Movie Review: Love Express

New talent ought to be encouraged. I genuinely believe — have written this time and again — that [generally] new talent is ready to take on risks and challenges, a quality I admire most. And it’s important that new talent makes inroads into the industry. Almost every production house/studio is producing films with new talent. Viacom18’s Tipping Point Films has released SHAITAN, Yash Raj’s Y-Films has released LUV KA THE END and has a slew of projects on floors, Balaji’s ALT Entertainment has produced LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA and RAGINI MMS successfully, UTV’s UTV Spotboy has a number of films to its credit… Subhash Ghai goes a step further. He mentors fresh talent and lets them make their first film for his production house. More than ten people from WWI have been involved in the making of this film, I am told. In the past too, Ghai had introduced many a talent who became sought-after names subsequently. Today’s films are not just about big stars, mega budgets, panoramic locales, but content. Several low cost films have delivered great content in the past, without the so-called big names backing them. It’s all about narrating an interesting story and keeping the viewer’s interest alive, isn’t it? First-time director Sunny Bhambhani chooses a refreshingly different concept and packs just about everything to woo the moviegoers, but the screenplay is patchy and amateurish and therefore, it fails to register an impact. Of course, the film boasts of a few endearing moments, but the cons outnumber and outweigh the pros in this enterprise.

A train generally carries passengers towards their destination, but this time when it leaves the station, it not only takes the passengers but also carries two love stories to their destiny. A marriage between two young people, Ashneet and Kanav, is about to take place and their loving Punjabi families are in full swing and turn the train journey into a celebration. But the families are not aware that Ashneet and Kanav do not want this marriage to happen. Both of them set a plan to sabotage their own wedding because they feel they are not meant for one another. On the other hand, Priyanka and Chiragh, two lovers from the past, meet again, after their split. The two pairs discover the true meaning of love during the course of this journey.

To give credit where it’s due, the light moments in LOVE EXPRESS, especially those between Om Puri and his wife, hold your attention sporadically. But the overall writing is frail and fragile, which explains why the two love stories don’t work. While the portions between Ashneet and Kanav are at least tolerable, the other story [Priyanka and Chiragh] is most irritating due to two reasons – half-baked characterizations and poor acting. Also, the story is stretched beyond a point in its second hour, when Ashneet and Kanav discover true feelings for each other. One definitely expects a good musical score from LOVE EXPRESS since the man behind the project [Ghai] has served us some lilting melodies in the past. But barring one track [‘Dance Like A Punjabi’], the remaining songs don’t leave a mark. Kabir Lal’s cinematography is ordinary. Sahil Mehta is the sole newcomer who stands out with a fine performance. Mannat Ravi is strictly okay. Vikas Katyal is wooden. Priyam Galav suffers due to weak characterization. Om Puri is sure to walk away with the laurels. He’s adorable! The remaining actors are mere caricatures.

On the whole, LOVE EXPRESS has precious little to offer.