2 States

A super lame first half followed up with a rocking second half. One could sum this up in the following ways:

1. There are just certain literature which looks super entertaining while watching but make for very predictable and boring reading.

2. While Indians dish out romantic stories by the dozen the treatment is so shabby that you often wonder how the hell did the chemistry build up. On the other hand, you ask them to show conflicting relative and family issues and they dish out a sucker punch. Here it seemed that the director knew that the first half is just meh and the real strength lies in the second half of the movie. So quick was he to dismiss the chemistry that you could blink and miss it.

3. If there was a direct to movie concept in book writing , Chetan Bhagat should officially consider that instead of going the traditional publisher's way.

And last but not the least!

4. Seldom are movies so mainstream and yet celebrate its side actors and character artists so wonderfully. For every effervescent reaction by Alia, Amrita Singh showed why she is such a treat to watch. Ronit Roy turned up and put on all the right moves in reprising his role as the father fighting with his own demons. Revathy and Shivkumar were brilliant as Ananya's parents representing the other side of the spectrum. The struggles of coping with pushy relatives and their own demons at the altars of their sons and daughters done so tastefully and with such restraint. You could almost root for them and hope that they get more and more screen time and that, folks is a rare sight in mainstream Bollywood!

Based on a novel by Chetan Bhagat, 2 States aims to present a young love story marred by cultural differences, and the film is just about how two young students struggle to convince their clashing families to accept their relationship. The film is modern, pleasant and fun, and the premise could not be more interesting, but it's never genuine enough to be really taken notice of, mainly because everything is handled with a constant touch of corny sentimentality and an evident lack of conviction. Having said that, the film is quite enjoyable in spite of many of its flaws and despite the fact that one of its primary false notes is the relationship between the two main leads, which is totally unconvincing and lacking in depth. Then again, I think the film hardly manages to ever break away from what is essentially a stereotypical and outdated story, and not because of the story as much as the weak portrayal of the families. Something is missing there, everything is just very banal and superficial, and very rarely throughout the film do you really experience the beauty of the Punjabi or Tamil cultures, as conservative as they may be.

That said, it is there actually where the film is saved, simply because the supporting cast of senior actors gives great experience to their parts and does the most of what they are given. Well it goes without saying that Amrita Singh is the film's biggest asset since hers is both the funniest and most moving performance. She is the typical Punjabi mom at some instances, and the compassionate, dedicated person at others, doing everything with her strong screen presence. Ronit Roy is good albeit this is practically the same role he played in Udaan, which is not a good thing not only because of typecasting but also because this is not a very good film and here his character is lacking in development and has a change of heart which is too good to be true. Revathi delivers a fine, understated performance, and so does Shiv Kumar Subramaniam. Then we have the main lead, and they are just lost with so-so roles and have zero chemistry. Arjun Kapoor is expressionless, and while this might be the character, it just doesn't work and he comes across far too wooden for his own good. Alia Bhatt is bubbly and cute but is nothing to write home about.

2 States is not a very good film, but it is good entertainment. The music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is not too memorable for me this time, but it is very pleasant to the ears and nicely carries the narrative forward. While I expected more from the young leads, the supporting cast more than makes up for that. All of them are let down by the predictably sugarcoated end, but let it be. This is just for fun, and it does provide it here and there and is a good watch for the family.

Director Mr. Abhishek Varman has done apt work. He has completely justified the one of my favorite book ,2 STATES in its cinematic adaption. There are very few shots of fix block. Otherwise most of the scenes are captured with perfect movement. It gives nice feeling while watching. Director of photography Mr. Vinod Pradhan work is impressive. Complete film carries a vibrant look. Dialogues by Hussain Dalal gel completely with the character and at places tickle the funny bones in smart way. Movie is nice but due to based on the famous book, sometimes it slows down, because they had to justify the book also. I wish length of movie should have been little less. Performance wise Arjun Kapoor is very good. Alia Bhatt looks pretty and performed very well. Amrita Singh, Ronit Roy, Revathy, Shivkumar Subramaniam as Ananya's father has performed very nicely. Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is OK.

Based on the 2009 novel of the same name written by Chetan Bhagat, '2 States' is an entertaining, engaging & cute film, that doesn't' fail to deliver. Its A Winner!

'2 States' Synopsis: A young couple's plan to get hitched, gets crushed when their racial parents disapprove of their marriage.

'2 States' has an amazing first-hour & the lead-stars, Arjun & Alia, share an infectious chemistry on-screen. The Tamil-Punjabi conflict does get a bit boring, especially in the middle of the second-hour, but a heart-warming culmination, does the trick. Its not a perfect film, but its most certainly, enjoyable!

The Screenplay hits the right notes, at most parts. Barring a few dull sequences post-interval, the film is consistently engaging & smooth. Abhishek Varman makes a terrific debut as a Director. He has handled the entire film, remarkably. Cinematography is perfect. Editing is well-done. Art & Costume Design, are fair. Music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is fantastic.

Performance-Wise: Arjun & Alia are the life of the show. They enact the love-struck protagonists with pure charm. Their on-screen chemistry, as mentioned before, is infectious. Amrita Singh is delightfully rude, while Shiv Kumar Subramaniam & Revathy are wonderfully restrained. Ronit Roy stands out. He's excellent, yet again! Achint Kaur is lovely in a brief role.

On the whole, '2 States' clicks big time. Strongly Reccomeded!

Yet another movie which surpasses the mother book in terms of quality. The direction of the movie is mind blowing and Chetan Bhagat is once again blessed with a movie which can thunder the Box Office. You will wonder at one stage if the story of the movie you watch is the same of the book you read few years ago- the book is very entertaining of course. Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor have done exceptionally well in the screen. I never knew Alia was this beautiful. Arjun Kapoor has done the role of a lethargic Punjabi perfectly. The movie, from the start, gives the spectator good entertainment and a smiling face. The Script is very gentle. In the final parts of the movie, at variance with the feelings that the book creates for a reader, a spectator gets very much emotional. The emotions, portrayed in the movie, between the hero and his dad, have been so picturesquely put into screen that it can wet your eyes. Ronit Roy who plays the role of the hero's father has contributed a major share by giving a new aura to the movie's story-line. His outstanding acting and attitude would be the main things that you will be talking about after getting out of the theater. The cast for the movie is very beautifully selected. It need not be mentioned here about the class of acting that Revathi and Amritha Singh can deliver. They are all always at their best; be it for any role. As we all know from the book itself, the story line isn't that classy or touching. Maybe none of the jokes or scenes will linger in your heart after you get out of the theater; only the entertainment and happiness that the movie provided will be thought about. And by prudence, the director has omitted certain parts of the book from the movie; only a few scenes, such as the scene where 'Ananya' screws the 'Duke' are a bit boring and unoriginal. Apart from that, there is nothing to be seriously criticized in the movie, or to exclaim and shout, 'Highly impossible things'. Words by the hero, that he wishes to write normal and simple stories which have the ability to become the 'HERO' in people's heart will ring in your mind like a chant, and will give hope to all the authors who are striving hard to come up; for we all know how successful Chetan Bhagat is. He is the man who made India read. I will say that it's a good movie to watch and I can assure that none will be disappointed. The spectators would very surely be coming out of the theater with happy and smiling faces.