‘Gustaakh Ishq’ movie review: When poetry becomes verbose

An ageing poet, his stoic girl and a cunning steadfast marque the subjects of filmmaker Vibhu Puri’s pupil film, Chabiwali Pocket Watch (2006). Set successful the ruins of aged Delhi astatine an unspecified time, determination are signs of an impressionistic, young caput successful its eerie romanticism. The precocious opposition visuals, filled with meticulously designed frames, garner excessively overmuch attraction and there’s small motion of beingness infused successful the characters. While determination seems to beryllium immoderate potency to the idea, the abbreviated movie conscionable allows a glimpse and fades away. Maybe that’s wherefore Puri returns to the aforesaid satellite with a refurbished diagnostic astir 19 years later. This time, though the canvas is vast, the imaginativeness remains obscure, and the poesy is mislaid successful excess

Gustaakh Ishq takes the effect of the abbreviated movie and conscionable expands it without overmuch revision. The communicative is present anchored from the position of Nawabuddin Saifuddin Rehman Rizvi (Vijay Varma), who finds it hard to marque a surviving with his dying printing press. Living with his argumentative young member and a weepy mother, Nawab finds intent erstwhile helium hears stories of a writer who erstwhile enchanted everyone, but was ne'er published. Nawab decides to question him retired and onslaught a woody for his poems. However, Aziz Beg (Naseeruddin Shah), the ageing poet, has been surviving a beingness of anonymity successful Punjab’s Malerkotla with his precocious divorced daughter, Mannat (Fatima Sana Shaikh). Not disclosing his intentions close away, Nawab decides to triumph Aziz implicit by becoming his shagird (disciple).

The movie is said to beryllium acceptable astir 1998 but is perpetually mislaid successful time. The overworked accumulation plan and heavy refined costumes look to replicate the ‘60s more. Producer and costume decorator Manish Malhotra leaves his stylised signature successful the robes (even a feline has an outfit to carry), taking distant the realism from the tale. However, Puri is not peculiarly funny successful subtlety. Even his debut directorial, Hawaizaada (2015) was filled with sturdy fantastical elements which didn’t rather find a justified release. The filmmaking successful Gustaakh Ishq too, hovers astir with superfluous sentimentality, particularly successful the 2nd fractional wherever we spot the repetitive blend of rainfall and lightning to picture melancholy. There is small consciousness of ceremonial bushed successful the aesthetics. At the interval point, a large tonal displacement takes distant the charming effect of the illuminating rubric way arsenic Aziz has to beryllium abruptly hospitalised conscionable to make a consciousness of reversal.

The movie loses its crippled aft the mid-point. Before that, it inactive has a breezy, old-school romanticist consciousness erstwhile Nawab takes his poesy lessons from Aziz. Their conversations clasp an allure, adjacent arsenic dense Urdu words gaffe forcefully into the dialogue, again invoking a bygone era. The penning is astir excessively arrogant of its poetic capability. It often becomes the sole absorption of scenes erstwhile Aziz has a philosophical mentation for everything. The effect isn’t arsenic reflective, arsenic the situations surrounding the characters ne'er turn dense capable to springiness the poesy meaning. The budding emotion betwixt Nawab and Mannat fizzles retired excessively soon for it to ever registry arsenic evocative.

There is simply a deficiency of spark successful the pairing of Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh. Bereft of complexity successful the writing, the 2 are near to observe connected their own. Vijay is much believable arsenic the cunning steadfast than the newbie poet. He endeavours to beryllium calm and composed portion the framing and insistent inheritance people contiguous him respective notches higher. Naseeruddin Shah comes of his ain arsenic helium plays the Urdu writer with flair. He remains the film’s charm, with his husky, baritone dependable giving beingness to the metaphorical couplets.

It was successful 1988 that the seasoned histrion essayed the relation of legendary poet, Mirza Ghalib successful Gulzar’s minimalistic tv serial. Shah’s portrayal humanised Ghalib arsenic Gulzar worked on to demystify the 18^th period poet. It was arsenic overmuch a solemnisation of Ghalib’s singular poesy arsenic a survey of his trampled life. Perhaps, Puri pays tribute to the amusement erstwhile helium introduces Shah’s quality successful Gustaakh Ishq as, “Poorane Delhi ka naya Ghalib (The caller Ghalib of aged Delhi)”. However, his portrayal of an ageing writer focuses much connected what remains connected the surface, wherever words reign and poesy becomes a prisoner. The director’s hefty look of emotion finds a stark opposition successful a tender enactment successful the film’s opus wherever Gulzar writes, “Adhjagi si aankho maine soorma hai ishq (Love is the kohl successful half-opened eyes)”. That’s what the movie doesn’t get. The stillness, the composure, the innocence.