Rating: 4/5
2 states is a light-hearted romantic comedy adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling book of the same title. It portrays the love story between a Punjabi boy and a Tamilian girl who fall for each other in the college campus of IIM-A, whilst pursuing their MBA’s, but their cultural differences make it difficult for them to persuade their parents to approve of their relationship.
Sparks fly between Krish Malhotra (Arjun Kapoor) and Ananya Swaminathan (Alia Bhatt) on the IIM campus and eventually, they get into a fully fledged relationship filled with romance and enjoyment. At the end of college, the two of them decide that they want to get married to each other. But alas, in India, only love is not enough to make a marriage work. So they set out to accomplish their biggest challenge: to make their parents approve of their relationship.
The novelty of this movie lies not in the story but in the unique and quirky way in which it is narrated. Director Abhishek Varma has more or less stuck to the details of the book, adapting Chetan Bhagat’s humorous one liners and innuendos and blending it in with the film perfectly. Those of you who have already read the book (like me) will feel a sense of déjà-vu but nevertheless, will find the film refreshing and enjoyable. The feisty and independent character of Ananya is portrayed well by Alia who looks cute and adorable throughout the film. Likewise, the goofy and brooding Krish couldn’t be done by anyone better than Arjun Kapoor who manages to carry off his look to the tee.
Also, most importantly, the sparkling chemistry between the two lovers is portrayed with perfection by the young actors convincing the audience that the couple is truly made for each other. Being from two different communities, their parents disapprove of their relationship and try to hook them up with other ‘suitable’ candidates for marriage, but they are adamant to get married to one another and wish to get both their parents’ approval of the same. Amrita Singh does a fantastic job of playing the typical Punjabi mother in law who feels that her son deserves someone better than a ‘madrasin’. Even Ananya’s parents who are shown to be conservative disapproved of Krish and viewed him as an outcast in their Tamilian community. How the two convince their families to approve is the rest of the story.
The film has certainly nailed the typical nuances of south Indian as well as Punjabi households, right from their houses to clothes, cuisine and behaviour. It has just the right amount of humour as well as emotion. You can be assured that this film is definitely not a bore for even a moment and many of you who have had inter-community marriages or relationships would actually be able to relate themselves to it. The rest too will have a good laugh!
2 states is a happy film filled with vibrant colours and catchy dialogues. The songs too, fit in perfectly with the film and have a nice ring to them. My personal favourites are ‘offo’ and ‘mast magan’, the former being a peppy number and latter being a soft melodious one. One of the highlights of this film is Alia Bhatt’s wardrobe consisting of droolworthy fashionable kurtis and skirts, giving her a very ethnic and homely look.
For everyone who is in the mood for a light hearted family drama with just the right amount of masala, this is the right film to go and watch.Trust me, 2 states is a film that will truly lift your spirits up!
-Ananya Iyer, Guest Writer
2 states is a light-hearted romantic comedy adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling book of the same title. It portrays the love story between a Punjabi boy and a Tamilian girl who fall for each other in the college campus of IIM-A, whilst pursuing their MBA’s, but their cultural differences make it difficult for them to persuade their parents to approve of their relationship.
Sparks fly between Krish Malhotra (Arjun Kapoor) and Ananya Swaminathan (Alia Bhatt) on the IIM campus and eventually, they get into a fully fledged relationship filled with romance and enjoyment. At the end of college, the two of them decide that they want to get married to each other. But alas, in India, only love is not enough to make a marriage work. So they set out to accomplish their biggest challenge: to make their parents approve of their relationship.
The novelty of this movie lies not in the story but in the unique and quirky way in which it is narrated. Director Abhishek Varma has more or less stuck to the details of the book, adapting Chetan Bhagat’s humorous one liners and innuendos and blending it in with the film perfectly. Those of you who have already read the book (like me) will feel a sense of déjà-vu but nevertheless, will find the film refreshing and enjoyable. The feisty and independent character of Ananya is portrayed well by Alia who looks cute and adorable throughout the film. Likewise, the goofy and brooding Krish couldn’t be done by anyone better than Arjun Kapoor who manages to carry off his look to the tee.
Also, most importantly, the sparkling chemistry between the two lovers is portrayed with perfection by the young actors convincing the audience that the couple is truly made for each other. Being from two different communities, their parents disapprove of their relationship and try to hook them up with other ‘suitable’ candidates for marriage, but they are adamant to get married to one another and wish to get both their parents’ approval of the same. Amrita Singh does a fantastic job of playing the typical Punjabi mother in law who feels that her son deserves someone better than a ‘madrasin’. Even Ananya’s parents who are shown to be conservative disapproved of Krish and viewed him as an outcast in their Tamilian community. How the two convince their families to approve is the rest of the story.
The film has certainly nailed the typical nuances of south Indian as well as Punjabi households, right from their houses to clothes, cuisine and behaviour. It has just the right amount of humour as well as emotion. You can be assured that this film is definitely not a bore for even a moment and many of you who have had inter-community marriages or relationships would actually be able to relate themselves to it. The rest too will have a good laugh!
2 states is a happy film filled with vibrant colours and catchy dialogues. The songs too, fit in perfectly with the film and have a nice ring to them. My personal favourites are ‘offo’ and ‘mast magan’, the former being a peppy number and latter being a soft melodious one. One of the highlights of this film is Alia Bhatt’s wardrobe consisting of droolworthy fashionable kurtis and skirts, giving her a very ethnic and homely look.
For everyone who is in the mood for a light hearted family drama with just the right amount of masala, this is the right film to go and watch.Trust me, 2 states is a film that will truly lift your spirits up!
-Ananya Iyer, Guest Writer