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Befikre movie review: Ranveer-Vaani give us Bollywood's most adorable rom-com!
You like Bollywood romances? The sarson ke khet and babuji ki permission before you tie the knot and take the plunge. Well, there is none of that in Befikre. It is as Western as modern Indian relationships are. As my cousin in Brooklyn is or your sister in London is. But this is what any modern relationship feels like. A lot like lust and more like love, amorous in a charming sort of way we could relate to. Frankly, the last time a romantic comedy made this much sense to us was Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu, that was an endearing take on labels and commitment. Befikre is similar in design but there is a Desi Punjabi heart right in the middle of it. A Dilli ka launda named Dharam who makes his living by cracking terrible jokes and a French kudi Shayra, who besides her impeccable diction in French and her boyfriend repertoire is all things Indian, seeking solace in aalu paratha after a break up. The plot is as run in the mill as you'd imagine but it's the telling that catches attention. It starts with a break up scene where Shayra and Dharam are calling each other names. Of course, her slut status is a nail in the coffin. Months go by and they realize that they are cut out to be buddies, who drink beer together, sing Hindi songs in karaoke parties and call each other when arrested at 3.00 am. So that's sorted, mutually friend zoned.
Dharam is a homophobe, who has no idea of feminism. Women are for sex but he is goofy and cute. Shyra has too much of a mind of her own. They are a match made in hell.
Most around us can vouch how exes can never be buddies. But expect Aditya Chopra to turn that idea around, wrap it in romance and give it a twist. Don't ponder too long on the wafer thin plot. It is never about the ingenuity of the story in romantic comedies. It's how you make the audience feel. For us, it was a great Friday watch, that we would love to catch in the confines of our house whilst spooning into some chocolate ice cream and hugging a teddy bear. It is as breezy as breezy gets, as frothy as Bollywood has never seen before. There is nothing new and yet so much to cherish. In particular, a scene in which the lead man leaves a pole dancing show to be a friend to his ex, is wonderfully done. "Cancer se kum agar kuch hua hai toh meri haye lagegi," he angrily tells her for spoiling the chances of him getting some action that night. She tells him a wonderful man has proposed to her and he convinces her to take the plunge.
There are many firsts for a Hindi film in this movie. A leading man's ten second tooshy show is more adorbs than hot (Sorry Ranveer, even though you would want it otherwise), you lose count of kisses because it's more than just a haww haww thing in this movie (are you sure Adi is Indian and not French) and the most important thing, sex is intertwined with love and there is a general openness to embrace it, quit being a prude. With the arial shots of Paris, rooftop romancing, long walks with Eiffel Tower in the backdrop, you fall in love. The spirit of the city is beautifully and candidly captured.
But despite these abundant things to appreciate, cinematically, Befikre is ridden with flaws. It has a convoluted second half. There is a genuine lack of impeccable chemistry but individually they do a smooth job to even out the odds. However, these hitches don't kill the carefree spirit of the film. This one makes you want to rejoice, laugh with abandon, love unabashedly, kiss freely and dance with joy. Aur kya chahiye?
This movie feels a lot like love.
We rate the film a 65% on the Pinkvilla Movie Meter.
