‘Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar’ Review: Predictable Fare Gets Youthful Twist

You don’t have to tell us twice, but everybody loves a good romantic comedy. Or even a well-packaged foul-mouthed one. Add in a bunch of newcomers and several pleasant, very hummable songs and you’re halfway there.

When you meet Delhi NCR-based trio ‘Shivie’ Pradhan (Sargun Kaur Luthra), ‘Gauti’ Sharma (Sparsh Walia) and ‘Vedu’ Rawat (Kunal Vaid) early into the first half of "Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar", the introduction you’re served is that they’re schoolmates turned roommates and colleagues. Each has their own dead-end corporate slavery backstory. And they’ve had enough. And yet, they hesitate over accepting the invitation to attend their batch reunion in Mussoorie. In Shivie’s own words: “Main holiday pe school nahi jaati (I don’t go to school on holidays).”

Clearly some unrequited business is holding them back and the prospect of facing crushes is daunting as it is. But they do head to their reunion. They do meet their crushes and reconnect and then head home. But as is the case in such situations, Cupid’s arrows have either struck or grazed the hearts and heads of almost everyone in this young cast, even as a few remain immune to it. Vedu begins by flirting with the class topper Simran Sandhu (Sakshi Vaidya) and is the only one who’s fallen head over heels for the second time.

Related Stories

‘‘Saiyaara’ Reminds Us That Romance Never Dies,’ Says ‘Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar’ Writer Jehan Handa (EXCLUSIVE)

‘Udta Teer’ Review: Ayushmann Khurrana’s Spy Comedy Is Caught Between Patriotism, Punchlines And A Plot With An Identity Crisis

From then on, we’re more or less in “Pyaar Ka Punchnama”-adjacent territory. And while familiar places and tropes are always good, While writer-director Anuj Saini’s touch is refreshing, co-writer and co-producer Luv Ranjan’s overarching shadow looms large on this one, especially in the non-Mussoorie parts of the film. 

While much of the humor in this one is slapstick and a bit over-the-top, it’s relatable. This is how you talk with friends. What might seem uncouth to many, is essentially true. Girls swear an awful lot, especially around male friends they spend much of their time with. They overshare. They lean on their platonic male “sahelis,” for everything love, labour and otherwise. And as “chu***a” as that sounds to you, it’s actually true. That oft-mentioned cussword is used so often throughout the film, it loses its novelty and potency.

Of the fresh cast, Kunal Vaid is the most assured of the debutants, despite Sargun Kaur Luthra appearing the most confident of the lot. Sparsh Walia unconsciously treads into Kartik Aaryan territory and by the time he realises it, we’re well into the second half.

Of the out-of-league love interests, Sakshi Vaidya as Simran Sandhu is most striking, while putting in a restrained performance with minimal deadpan dialogue delivery, at the same time. Alisha Chopra as Gehna Gundecha, channels her inner Geet (a la “Jab We Met”) and while she starts out cloyingly, that seems to work in her favor as the film moves on to the final act. The only thing event Tushar Chibber (as event manager Karan Shergill) is expected to do, is serve looks, something he excels at. He’s the batch’s playboy and when he’s expected to “act” is when he seems out of his depth. 

There are some signature Luv Ranjan gags that work and some that don’t but none of it takes away from the fact that for the most part, you don’t hate what’s happening. In fact, while there are a few cringey moments, even some predictable gags will have you guffawing away. The debutants will only get better with time and exposure. The music is refreshing and youthful (kudos to Rochak Kohli and team). The film ends with outtakes and bloopers, something one usually only sees in Farah Khan, Rohit Shetty and Luv Ranjan films. And that’s nice to see. 

Watch this one with friends, not family. The former will enjoy this one with you, the latter will have you questioning your life and film watching choices.