Aisha – Indian “Clueless” – Full Bollywood movie review!

There is nothing wrong with the overall plot, and how it can that be, since it’s  inspired from Jane Austen’s Emma, but the Bollywood movie “Aisha” falters appallingly in the execution. 

The story is really simple. Aisha, a super rich, good-for-nothing, rich Delhi girl passes her time setting up people together. The movie begins when she finds her new project, Shefali (Amrita Puri), a middle class girl in need of a groom. Aisha sets her plans in motion and most of them backfire.

Her neighbor and childhood friend Arjun (Abhay Deol) provides the moral compass to her meddling and they both share an extremely annoying love-hate relationship. I think director, Rajshree Ojha, was aiming for  endearing relationship or suppressed sexual tension, but every time Arjun and Aisha got bantering, I was like – “Will you please shut up?”.

A lot of fellow reviewers have commented on how it’s Sonam Kapoor’s film and that she totally owned it. I have to agree but I don’t believe it has anything to do with the performance. The project is owned by her dad so it’s all in the family and she is literally in every frame of the movie so you can’t escape her even if you want to.

She has the potential to be a good actress. There are moments in the movie where a few seconds of her acting is enough to distract you from her clothes and make up. But this is definitely not one of her best performances. In fact, Amrita Puri, totally steals every scene from under her nose as the upfront, slightly bumbling Shefali. If there is anyone worth watching in this movie, it’s her.

So, what is Abhay Deol doing in this movie? He looks completely uncomfortable in every scene he is in with this this dazed expression – “ How did I get myself into this?” You can totally tell he is not buying it.

I remember that when the movie was released it was touted as being India’s “first chick flick”. Hmm..I wonder why. Is it because there are so many women in it or because its directed by a female director because honestly I can’t see how it compares.

Chick-flick’s sell a concept that regular girls can have great lives and great relationships. Yes they are frothy and fun and full of fancy clothes, but even the fantasy has elements of realism. In the end they leave with you a good feeling and crush on the male lead. “Aisha” achieves none of this. Wearing fashionable clothes is not the only qualifying factor, you know, and even that needs to be done in perspective. If your sister has delivered a baby, I don’t believe you are going to end up in the hospital with full make up on and a designer dress. If you do then you are clearly hoping to land your self a few doctors 🙂

Verdict

Don’t watch it unless you are desperate. Wait, not even then. Instead go and watch “Clueless”, another modern take on Emma. Aisha and Clueless are nothing like, meaning the latter does a significantly better job of capturing the spirit of Jane Austen’s work.

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