Vicky Kaushal at conflict with his heroine, again – Beyond Bollywood

Sara Ali Khan looks way too excitable. Kaushal appears to be playing another goofy character after Govinda Naam Mera [2022]. Director Laxman Utekar, Maddock Films join hands to dole out another chaotic relationship, family drama. 

By Mayur Lookhar

It’s not unusual for films to have a title after they are shot. Director Imtiaz Ali shot his film, went around the town, social media, before titling his Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma-starrer film as Jab Harry Met Sejal [2017]. Vicky Kaushal, Sara Ali Khan have come together for the first time.  Atrangi Re [2021] was the title of a Sara Ali Khan film. She gets another weird title to her filmography.

No, it is not Luka Chuppi 2, but Zara Hatke Zara Bachke – that is the name of the Vicky Kaushal and the Sara Ali Khan film.  This is also the title of a Zee TV show (1994-2000) that was the debut serial of Dilip Joshi and singer -actor Lucky Ali. The similarities end there.

Produced by Maddock Films, Jio Studios, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke [2023] is helmed by Laxman Utekar who earlier gave the hit Luka Chuppi [2019] and Mimi [2021] – both Maddock films.  The former was about live-in relationship, the latter about surrogacy.  Both films have their admirers, and critics in equal breath.

Silly is a word that is often used for Utekar’s stories.  Looks like, we have another one in Zara Hatke Zara Bachke. Based in Indore, Kapil [Vicky Kaushal], a Punjabi boy falls in love with the Indori girl Saumya [Sara Ali Khan]. They are married. Saumya moves into the sah-parivar [ family]. But it doesn’t take long for their relationship to suffer. The couple now seeks a divorce.

It was family live-in in Luka Chuppi. Makers are calling Zara Hatke Zara Bachke a sah-divorce. The respective families, though, are clueless as to why the couple wants a divorce?

During the trailer launch today, the motormouth emcee quizzed producer Dinesh Vijan whether snoring has anything to do with the desired divorce?  In all probability, this could be just a joke. But silly is common to Utekar’s films.

Our early impression of the trailer is that here’s another film where poor Vicky Kaushal is in conflict with his reel life girl friend / wife.  His beloved died in Masaan [2015]. Damn it, it was the same case in Bhoot: The Haunted Ship [2020].  Initially, he couldn’t satisfy his wife [played by Kiara Advani] in the Netflix anthology Lust Stories [2018]. Kaushal had a complex relationship with Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar in Manmarziyaan [2018] and Govinda Naam Mera [2022], respectively. It’s another goofy character for Kaushal after Govinda Naam Mera.  Today, a scribe even asked Kaushal, “Why his characters don’t get along well with his reel life girlfriends/wives?

“The almighty keeps things in balance. Now that my personal life is sorted by marrying Katrina, Kaif. He declared that your [relationships in] reel life will always be complicated but the real life will always be sorted,” replied Kaushik.

Sara Ali Khan looks over over-enthusiastic, which is often been her bane. Nevertheless, given the conflict nature of its story, this pairing seems apt for it. The humour, too, didn’t amuse us. Utekar’s stories often ride on chaos. Honestly, they get, too, chaotic after a point. Based on this trailer, it appears as if Utekar is hoping that it will be a case of third time lucky for him.

If a trailer influences audience to buy a movie ticket, then maybe Zara Hatke Zara Bachke trailer might divide opinions.  There is no denying though that Utekar-Maddock combine has made its mark thus far.  Despite some criticism, Luka Chuppi was a box-office hit, while Mimi earned Kriti Sanon her maiden Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Both Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan have struggled in the last few years. This sah-divorce might just bring about a change in their fortunes. Zara Hatke Zara Bachke [2023] is set to be released in theatres on 2 June.