NOW I get it. When Aditya Roy Kapoor did his solo numbers at the Dream Team concert in Chicago, the girls in the crowd went crazy, especially when he covered one of the dancers with his jacket.
And it was because he was lip syncing the two big songs from Aashiqui 2 [Love], Sunn Raha Hai Na Tua and Tum Hi Ho.
I’ve been suffering with what I think is a bad sinus infection for days and haven’t felt up to watching anything with subtitles as I couldn’t even concentrate. Margaret at Don’t Call It Bollywood mentioned that she’s going to write a review of Aashiqui 2 soon, and I realized that I should really watch it before OK Jaanu comes out next weekend. I rented it last night from Amazon streaming, but I’m a little worried something may have been cut in their copy as the run time was only 2 hours 6 minutes.
I have not seen the classic 1954 Judy Garland A Star is Born, but I have the Barbra Streisand/Kris Kristofferson version from the ’70’s. Aashiqui 2’s plot is completely A Star Is Born. Successful male takes talented woman under his wing, and then her career eclipses his as he declines into alcoholism.
While Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor had decent romantic chemistry in Aashiqui 2 and acted, well, okay… there are so many flaws in this film. I could totally believe that Aditya was a rock star. With Arjit Singh singing those songs, he had the swagger to pull it off. Shraddha’s character is this young naive ingenue, scraping by singing in a bar in Goa when Aditya stumbles in to hear her sing his song, Sunn Raha Hai Na Tua. The problem is her singing voice in the film is not a powerhouse raw talent. It’s tinny and thin sounding. She looks up to Lata as her inspiration, but her singing did not blow me away AT ALL. That is the whole point of A Star Is Born — this talent that is just so amazing, that the male lead has to share it with the world.
When I was growing up, you could not escape Barbra Streisand’s Evergreen from the 1976 film. Kris Kristofferson was well cast, because while he is a talent, he’s not the legendary BARBRA.
So, from the get go, I’m not buying Shraddha as this big talent, but the romance plot in the first half is nice and it is refreshing to have a male Indian lead doing everything to support a woman’s career. But oh that demon alcohol.
You can tell Aditya is a real alcoholic because he drinks straight from big bottles! The addiction storyline here is treated so ridiculously. Shraddha remains a naive ingenue to the end, convinced that she can solve his addiction just by taking him away to the mountains and giving him a nice shave outside to get him clean.
Your boyfriend, who never even mentions marriage and is fine living with you and ultimately off your earnings, goes into drunken rages and pushes you to the ground, and you can just hug him even tighter and it will all be okay? Blech. I wanted to shake some sense into Shraddha in this movie. This is not 1954! Surely, her character could have had a little more spine in this day and age or even some character development. And sorry for the spoilers, but gee, alcoholism can’t be solved by love alone. And it’s noble to kill yourself rather than go to rehab or accept your father’s help because even though you didn’t marry the poor girl, she’s ready to give up her career for you? If you’re going to copy the entire plot of A Star Is Born, then I guess you have to end it that way, but it could have been portrayed as more dark and desperate rather than noble and misguided.
The music is central to a film like this, and this film has a couple of amazing blockbusters. You can’t help but love this soundtrack.
So, in all, glad I finally watched this first pairing of Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. But I think they look like they have even better romantic chemistry in the trailers of OK Jaanu. I hate to see OK Kanmani remade (because it is perfection) but hopefully they won’t screw it up too much. Aashiqui 2 won’t be a film I want to rewatch, but I will definitely be downloading the songs.
And now there’s going to be a new Hollywood version of A Star Is Born with a release date in September of 2018 starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Cooper will not only act in the film, it will be his directorial debut. Lady Gaga is the kind of powerhouse talent perfect for the role. Bradley’s acting is Oscar caliber, but I hope his directorial skills will be up to the task.
Pardesi Reviews 
I wonder if someone is tracking a sudden run on Humsafar and Aashiqui 2 as the Raees and OK Jaanu release dates near? It seems like a lot of people are suddenly inspired to catch up!
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Netflix was smart to put out those Mahira Khan shows, but ErosNow should have had Aashiqui 2 on! It killed me to pay the rental fee, when I know I could have watched it in my subscription for months on end. Just never got around to it then.
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I cheated and watched it on einthusan. Probably good, because I think I might have resented spending $2.99 for Aashiqui 2. Not worth that much.
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We watched AASHIQUI 2 on Netflix DVD – and MREDLICH21’s right about having to pay for it! While Shradda Kapoor’s magnificent, Adiya Roy Kapur’s all wrong for a self-destructive alcoholic rock star. He’s great in those bits where he’s meant to be loving & supportive – but he drinks like some grammar school kid playing a drunk in the class play, and when he’s abusive you never really feel any self-loathing. When he
::SPOILER AHEAD FOR A 72-YEAR OLD PLOT!!!!::
supposedly commits suicide by walking into the ocean, just like his analogues have since the first A STAR IS BORN in 1937, you fully expect a shot a few scenes later of him walking ashore on a beach in Dubai, hand-drying his hair and saying to himself, “There’s the ticket! Just what I needed, a good swim to clear my head…. Oi! Anyone know where I can get a mango lassi? Swimming thirsty work….”
Oh, I meant to ask: Have you seen the new A STAR IS BORN yet? Does it play better this time?
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Cool!!
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I just watched this the other night as well. I enjoyed your take on it. I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t seen any of the versions of A Star is Born. My Dad is a huge Kristofferson fan, though, so I did listen to the soundtrack album many times as a child (there are some fantastic songs on there). I should probably try to have a look at that version of the story. You’re absolutely right about the female singing voice in Aashiqui 2. I felt the same way. She sounded nice and all, but to really buy into the story, she should have had a much stronger voice. They should have got someone like Neeti Mohan, who absolutely knocked my socks off with her performance of Dhadaam Dhadaam in Bombay Velvet. Now THAT is a talent that you would want to share with the world!
I also watched this on Einthusan. I pay for Netflix, Spuul and Eros Now every month. If a movie isn’t on one of those three, I don’t feel too guilty watching it on Einthusan. If I enjoy a movie, I buy it for my collection anyway. One thing is for certain: Aashiqui 2 will not be finding its way onto my shelf!
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Ryan, you’re exactly right on the singer you suggested! I did not enjoy Bombay Velvet but her voice was amazing. I was having trouble with Einthusan loading which I tried first, and I just said – screw it. I’d pay more than this for a Starbucks and it will play with out stopping and starting!
Seems minds are thinking alike in watching Aashiqui 2 in anticipation of OK Jaanu. Have you seen OK Kanmani yet? I heartily recommend the original Mani Ratman which I believe is still on Netflix in the US.
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I have watched OK Kanmani and I loved it! It makes me nervous about OK Jaanu as the original will be almost impossible to live up to. I’ve enjoyed the chemistry between Aditya and Shraddha in the videos. I really love The Humma Song (especially after getting some very useful background information from Margaret and watching Bombay to see the original song in its proper context). I’m hoping the remake can retain the spirit of the original and still add something unique to the story.
I was in the middle about Bombay Velvet. It really had great potential but fell so short on its execution. I enjoyed a lot of it- the songs, in particular, as well as the visual style and many aspects of the performances. I love Anushka, and Ranbir is my absolute favorite actor, so I may have had a slightly higher tolerance than most. Karan was also delicious as a baddie! Overall, though, it was quite a mess and I can certainly understand why so many people hated it.
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