Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari review: Varun and Janhvi's film is a forgettable love story

Sometimes the movie is nothing but an extended version of a trailer. Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor's Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is out in the theatres, and before the world watches, the critics have been shown the film. Sometimes we love a movie, other times we hate it, and then there are some films, we are sceptical about. But Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari doesn’t land in any of these aforementioned categories. It’s torturous, overdramatic, and all things nonsense.

It makes you think and question again what made them release this in the theatre. The world now has a medium called OTT, which is best for films like this, where you can watch, pause, watch again, pause again, and even end the movie whenever you want. While the option to step out of the theatre is still available, the price you pay to watch this film makes the experience a struggle throughout.

What is Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari about?

Uff the plot! It was the most juvenile thing that I had watched this year. The movie starts with a dialogue from SS Rajamouli's Baahubali, and people who had watched Badrinath Ki Dulhania get the gist that it's Varun's entry. Okay, so Dhawan plays the role of Sunny Sanskari, who is head over heels in love with Ananya (Sanya Malhotra). They have been dating for over two years now. She's returning from Italy, and Sunny proposes to her in Baahubali style. Why? Because it's Ananya's favourite film. However, his heart breaks when Ananya says no to his proposal and tells him about a new boy in life- Vikram Singh (Rohit Saraf) who is rich and oh-so-smart and obviously Ananya's choice. Sunny is now the heartbroken lover who is unable to move on. He, with the help of his best friend Bantu (Abhinav Sharma), gets to know about Vikram's love saga.

Much like Sunny and Ananya, Vikram has also been in a relationship with a school teacher, Tulsi (Janhvi). They both are in love, but Vikram refuses to marry her because his mother and brother don't like Tulsi. When these two heartbroken lovers meet, and Sunny persuades Tulsi to gate-crash their ex's wedding to gain their old lovers back.

Still from Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari Photograph: (X)

What breaks your heart the most?

I have always loved watching director Shashank Khaitan's films, be it Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania or Badrinath Ki Dulhania. From stories to heroes' buffoonery, songs and all the cringeworthy things that people do in love, Khaitan's films are mostly entertaining. However, this film is not one of them. It has the things that don't make you laugh; the over-dramatisation of the film bores you. Although the palette is very colourful, filled with designer clothes and everything nice, the story and actors fail to grip you on the screen.

It's a Bollywood lovey-dovey drama backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. The renowned director said in the recently released Aryan Khan's Ba***ds of Bollywood, that nobody makes love stories better than him. Yes, I agree too, howevere, Johar the producer has not backed a great love story this time around.

Still from Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari Photograph: (X)

The story of the movie didn't even look striking on paper, but it may have been discussed how they would fill all the holes with the dazzling presentation. But that didn't work. Varun has accurately tried to bring his unbeatable charm with his comic timing, and energy. But what can he do when his dialogues are not enough to make you laugh? In this movie, even Janhvi is not at her best. Varun and Janhvi were the focus, so they got the best of all, and they did their best. But do only dance moves and a few lines make the movie watchable?

One scene in the film was so cringe that I wish it was not there at all. The scene post Holi party, where the lead cast Varun, Janhvi, Sanya and Rohit, are struggling to crawl as they are all drunk was so badly enacted. The scene has no feel; everything felt fabricated.

Rohit Saraf and Sanya Malhotra, great actors otherwise, get hardly any scope to perform in this film.

Maniesh Paul, as the wedding planner, was the most cartoonish character. But at least, he made me laugh through his dramatic performance. The lack in the script is covered well with some cheeky dialogues and well-dramatised monologues. Although Khaitan's rom-com fails to make a connection with the audience, you don't feel for the characters, the stories, and you don't even have any reaction to the climax, which has a cameo of Saraf's most popular co-star.

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is an OTT film that you can pause, fast-forward, and re-watch anytime. But it's running in theatres across the country.