Content King and poster boy for unconventional cinema – Ayushmann Khurrana is back with another charming and relatable performance.
An earnest Vaani Kapoor is the true star in Abhishek Kapoor’s (Kai Po Che, Kedarnath fame) Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, which is funny and touching without being preachy!
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Vaani Kapoor, Kanwaljit Singh, Tanya Abrol
Running time: 1 Hour 56 mins
Rating: 4/5
Storyline:
Here we have Manvinder Munjal aka Manu (Ayushmann) – a bachelor 30-something, fitness instructor whose home life is a mess. His Mom has passed away, his two over-protective sisters want him married ASAP. And oh, his father is busy chatting up his Muslim Mistress.
The only thing Manu has got going for him is his (failing) gym business and the determination to bag the next cross-functional weight-lifting championship! Manu is as dude-bro as it gets – A testosterone-filled ‘Chandigarh ka Chad’ who’s surrounded by other unwoke, gym-bros that think a trans girl is someone who’s REALLY into trance music. Lol.
Enter the seductive Maanvi Brar (Vaani Kapoor) – who joins as a Zumba instructor at his gym. And lo and behold – Manu’s fitness business starts booming when Maanvi gets them all grooving!
Sparks fly and sexy times ensue… but their meet-cute romance comes crashing down when Maanvi confesses her identity as a trans girl (assigned male at birth but transitioned into a woman through sex reassignment surgery). Ironically enough, Maanvi’s previous name as a male also happens to be ‘Manu’.
She has struggled a lot to come to terms with her identity as a transwoman…. facing the ignorant prejudices of the world and the hurtful refusal of her own mother to recognise her transition! Her Brigadier father (Kanwaljit Singh), thankfully, is her true support system along with her lesbian friend.
Now, it could have been Manu Weds Former-Manu and happily ever after…But no! Manu, instead of being accepting, throws a bitchfit at Maanvi’s revelation and starts freaking out about ‘being screwed by the ‘dude Manu’. Yikes.
Devastated by his reaction, Maanvi still maintains a dignified demeanour in spite of the mocking she endures. Terms like ‘Chakka, kinnar’ are constantly thrown in her face.
‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ then takes us on an emotional journey of love and acceptance as Manu confronts his ignorance and bias.
What Do We Think?
Ayushmann Khurrana-Vaani Kapoor make for a fresh pairing with fun, likeable chemistry and are perfectly cast in their roles.
The humour is nicely balanced with the angst in Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui. Vaani has the meatier part and does justice to it with a vulnerable and layered performance. Her Maanvi is a strong, resilient character with a quiet strength that comes from truly accepting one’s true self. This could very well prove to be a turning point in Vaani’s career.
It appears that Abhishek Kapoor has deliberately chosen to portray Ayushmann as the bulky, stereotypical tough guy, so that when the mould breaks…his journey of understanding and acceptance becomes even more impactful.
Ayushmann’s confused buff-bro act while seeking answers, is relatable without turning offensive. It is heart-warming to see someone with his background go from “Government school mai padha hu, trans shabd nahi suna!” to “Normal kya hota hai? Normal ye nazariya hota hai.”
We gotta applaud Ayushmann for constantly bringing a light-hearted take to rather serious topics in his movies. At the rate he’s going… Ayushmann is totally going to be ‘typecasted’ as the ‘stereotype-breaker’ in Bollywood. Just kidding!
That being said, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui ends on a rather abrupt and cheesy note. The finale leaves a little something to be desired as if some dots are still left unconnected halfway. The absence of a preachy monologue keeps the film refreshing and away from being too ‘in-your-face’ in its messaging though.
Hit Or Miss?
A Hit for sure. Don’t miss out on this LGBTQIA movie – which is a fun, heart-warming tale of love and acceptance that quite sensitively confronts ignorance and prejudice. Also can we just say, Ayushmann’s transformation into a gym freak is FIRE!
Where To Watch?
In Theatres from 10th December 2021