CHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI is a mind-bending love story. Maninder aka Manu Munjal (Ayushmann Khurrana) lives with his father (Girish Dhamija) and grandfather (Aanjjan Srivastav) and is a gym trainer. His sisters Preet (Tanya Abrol) and Meet (Sawan Rupowali) are married and they try to dominate his life and his choices. His father, meanwhile, is trying to force him to quit being a bodybuilder as he's not earning much. He has lost a bodybuilding championship two consecutive times to Sandy (Abhishek Bajaj), a fellow bodybuilder. Manu is gearing up for the upcoming edition of the tournament but he doesn't seem to be in his best form. Life is not going great but one day, he meets Maanvi Brar (Vaani Kapoor). She has rented a vacant space in Manu's gym to conduct Zumba classes. Both soon strike a friendship. When Manu injures himself in the gym, Maanvi takes him to the hospital and even drops him at home. His family members get excited to see him with a girl as they have been behind his life to get married. Manu clarifies that she is just a friend but it falls on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Manu actually falls for her. On the day of Holi, they get intimate. Before they have sex, Maanvi stops him for a second to clarify something. Manu doesn’t let her speak and kisses her. From here on, they begin a romantic relationship. One day, when Manu is at Maanvi's place, he proposes marriage. At this point, Maanvi reveals a shocking truth about her life. What happens next forms the rest of the film. Abhishek Kapoor, Supratik Sen and Tushar Paranjpe's story is progressive, refreshing, and the need of the hour as it drives home an important message. Supratik Sen and Tushar Paranjpe's screenplay is highly entertaining and commercial. In the second half, however, the writing could have been stronger. Supratik Sen and Tushar Paranjpe's dialogues are fine and raise laughs here and there. But there was an opportunity to have some great punchlines in nearly every sentence. In this regard, the writers missed the boat. However, a few dialogues are sharp and Vaani Kapoor's monologue at the interval point is clapworthy. Abhishek Kapoor's direction is neat. He treats the film in a commercial manner and ensures that though the topic is bold, the film is very much mainstream. His execution is also a surprise as it’s unlike his previous films like ROCK ON [2008], KAI PO CHE [2013], FITOOR [2016] and KEDARNATH [2018]. Some scenes are exceptional, especially the ones dealing with Maanvi and her dilemma. Abhishek deserves kudos as he handles this bit very sensitively and even defies stereotype. On the flipside, though the first half is excellent, in the second half, the film drops a bit. After Maanvi's revelation, it seemed like the writers did not know what to do to keep the interest going. They do pepper the narrative with some interesting scenes but it’s not as impactful as the scenes in the first half. Thankfully, the film picks up from the pre-climax. CHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI is just 117 minutes long and introduces the characters immediately and neatly. The way the romance blooms between them is believable. The lovemaking scenes are intense but not too bold as well. The scene where Maanvi makes the big confession is arresting but even more impactful is the intermission point. In the second half, it’s the hospital sequence from where the film gets back on track. The climax is nail-biting and would be enjoyed by the viewers. Ayushmann Khurrana is in top form as always. And this time too, he gives everything to his character, including an impressive physical transformation. He is known for choosing risqué topics and CHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI is no exception. He deserves kudos for yet again stepping out of his comfort zone and taking up a role that not many actors would have dared to accept. Vaani Kapoor is outstanding and is sure to surprise audiences. This was a challenging part but she essays her it with perfection and most importantly, with sensitivity. She also deserves praise for agreeing to do this part, which many actresses might not even touch with a barge pole. She will definitely be seen in a new light after this film. Kanwaljit Singh (Brigadier Mohinder Brar) is adorable. Karishma Singh (Akshita; Maanvi's friend) leaves a huge mark. Girish Dhamija and Aanjjan Srivastav are okay. Tanya Abrol is apt for the part while Sawan Rupowali lends able support. Abhishek Bajaj and Satwant Kaur (Navjot Brar; Maanvi's mother) are decent. Goutam Sharma (Jomo) and Gourav Sharma (Riz) are fine as the twin brothers cum Manu's sidekicks. Yograj Singh (Guruji) is average. Sachin-Jigar's music is foot-tapping. The title song, played in the end credits, is well shot. 'Kheech Te Nach' is the best of the lot. 'Kalle Kalle' and 'Maafi' are touching. 'Tumbe Te Zumba' is decent. 'Attraction' is played in the lovemaking sequence and is again, picturised nicely. Sachin-Jigar's background score is appropriate. Manoj Lobo's cinematography is neat. Allan Amin and Vishal Bhargav's action is realistic. Bindiya Chhabria's production design is appealing. Shruti Kapoor and Akshay Tyagi's costumes are glamorous. Chandan Arora's editing is slick. On the whole, CHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI tackles a bold and taboo subject sensitively and is high on emotions. The superlative performances of Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor are like the icing on the cake. Recommended!Read more

Love stories are love stories after all. Mostly, boy-meets-girl, some romance, mush-gush, conflict, makeup or breakup, and end of the story. Well here, boy does meet girl, too, but she has a past (not the cliché affair, marriage, child out of wedlock or criminal history), that becomes hard for Manu, with all his machismo, to bear. Without giving away much (Story Idea credited to Simran Sahni), let’s say that Maanvi has courageously battled all odds, and ‘transformed’ into a new person, someone she has always pined to be. While she feels liberated and is proud of her new identity, and one that’s true to her real self, will society and her family embrace her choice and accept her for what they call, ‘not normal’ in their very normal world. Director, Abhishek Kapoor, doesn’t beat around the bush and gets to the point directly and quickly. After introducing Manu, his friends and his family, he lets us into Maanvi’s world, slowly and subtly revealing her past. While preparing us for Maanvi’s revelations, he’s also readying us for Manu’s initial disbelief, shock and horror at discovering more about the girl he’s so intensely in love with. And when the moment arrives, he handles it finely, without too much dramatisation or theatrics – in performance or dialogues. While Abhishek maintains light-hearted humour in most situations, he handles the hard-hitting reality of the subject with sensitivity and maturity. He lays it all out – people’s crude and outrageous reaction on learning the truth about the subject, our general lack of knowledge and information on a matter that needs to be addressed, and the way our society is sharply divided on the concept of being ‘inclusive’, and giving every individual the liberty to be who they are and what they want to be. Abhishek does it with tact and weaves in humorous punches – soft and gentle, nothing too heavy-weight. Credit also goes to Supratik Sen and Tushar Paranjape for their honest and relatable screenplay and dialogues, which is evident in several scenes. Be it the Munjal family pushing Manu’s to get married, his widower father (Girish Dhamija) waiting to marry his Muslim girlfriend, Maanvi’s father (Kanwaljit Singh) being supportive of her choices even though her mother strongly disapproves, or Manu’s over-the-top sisters meddling in all of Manu’s matters—there is never a dull moment, almost all scenes as tight as Manu’s six-pack and bulging biceps. The performances here are ‘tip-top’! Ayushmann Khurrana gets into the skin of the character (literally!). Watch out for his superphysical makeover. He portrays Manu perfectly, and well, that fact that he’s in reality a Chandigarh boy, must have surely helped crack it. He looks, walks and talks the part. Vaani Kapoor sinks her teeth into her character from the word go and gives a no-holds-barred performance. Vaani and Ayushmann not only look great together, but also share fiery chemistry onscreen. Goutam Sharma, Gourav Sharma (as Manu’s twin friends) are hilarious, Aanjjan Srivastav (Manu’s grandfather), Kanwaljit Singh, Tanya Abrol and Girish Dhamija play the supporting parts very well. Bindiya Chhabria’s production design is vibrant and cinematographer Manoj Lobo has beautifully shot this offbeat love story. Chandan Arora’s editing is crisp. Sachin-Jigar’s soundtrack with lyrics by Priya Saraiya, Vayu and IP Singh take the narrative forward. Though the Holi song initially seems to appear suddenly, it serves as an apt trigger to move Manu and Maanvi’s romance in top gear. In a post Covid era, where we are grappling with what’s the new normal every day of our lives, it’s time we dig deep and question what is ‘normal’ really. Have we self-created norms and normalcy, to feed the needs of few in the world who are trapped in this false sense of what is normal? Isn’t it time to shake things up a bit, move out of the comfort zone and break the shackles of stereotypes? Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui does that, while still leaving you comfortably entertained.Read more