This is not your typical Bollywood film which follows the standard “boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after” formula. If you go in with that expectation, this will disappoint you. In a time of films like ‘Befikre’ & ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’, this movie is a rarity. It’s 2.5 hours of storytelling at its finest.
Bindu’s name may be in the film’s title, but it’s Abhimanyu (Ayushmann Khurrana) who steals the show. In our interview with the actor earlier this week, he rightly said that Abhimanyu is the ‘boyfriend every girl dreams of’. He most certainly is. Abhimanyu loves Bindu almost obsessively without being overbearing. He wants nothing more than her happiness even if it means being her guinea pig, punching bag or ‘friendzoned’ relentlessly. For him, Bindu is everything.
Bindu (Parineeti Chopra) is a dreamer. She’s a bit crazy, a bit child-like, but incredibly loveable. She dreams of one day becoming a famous singer. But if you asked her what she wanted to be while growing up, she’d have a new answer every day. Nothing she started ever stayed with her long enough to complete. In a nutshell, she’s a free-spirited girl who never really grew up.
Abhi & Bindu are childhood besties. They live next door to each other and share every moment together, both good and bad. They soon grow up and part ways although they keep in touch via letters. Over time they gradually lose touch only to pick up exactly where they left off a few years later when they run into each other in Goa. This is the beauty of true friendship. Time & distance are irrelevant when love keeps everything so beautifully intact.
Abhimanyu wants more than friendship, but Bindu is unsure of what she wants in life. Do they end up together? Does love prevail? These questions form the crux of the film.
We all know that Ayushmann & Parineeti are fine actors but they’ve really outdone themselves here. Women all over India will be drooling over Ayushmann for months to come. He so convincingly played Abhimanyu, the quintessential lover. And Parineeti is just a treat, as always. Her character is so easy to fall in love with. Just a glance is enough to get butterflies (this coming from a girl)!
Director Akshay Roy has done a fantastic job! Every scene of this film was pure magic. The music was stellar. Both the original soundtrack and classics featured throughout the film were top notch! I knew I’d love this movie purely because of the nostalgia quotient present in each trailer I watched. How can you not be intrigued by a film that has RD Burman’s ‘Do Naina’ & Madan Mohan’s ‘Lag Jaa Gale’ playing in the background? This film is a sip of garam chai on a cold winter night… that warmth you get when you bite into ghar ka khana after months away from home. It’s feel good cinema.
If there’s one line that stuck out to me throughout this whole film, it’s this: “Many people teach you how to love. Alas, no one teaches you how to forget that love”. I think this one line was a subtle way of hinting at what this film will leave you with, an unforgettable story. One thing is for sure, Bindu & Abhimanyu will stay with you long after you leave the theater.
Rating: 4.5/5
By: Jessica Thomas
