Outdated romantic film will annoy audiences with regressive approach
LOOK back at many Bollywood love stories from past decades and they haven't aged well because in today's time, the leading men look more like stalkers than actual romantic heroes.
So, with that in mind, it is somewhat of a surprise that Shiddat was made. The film, which recently premiered on streaming site Hotstar, essentially revolves around an obsessive young man, who falls for a fellow student engaged to someone else and will do whatever it takes to make her his own, even if it takes him travelling illegally, halfway across the world.
What is supposed to be a fearless new-age romance is problematic from the onset. Instead of being a likeable romantic hero, the male protagonist comes across as an intolerable lunatic, so when the girl does engage with him, it takes any kind of authenticity away from this film.
The interaction between the lead couple, along with the journey he takes to be with her, just aren't believable. The messaging that the film puts across in this era of heightened awareness against females being harassed and attacked borders on irresponsible.
In terms of performances, actor Sunny Kaushal isn't suited to such a role and the same applies to his massively talented co-star Radhika Madan. It is a surprise that popular star Diana Penty agreed to play her supporting role, which is pretty pointless. Mohit Raina adds some realism to the film with an impressive performance, but he isn't in it enough to make a difference.
The music is poor and this film is around 30 minutes too long. There are plenty of moments where logic and audience goodwill are stretched to the limit in a film that ultimately has regressive ideas and an outdated story. Avoid this film because it will likely annoy you.