Indian movies

LOVE STORY 2050 has elicited tremendous response for varied reasons…
* One, its one-of-its-kind sci-fi fare, with a big chunk of footage devoted to VFX.
* Two, the pre-release hype, the frenzy in the media, the various tie-ups/endorsements has kept LOVE STORY 2050 constantly in news.
* Three, LOVE STORY 2050 marks the debut of Harman Baweja, one actor who has been lapped up by industry bigwigs even before his debut vehicle has hit the screens. It's a hi-profile launch.

From the looks of it, LOVE STORY 2050 demands a dekho, but there's a hitch…

Special effects -- for that matter the trappings used to embellish a movie -- work only if a movie has a rock-solid base: Content. Unfortunately, LOVE STORY 2050 gives more preference to special effects, while the writing takes a complete backseat.

There's no denying that Harry Baweja's intentions are genuine and noble, but, seriously, did the veteran get carried away by special effects? No doubt, the basic idea sounds interesting and the viewer would love to be a participant in this time-travel film, but what comes across is amateurish.

Given a title like LOVE STORY 2050, the film ought to evoke strong emotions, mainly towards the second hour, when the lead man has a tough time convincing his lady-love. But technical wizardry and VFX dominate this hour, while the emotional moments fail to evoke any reactions. Actually, your heart does not pine for the lovers and that's why this love story hardly creates any impact.

The silver lining is -- you've guessed it -- Harman Baweja. You may compare him with Hrithik Roshan [in terms of looks]. You may find his dialogue delivery similar to that of SRK. But the guy is a lambe race ka ghoda. Ranbir Kapoor now has tough competition. It's Harman Baweja, the new flavor of the season!

Karan [Harman Baweja], a young, spirited, sporty boy lives life off the rules, while Sana [Priyanka Chopra], a petite, shy girl lives life by the rules. Opposites attract… and love blossoms. Karan's uncle, Dr. Yatinder Khanna's [Boman Irani] much developed time machine finally works. Sana expresses her wish to travel ahead in time to Mumbai. But there's an accident…

Mumbai 2050. Flying cars, 200 storey buildings, robots and sky rails have changed the face of Mumbai. Through a series of twists and turns, Karan finds himself separating from his love. Meanwhile, Dr. Yatinder and Karan are under threat from Dr. Hoshi.

You are mesmerized by the initial scenes in LOVE STORY 2050. And it's not the script that hooks and magnetizes you. Harman's skills as an actor and also a gymnast [watch him give the firangs a chase] makes you speechless. Note the cycle chase [wow!] or Harman wooing Priyanka on a roller coaster [superb… you sure have guts, Harman]. The film works in this hour because the chemistry between the lead actors is also piping hot.

But things go downhill in the post-interval portions. What takes precedence are special effects, robots, gizmos, the masked villain… In this melee, the writing is put on the backburner.

Director Harry Baweja is letdown by the script. The idea is exciting, but what comes across is off-putting. Anu Malik's music is tuneful. 'Sach Kehna' and 'Milo Na Milo' stand out, also because Harman's dance movements are exceptional [kudos to the choreographer]. Cinematography [Vijay Arora] is first-rate. Sound quality [Dwarak Warrier] is top class. Dialogues [Mayur Puri] suit the mood of the film. Sets [Omung Kumar] deserve special mention. They're truly imaginative! Special effects are topnotch, matching international standards. Costumes and styling are avant garde.

Harman Baweja has the potential to be a major star, a front-runner. No two opinions on that! He's an exceptional dancer and looks handsome as well. But most importantly, he knows the grammar of acting well. Watch out for this kid! Priyanka Chopra is immensely likable. She suits her part to the T. Boman Irani is efficient. Archana Puransingh is lovable. The kids don't contribute at all.

On the whole, LOVE STORY 2050 rests on a thin plot and that would curtail its reach to a major extent. Disappointing!