Luka Chuppi review: It’s all about being Sanskari

Towards the fag end of Luka Chuppi the hero, Guddu Shukla (Kartik Aaryan), Mathura’s famous local TV reporter, talks earnestly about how sanskriti, sabhyata (tradition, culture) and patriotism are not significant issues but ones that only drive the elections. What the young really want are jobs, employment, economy and Wi-Fi, he says. It makes perfect sense! Only these noble thoughts take too long to get expressed, are like the needless cherry on an inedible, terribly baked cake of a film.

Luka Chuppi is led by the least charismatic set of young actors. A brattish Aaryan and a vapid Kriti Sanon as his lady love. Between them they share barely three expressions through over two hours of the run time. The love story has no sparkle and is downright deadbeat. Ostensibly the idea is to take potshots at the culture police that is out to get the young lovers, the film aims to educate the masses about the legitimacy of live-in relationship. So a sadhu picks the example of Radha and Krishna and how their love was pure despite not being married. An old matriarch opines that a woman must never marry without getting to know a man.

But the supposedly modern take on relationships is utterly confused and unconvincing. Being in a live-in relationship gnaws at the heart of the lovers. The girl talks about mangalsutra and sindoor ka wajan (weight) while I was thinking that if they are so keen to get married why don’t they go to the court and be done with it. But no, ultimately it’s a sanskari guilt of sanskari kids of sanskari families who will be pleased only with a sanskari wedlock. Nothing less.

Another sacrilege is to bear witness to what Pankaj Tripathi is reduced to in the name of comedy. It hurts to see him participate in the “bawaseer”(piles)-AIDS jokes. Buffoonery is not the way for someone as talented as Tripathi to go.