Abhishek Varman’s mushy movie based on Chetan Bhagat’s popular romantic novel with the same title is as breezy, fluffy and promisingly entertaining as Bhagat’s unpretentiously simplistic writing!
IT IS ‘FASHIONABLE’ TO SLAM CHETAN BHAGAT or his writing, or both!! What is even trendier though is to claim that every movie based on a popular book/novel doesn’t quite match up to the content and the quality of the original form of art. The swankiest lot of the town loves to hate Bhagat’s books. Most of them discuss the writer and his work with their noses scrunched up in cocktail parties to sound appropriate in the ears of the voracious readers. But there’s no doubt about the fact that Bhagat is entertaining, engaging and downright cheap ( with books sold under Rs 100 that’s the adjective one chooses strictly, if not, exactly, symbolically)
But hey didn’t the IIM- A graduate-turned-banker-turned-writer get young India into the habit of reading with his breezy and unpretentiously simple writing? That you dismiss CB for not being as prolific as a Salman Rushdie or a Jhumpa Lahiri or , for that matter, a VS Naipaul, in terms of depth of the subject matter or the flourish of the linguistic dexterity, could be a subjective choice. But the fact that his books are so easy to comprehend that they can be-oops, have repeatedly been-translated into movies, just as they are, speaks for CB’s achievement to connect with young India. 2 States-the movie, just like 2 States the book, is no different. Matching Chetan’s writing, the film is indeed light, easy on the eye and unbelievably uncomplicated. And for those who like their books better than the movies inspired from the texts, I suggest to give this cinematic treat a deserving chance. I am sure Alia Bhatt’s effortlessly charming performance and Arjun Kapoor’s ease in front of the camera, coupled with Varman’s commendable execution as a director, will make you fall in love all over again!........
