Ishq Vishk Rebound

Pashmina, cousin of Hrithik Roshan, makes her debut as well. While she does pull off one or two scenes that require emotional gravitas well, junior Roshan has a lot of work to do. Naila's appearance in the film can almost be categorised as 'special' but she is one of those characters you really would feel for, had it been written enough! The songs are groove-worthy, but for a film that is one hour and 45 minutes [almost], having four songs within the narrative doesn't work. The major problem with the film is not that it makes rebound seem 'frivolous'. But, it makes a half-hearted attempt or resorts to tokenism to entertain. It is funny and cheesy, yes! But all of this without a soul, feels like a wasted opportunity. 2.5 out of 5 stars for 'Ishq Vishk Rebound'.

But once the conflicts arise, the film goes downhill. One of the biggest issues with the narrative is that it moves at a supersonic speed. It also seems like the makers chopped off some sequences to keep the duration in check. While doing so, the film suffers. For instance, viewers never fully understand the fractured bond between Sanya and her father. Sahir’s issues with his father (Shataf Figar) also come as a jolt, especially in the pre-climax. Riya’s character is wasted. Finally, the climax doesn’t leave one wowed.

Actually, forget about explaining the plot because it's virtually non-existent. Director Nipun Dharmadhikari, working on the script by Vaishali Naik, Vinay Chhawal, Ketan Pedgaonkar, delivers a sluggish and mostly incoherent endeavour that doesn't contain much. The characters are cardboard cut-outs, their personalities turn 180 degrees at any second, and the equation they have with each other is so vapid. Childhood sweethearts? What bond of super-cement was holding these people together, you wonder. The music, which is positioned as the selling point of the film, feels dated with visual aesthetics inspired from a Dharma film. It is only Milind Jog's camerawork that adds freshness to the frames as he captures pretty locales of Dehradun.

Ishq Vishk Rebound is not a horrible movie – it has some of its better moments. There are times when the dialogues get an unexpected laugh out of you even as they remind you how inconsistent the writing has been. The songs, even though not memorable, are enough to get you tapping your feet to the rhythm (that doesn’t intentionally sound like a Katy Perry lyric I promise you). The camerawork, however, uses way too many close-ups, all the time. It’s one of the reasons why the ‘design’ becomes very obvious – you can almost see the filmmaking happen which isn’t the best look for this particular film.