In the two love stories set seven seas apart, the director raises many issues. Though it makes it somewhat chaotic, eventually much of it rings true

Mona

Nobody knows what lanes pyaar-mohabbat can one put one into, and if its teenagers in one-sided love, growing up in a world of Kardashians and climate change, hell can break loose!

Film: Almost Pyaar with

DJ Mohabbat

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Cast: Karan Mehta, Alaya F, Vicky Kaushal, Sapna Pabbi, Arjun Kanungo, Sagar Arya, Paritosh Sand, Mallika Prasad Sinha

Rating: ***

Amrita (Alaya F), a school student, follows DJ Mohabbat (Vicky Kaushal) on social media, much like her neighbour Yakub (Karan Mehta) and their attempt to listen to his gaana leads to a kaand, which rocks the sleepy town of Dalhousie. DJ Mohabbat is also a connecting link between Ayesha and Harmeet (again Alaya and Karan), while one is the daughter of a Pakistani billionaire in London, the other is a desi aspiring to make music. When was the path of true love ever easy?

Anurag Kashyap weaves a world that shows strands of homophobia, love jihad, class divide, climate change, adultery, patriarchy, sexual predators, Instagram and Tingtong (Tiktok), and has the two love stories run parallel. Brought up on Amrita Pritam’s stories, this Amrita is open to running away from home with Yakub, who does odd jobs. Seven seas apart in London, Ayesha is looking for love in Harmeet. These one-sided love-struck youngsters end up in situations that they have little control over.

When one goes for a love story, written and directed by Anurag Kashyap (Dev D and Manmarziyaan being his earlier outings), one is prepared for an unconventional ride. One is invested in these two stories, hoping to save them from the ominous end that awaits. Alaya F gets into the shoes of the rather innocent yet rebellious Amrita with ease; she wants what she wants but also cannot see her father cry. She also gets the look of a rich and spoilt Ayesha right. The debutante Karan Mehta, as a hopelessly in love Yakub, plays the role with conviction, but one appreciates him better as a young music prodigy focused on his goal as Harmeet. Vicky Kaushal is an able performer, who even in this short appearance wins with his endearing act. Both Alaya and Karan, who belong to filmy families, show promise.

Anurag paints a world that only he can! His writing and direction packs in too much in this two-hour film, and much of it rings true. It’s finally great to have one music composer make all eight tracks and it kind of unifies the film, something that had gone missing lately from Hindi films. One enjoys Arjun Kanungo’s singing in the club scenes. Cinematographer Sylvester Fonsecaa, who had teamed up with Kashyap in Sacred Games and Dobaaraa, provides some beautiful shots of snow-clad Himachal.

The shift between Dalhousie and London is jerky, and at times forced, but at the same time keeps the viewer invested. The film begins with the promise of sub-plots but sadly those threads, including the one involving the bar owner, played by Sagar Arya, and Ayesha's friend, essayed by Sapna Pubbi, never find a closure.

While Kashyap raises very valid concerns through the film, the rather oversimplified solution — mohabbat se hi toh kranti aayegi — doesn’t quite drive the point home. While one truly relates to this version of love by Kashyap, one needs ‘love for all’ to heal the world!