“Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga” Review: A fresh, entertaining, meaningful film with a lot of heart!

There are few films that manage to maintain a consistent graph throughout, in terms of character development, laughs, emotional moments, and overall pace. “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga” is one such film that is perfectly balanced, and the concept itself is fresh, and that freshness is very well executed. This is one of those films that delves into the psyche of small town India, so we are introduced to an array of small town characters. Their own quirks, mannerisms and inner dilemmas are wonderfully explored, and the film manages to be both entertaining, yet grounded in reality. To say what the film is truly about would be to do injustice to the viewers. Let’s just say this film pushes you into the world of the characters and then gives you something very much unexpected. This “unexpectedness” is what takes this film to another level, along with the overall making and detailing. This is a simple film with a big heart!

We often say, when critiquing films, that the first half was great but the second half got a bit slow or could have been better. But this film is different. A surprise element is thrown at you at the intermission point, and from the onwards, the journey continues uphill. Let’s just say, this is a unique love story, and the setting that the filmmaker/writer has chosen brings out the meaning behind this kind of love story with much more power. This film is about acceptance. It’s about finding the uniqueness in what society may judge as “wrong” or “not normal”. It’s about the “Log kya sochenge” mindset. This type of film makes you introspect while you laugh. It may also have the power to make an audience confront his or her own inner biases. For me, the screenplay is largely perfect, something that you don’t see very often. There are moments of set up and pay off, where the meaning of something changes the second time you see it from a different perspective. Every main character has a graph, rather than just being there for the purpose of fulfilling someone else’s journey! This film also doesn’t peach more than it needs to.

From a technical standpoint as well, this film brings out the aura of the atmosphere, and the camera work is very fluid and natural. Some of the frames are very well thought our and some of the scenes are staged very well. The music goes perfectly with this film. There is a nostalgic feel where you remember cinema of the 90’s, which makes the overall twist in the story even more interesting. The editing is crisp. The film is 2 hours, and that is the perfect length for such a film.  On the acting front, everyone has done a splendid job. Sonam Kapoor is a fresh surprise in this film. This is her film and she has performed beautifully! Rajkumar Rao keeps proving his versatility with each and every film he done. He clearly has a knack for choosing the right subjects! Anil Kapoor is fantastic, and after a long time we get to see him really get into the skin of the character. Regina Cassandra is beautiful and has acted her part well. The rest of the cast lends ample support.

Hats off to Shelly Chopra Dhar, and what a film to debut with as a writer and director! Clearly this is a film with a message that she feels strongly about. This is a film for family, friends and also for those who love watching films alone, either in the theater or at home. But this film deserves your presence in the theater! It is both entertaining, and different. I would like to repeat and say that this is a simple film with a big heart!

Rating: 4 Stars