Hamari Adhuri Kahani Movie Review - Misfire all the way

Ameet Bhuvan

What can go wrong with a film from the Bhatt camp, a romantic script based on Mahesh Bhatt’s own life, starring the fire-power Vidya Balan? Everything it would seem. Hamari Adhuri Kahani is an unmitigated disaster salvaged only by passable songs and the sight of Balan on screen.

Emraan Hashmi is a hotelier who lives out of suites in his 100 plus hotels. He falls for his employee, Vidya Balan, head over heels. Vidya though is unable to accept his love, despite wanting to, for her past doesn't allow her a future. Her past consists of a psychotic husband Rajkummar Rao, who refuses to let her be, thinking it to be his right as a husband to lord over her. The film is the story of how this love triangle solves itself, in the process giving us a sermon on women empowerment.

The issue with Hamari Adhuri Kahani is that the script is confused as to what it wants to be, a saga of love, intense passion and romance, or a story of women empowerment and Naari shakti. Consequently, it does justice to neither. Contrived lines and cheesy situations make the love angle fall flat and seem awkward. Cringe worthy moments between an earnest Emraan and Vidya mar the chemistry the two share, leaving us high and dry. Rajkummar is competent, but wasted. The eternally crying Vidya makes so much of a victim of her character that the empowerment bit seems hollow and unseemly.

Director Mohit Suri who has shown a knack for romantic films in the past (though personally haven't been able to understand how) seems to have lost the touch. There is no intensity or passion like Aashiqui 2 had despite such wonderful actors at hand. The songs too are not a patch on the usual Bhatt camp ditties, mostly sounding like cheap imitations of Arijit Singh style of singing.

Emraan, Vidya invest a lot in their parts, but the lines, the writing just does no justice to them at all. It is sad ot see Vidya wasted in a role, she deserves a much better mature romantic film. We deserve a much better film too. Stay clear. 

Rating: 1.5/5