Not a Love Story Review

Ram Gopal Varma is trying extremely hard to make a comeback after a plethora of flop films. He has always been controversy' s favorite child; be it is his blog updates or choosing touchy subjects to make films. This film, Not a Love Story, is also based on a touchy subject; the murder of a Neeraj Grover by Jerome Matthew after he caught Neeraj with his fiancé, struggling actress, Maria Susairaj. This murder had shocked everyone and had also shown everyone the worst result out of the casting couch exists in the film industry.

Many had criticized Ramu when he showed interest in making a film on this incident. The parents of Neeraj Grover even tried to stop the release of this film. However, the film has been released without a glitch. Almost everyone in the country knows what had happened between the trio. Therefore, the challenge is up to Ramu to make the film different. Let us see whether he has managed to do that or not.

Anusha Chawla (Mahie Gill) is an actress struggling to make a breakthrough in Bollywood. During her struggle, she comes in contact with Ashish (Ajay Gehi) who promises to make her into a star, but he also propositions her. She relents in the hope of becoming a star. They cozy up in her apartment, but to her horror, her jealous fiancé, Robin (Deepak Dobriyal), shows up and catches them in the act. In a fit of rage, Robin murders Ashish. Anusha is shocked and scared, but Robin convinces her to help him destroy evidence. Unfortunately, they are caught and then follows the trial.

This incident had shocked the whole country, and what was even more shocking was that the duo did not get a harsh punishment for it. Maria even had the audacity to hold a press conference after her release from jail. Ramu very cleverly chose this subject and the timing of the film was also quite precise. Not a Love Story was shot and in a matter of days. Now let' s get down to the post mortem.

The story of the film is well known to everybody. The writers had to make the film slightly different. They have showed the aftermath of the murder and the subsequent trial that takes place. The story has been written well. The best part is the conclusion of the film, which is quite mature and level headed. The characters are also written well, and so are the dialogues. However, the film really picks up after the entry of Deepak Dobriyal. The part before it drags a bit and is quite clichéd. They could have written something better for this.

The direction is fine. Is Ramu fully back to his usual brilliant self? Not quite. However, there are parts in the film in which the Ramu who made films like Satya and Company, comes to the fore. He has used his trademark style of shooting coupled with a loud background score. The dark textures and overtones also remain, but given the story of the film, they are well suited. He also gets good performances out of all.

Deepak Dobriyal takes the cake in the acting department. He is extremely good as Robin and captures the anger of his character extremely well. The audiences are sure to get chills seeing his portrayal. Mahie Gill is solid as ever. She captures the naivety and vulnerability of Anusha really well. Ajay Gehi is also good as Ashish. Zakir Hussian impresses with each outing. He plays the role of the investigating police officer. The late Rasika Joshi is also good in her small role. The rest of the supporting crew also does a competent job.

The cinematography is good; it has followed the trademark Ram Gopal Varma style. The movie is shot completely in natural light, which is extremely difficult considering that quite a lot of it is shot within interiors. The editing is also good and gives the film a good pace. Sandeep Chowta is back in Ramu' s camp after the two had a fall out. He too does a good job with the music and background score. Though, the background score seems loud in some places.

The production value of the film is decent. Not a Love Story is made on a tight budget, but it is not that noticeable. It was even shot in the same building where the gruesome murder took place. Also, considering that the film has been shot in natural lighting, the producer has saved quite a bit.

Owing to its story, the film has invoked a lot of curiosity. This will ensure that the film will get at least decent opening, and coupled with a low budget, the film will earn a considerable profit. The producers are bound to be happy with its performance. The film, though not as good as some of Ramu' s films, is still an okay effort, especially considering some of the films he made in the recent past. Let us hope we get to see the old Ramu back soon after Not a Love Story.

Rating: **1/2

Verdict: Not a Love Story will definitely grab some eyeballs, though not all will like it, some will enjoy the dark and grittiness in the film. The film will do well.

Reviewed by: Harshal Anand

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