'Shiddat' review: Tale of a lunatic glorified as a lover
Kunal Deshmukh's (of Jannat-fame) Shiddat will make you question several things--like your sanity, eyesight, and hearing ability. Because there is no way that such an impractical/problematic movie is being made in 2021 by a renowned director, starring renowned actors and backed by renowned producers. But we like it or not, Shiddat has been made and it dropped on Disney+ Hotstar today. Here's our review.
Jaggi harasses Kartika, she gives in because it's Bollywood
Remember Tere Naam? Boy meets girl and pursues her even when she says no? This story is a close relative to that. The guy, Jaggi (Sunny Kaushal), meets the girl Kartika (Radhika Madan) and harasses her, thinking it is flirting. Contrary to the 2003 movie, Kartika isn't some meek, soft-spoken girl and instead stands up for herself. So you would expect something different, right?
No excuse to glorify harassment, teasing as expression of love
Well, you are in store for disappointment but writers have not researched an inch's worth into Kartika's role. She befriends Jaggi as if all the harassment was fine. What the makers miss here is, women do not like getting followed and teased, they do not start liking the guy just because he is persistent. There's no excuse to glorify such behavior in this age.
Mohit Raina's Goutam acts as a catalyst in Jaggi's journey
Absurdity doesn't end here. For Kartika jokingly tells Jaggi she will stop her wedding and marry him if he can gatecrash her wedding in London in three months. Voila! Our loverboy believes it is true and crosses mountains and seas to get to her. Mohit Raina's Goutam plays a cameo in this journey who is heartbroken over his wife, Ira (Diana Penty), leaving him.
It's crash course on everything that's wrong with Bollywood-ey romance
Raina delivers the best acting performance, followed by Kaushal. The actresses disappoint. Its two-hour-26-minute length doesn't help their case either. The only thing going for Shiddat is its album, especially the title track. In case you wanted a taste of everything wrong with Bollywood's vision of romance, sure give Shiddat a shot. Verdict: It gets 1.5/5 (mostly because of Raina's acting and the music).
