Making the remake of a film in a different cultural milieu is always tricky. What seemed to have worked there may not work here. What did not work there needs to be re-looked here. Even if a certain universality pervades stories, there is still some rootedness that is brought through language, music and storytelling devices that ensure emotional connection. Advait Chandan attempted it just three years ago in 2022 with the ambitious and brazenly underappreciated Laal Singh Chaddha, as he tried to localise the American aesthetics of Forrest Gump (1994) and largely succeeded in doing so (yes, barring the confusing performance by Aamir Khan). As Advait returns with Loveyapa, this time a straight-forward remake of Pradeep Ranganathan’s Tamil film Love Today, there is a lack of restraint in his handling. He seems to focus on the bigger picture while appearing to let go of the moments that make it whole.

It is felt right in the opening portions, when we are introduced to Gaurav Sachdeva (Junaid Khan) and Bani (Khushi Kapoor). He gives her a new phone sitting by a pond in some part of Delhi. The moment feels more generic than personal. There is a lack of chemistry between the two due to the setting, which doesn’t want to create a mood. In Love Today, the same scene happens by the sea, which becomes their getaway, where the two share intimate moments together. All of that is lost here, as there is an attempt to merely replicate the ‘what’ of the original without the ‘how’. Due to this, there is little to be invested in the idea of their ‘perfect love,’ and we don’t feel bad later when the world around them shatters.

Starring: Junaid Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Kiku Sharda and Grusha Kapoor

Directed by: Advait Chandan

Even the scene where Gaurav goes to meet Bani’s strict and controlling father (Ashutosh Rana) loses out on the playful tension which Pradeep creates with the use of editing and distinctive shot-taking. Her father wants them to exchange their phones for a day in order to decide the fate of their relationship, causing a stir in the hearts of the two. Even though the moment is not as potent, the crackling dialogues by Sneha Desai make it a fun ride. Sneha has also written the adapted screenplay for the film and she is conscious not to carry ahead some of the problematic aspects of the original. For instance, in a scene early on, Gaurav takes Bani to a corner as she is dancing freely during wedding festivities. He tells her to cover her body as he caught a guy staring at her from a distance. In Love Today, she obliges without thinking as much but here, Sneha gives it a slight nuance as Bani asks Gaurav instead to tighten his button and cover his overtly visible chest.

The adapted screenplay balances the masculine tone of the original and gives an equal focus to Bani and her feelings. It also makes the scenes tighter without staying too long on an emotion. However, it is Advait’s storytelling that misses the mark in bringing out the essence of a moment. When Gaurav and Bani finally decide to unlock each other’s phones, the scene plays out in flashes. There is no time for us to stay with them, and so the growing tension between the two is never realised. Much of it is lost in translation. Even the performances by Junaid and Khushi seem like they have barely scratched the surface. 

Junaid is in more control here, compared to his stint in Maharaj last year. His dance steps, although still a bit awkward, have improved. He has to let go of some of the stiffness that incorporates his performance too, but he is still fun to watch in many scenes where he gets the timing right. Khushi has a steady presence too, especially in some emotionally vulnerable moments where she stays tonally consistent. However, their performances should have done much more in a film that heavily relies on their chemistry. On the other hand, it is a pleasure to see Ashutosh, who maintains his Shudh-Hindi personality of real life with a charming twist. Kiku Sharda’s descent into a more serious role here is quite rewarding too. His revelatory scene in the second half remains a moving highlight of the film.

Loveyapa gets the overall tone right by not delving as much into the melodrama, which pulled down the effect of the original. It wants to keep things light-hearted and entertaining. The perils of social media, which it projects through the story, do become simplistic at times, lacking a nuance of complexities, yet it is not as outlandish to pull us out of the narrative. It also feels like a story that is being retold by a different narrator. Like that experience that a friend went through but was narrated to you by a third person; there are all the delicious details but the heart is missing.