despite having Rohit Saraf and beautiful Simran Jehani in her debut, Star Host by the wonderfully talented Anand Tiwari falls flat to me. To fulfil his dream of seeing the Northern Lights, Aditya decides to rent out his large house as a homestay to save up money and fund his dream without depending on his parents for the finances.

 An unpleasant tourist on the road whom he bumped into happens to be his guest. The film has only one positive- it does a wonderful advertisement campaign for Mahabaleshwar as a tourist place with some stunning montages and visuals thanks to the cinematography. Beyond that, the dialogues seem scripted and forceful in trying to induce some laughs and ignite chemistry. It feels cliché and fails to impress. Star Host is rated 7.5 on IMDb (probably because it has Rohit Saraf).

4.    She loves me, she loves me not

This contemporary take on lesbian love by Danish Aslam is fresh and realistic for the fact that it doesn’t stigmatize and stereotype LGBTQ characters as we see in most projects today. Sanjeeta Bhattacharya as a 23-year-old closeted bisexual Muskaan and Saba Azad as the outspoken Tarasha carry the script with their chemistry and performance. Muskaan who is desperately in search of love develops feelings when a new extrovert joins the office. 

The story has some silly and quirky dialogues peppered with deep messages, like when Tarasha tells Muskaan, “Never judge a lesbian by her cover (referring to her outspoken nature in public).” And the notion that gay people understand each other better, saying, “Chu****** universal hota hain, chaahe Girlfriend ho ya Boyfriend.” The film also has great graphics and transitions because of some slick edits. It is rated 6.5 on IMDb but personally, this is easily one of the best in this anthology and helps you understand people better.

5.    Interview

Interview stars the immensely talented Neeraj Madhav as Rajeev Mohan, a Mallu who’s desperate for a job in Mumbai and Zayn Khan as Shahana Shaikh, another aspiring candidate for the job of a salesperson in a hardware electronic showroom.

 Neeraj effortlessly slips into his character and the story narrates how Shahana helps a timid Rajeev prepare for his interview in the most practical manner by taking him on a tour of the showroom itself acting like a couple. There is a beautiful sequence wherein Shahana sees her past on the television screen while trying out the 3D glasses. Director Sachin Kundalkar intelligently made sure that both the characters were very grounded and relatable which made it all the more appealing. Interview is rated 8.1 on IMDb and it rightly deserves so because this one is made out of pure Ishq.

6.    Ishq Mastana

Starring Skand Sanjeev Thakur and the affable Tanya Maniktala, Ishq Mastana fails onscreen and seems like a hotch-potch of sorts. Director Jaydeep Sarkar got the plot right but fails in execution.

 To appeal to the youth, there is the deliberate stuffing of protests for the environment, some couplets of Saint Kabir after whom our protagonist is named and dialogues that aim to convey deeper reflections on discovering oneself. Tanya’s acting alone cannot salvage this story that lacks clarity and depth in execution. Rated 6.3 on IMDb and rightly so, Ishq Mastana is a disappointment that certainly doesn’t feel like Ishq.

Feels like Ishq as an anthology falters as a whole and is beautiful only in bits and pieces. Interview, She loves me, she loves me not and Quaranteen Crush standout from the rest of the stories. The rom-com anthology makes for a light and breezy watch, with the right amounts of cuteness, romance, cheesy dialogues, stunning visuals and dollops of wisdom- worthwhile and otherwise. Above all, the series features strong female characters which is a step in the right direction and one that certainly feels like Ishq. Feels like Ishq is now streaming on Netflix.