Film: Loveyapa

Starring: Junaid Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Kiku Sharda, Tanvika Parlikar, etc.

Director: Advait Chandan

Rating: 2 Moons

‘Loveyapa’ is a modern day love story and a remake of the 2022 Tamil romantic comedy ‘Love Today’. Somewhat also like Akshay Kumar’s 2024 wicked entertainer ‘Khel Khel Mein’. It explores trust in relationships through an unique challenge — the girl Baani’s father Atul Kumar Sharma (played delightfully by Khushi Kapoor and Ashutosh Rana, respectively) craftily asks the boyfriend Gaurav Sachdeva (Junaid Khan) to exchange cell phones with his daughter for a day if they want his blessings for their hot relationship. They are head-over-heels in love, But the havoc this creates is but to be expected and not only is their love tested, but also their honesty and faith in each other. A simple enough story given a healthy dose of fun and humour by Advait Chandan.

In ‘Loveyapa’, Khushi stands out in her theatrical debut. She is like a breath of fresh air. Her feisty performance makes Baani a relatable and engaging character. Her scenes with Junaid, and the tumultuous chemistry between them, is one of the film’s highlights. You can see the genes of her legendary mother Sridevi run in Khushi. She shrugs off the impression she failed to make in her OTT debut ‘The Archies’ as she carries off the emotional scenes in ‘Loveyapa’ with ease, effortlessly portraying Baani’s vulnerability, confidence and charm. Her face lights up with a wide canvas of expressions that leave an impact.

Junaid, on the other hand, is slower off the block. The awkwardness of his OTT debut ‘Maharaj’ weighs him down somewhat. Though ‘Loveyapa’ is a current day romance, Junaid struggles to convincingly showcase Gaurav’s emotional struggles. He’s better at comedy. But Ashutosh is sparkling and fizzy, like a bottle of champagne uncorked. And Kiku Sharda, with Tanvika Parlikar, has a love story of his own running on a parallel track, that is as intriguing and hilarious. He also adds a light moment with his humour and stability. It is the supporting cast with their strong performances that add depth to the narrative.

There is a lot going for ‘Loveyapa’ especially the comic timing that makes some scenes hugely entertaining. The film bustles with youthful energy. The music is good, too, and the background score is catchy. Though the story has been explored before, the film makes an honest attempt to touch on important modern day issues like privacy, video morphing and cheating. However, the messages behind these situations could have been more conveyed in a more impactful manner. This film is a must watch for Khushi Kapoor’s fans. And the young actress has a staggering following because of her sensational presence on social media. She handles the lighthearted romantic moments and intense emotional sequences like a pro. Junaid Khan has no social media presence and has to start building up a fan base. He could have been more solid in his ‘Loveyapa’ performance as a carefree Delhi boy.