The first half is horrendous, they tried to incorporate comedic elements to incite laughter, but they largely fell flat. Neither the one-liners nor the mannerisms of Kartik Aaryan could salvage anything redeemable.
Speaking of Kartik, I think he is still stuck in his Pyaar Ka Punchnama role, repeating the same set of quirks over and over again. If he really wishes to be called a competent actor, he must come out of his shell and broaden his horizons. The same set of expressions and the same way of delivering his lines (Like he has been doing since his debut) will only cut it short term.
Now coming back to the movie: following a dreadful first half, I began to grow impatient and was losing hope, but then the interval block came as a glimmer of hope, it brought some promises, and luckily, the proceedings got significantly better in the second half, albeit the ending once again came across as being overly preachy and stingingly pretentious.
I'm all up for messaging, especially one that holds importance and is relevant to modern-day society, but that message needs to be communicated in a fitting fashion. Or else, the essence could get lost, and it would not leave the intended impression, and that's exactly what happened here.
And I would like to put the blame not only on the ambitionless direction but also on the writing, which is burdened with incompetence, especially regarding its characterisations. Barring Kartik and Kiara, every other major character, for some odd reason, felt so unsure about themselves, dithering in their actions and how they carry themselves.
The saving grace was Kiara; she once again proved her mettle and played this complex part with utmost sincerity and conviction. I wish we would have seen more of her.
