Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan review: Shanaya makes promising debut in predictable plot

'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' movie review: Actor Shanaya Kapoor makes an impressive debut in director Santosh Singh's 80s-themed love story. Despite Kapoor's acting potential and Vikrant Massey's convincing portrayal, the film falters due to cliched storytelling.

In Short

• 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' is adapted from Ruskin Bond's 'The Eyes Have It'
• Strong performances but clichéd writing and forced humour weaken the narrative
• Film is a one-time watch, showing potential but misses deeper emotional impact

Stories about human relationships are often intriguing when inspired by literary works. However, an unconventional story about artists at times loses its grip when it doesn't relate to the audiences. Director Santosh Singh's cinematic adaptation of Ruskin Bond's short story 'The Eyes Have It'-'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan'-initially promises a light-hearted romance. But as the story moves forward, one gets to witness all the nostalgic anecdotes from old-school 80s love stories.

Actor Vikrant Massey plays a visually impaired musician, Jahaan, who travels to the hills of Mussoorie to seek inspiration for his renditions. During his train journey, Jahaan meets Saba (portrayed by Shanaya Kapoor), a theatre artiste who is on a solo tour while doing her character study and seeking answers through method acting.

Promising debut by Shanaya Kapoor

The film delves into Jahaan and Saba's bond and transformation while navigating relationships and aspirations. Massey once again brings out more to the character with his nuanced performance. The actor delivers beyond expectations, going by the vision of Santosh Singh and writer Mansi Bagla.

Shanaya Kapoor, who makes her debut in the vintage-era-inspired romance, captures attention with her screen presence and undeniable potential. The lead actors entirely surrender to the creative sensibilities of the director and screenwriter, giving it their best shot.

Despite its visual appeal, Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan, with Vishal Mishra’s soothing score, passionate glances, and intense close-up shots, raises a key question: does it live up to the expectations? Despite Tanveer Mir's stunning cinematography, does this story of unconditional love between complex individuals offer a fulfilling experience? Let's find out.

Cliched storytelling stumbles the narrative

Academy-Award-winning director Alfonso Cuaron once said, "When the script or direction lacks vision, even a stellar performance gets lost in the noise of bad filmmaking."

While narrating an unusual story is a great attempt and must be appreciated for the courage to experiment, if the messaging and end-product doesn't sync with the narrative, the film loses the engagement quotient. 'Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan', starts as a simple and poised tale of opposites attract and becomes monotonous as the film progresses. In the unnecessary effort to add all the cliched tropes and over-the-top humour in the first half, the movie easily loses its soul.

As what one expects to be a promising and genuine relationship ends up being cluttered with repetitive scenarios. The conviction of Jahaan and Saba's connection is not depicted in the plot or the direction. Yet, Massey and Kapoor give their best shot at bringing believability to their characters. The on-screen emotional exhange between the lovers through verbal and physical interaction is a testament to the actors' vulnerability and dedication to the craft.

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Poorly-crafted scenes, over-the-top humour

Kapoor shows promise and perfection in emotionally demanding scenes, showcasing her artistic maturity when it comes to acting prowess. Nevertheless, the actor's dialogue delivery and expressions go flat stereotypical screaming and shouting as part of the fatigued Bollywood banter template. It indicates the often unpredictable and unforeseen helplessness of actors while emoting poorly written lines and scenes.

Kapoor and Massey succeed in portraying the poetic, allegorical connection and intimacy between a visually-impaired artist and a theatre actor. But the duo completely lack the chemistry in the forced comic sequences. While Massey carried the film on his shoulders, Kapoor somehow stumbles when it comes to the over-dramatisation of events.

Zain Khan Durrani, who gave a grounded performance in the series 'Mukhbir-The Story of a Spy' doesn't disappoint, even though he has limited screen time. His portrayal as the flamboyant green-flag Abhinav is another proof of his acting brilliance. Unfortunately, the stretched plot of Bond's heartfelt, innocent love story doesn't do justice to the talented ensemble.

Predictable plot, irrelevant scenarios

After a rather expected interval sequence, 'Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan' becomes completely predictable in the second half. Unnikrishnan PP's editing would have helped with a more crisp and cohesive compilation. The technical aspect can't be entirely blamed, due to the lack of a solid three-act structure.

The absence of a convincing conflict and closure can often hamper the soul of a well-intended story. Joel Coe Castro's score and Mishra and Kaushal Kishore's lyrics of the title track strike chords in creating the melancholy of the pain of separated lovers.

'Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan' is surely a missed opportunity, despite the team giving it their all. However, the film is surely a one-time watch because of the on-screen camaraderie of the actors. Kapoor may not be a part of a path-breaking debut, yet shows potential and artistic finesse in comparison to her peers in Bollywood.

'Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan' is a learning ground for aspiring writers, filmmakers and actors to understand the relevance of a well-crafted plot in order to resonate with the audiences' expectations.

- Ends
2.5 out 5 stars to 'Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan'.