Trailer Review: Half Girlfriend

One of the most anticipated trailers of the year saw its release today. Directed by Mohit Suri of Aashiqui 2 (2013) and Ek Villain (2014) fame, Half Girlfriend is based on Chetan Bhagat's novel of the same name. Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and Chetan Bhagat, and directed by Mohit Suri, the movie stars Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles. The movie also has Seema Biswas, Rhea Chakraborty and Vikrant Massey in pivotal roles.

 

The trailer starts with Madhav Jha (Arjun Kapoor), a boy who hails from a small town of Bihar, interviewing in broken English and then Hindi (his comfort zone) for admission in St. Stephens College. Trying to fit into the progressive life here, Madhav meets the stylish and pretty Riya Somani (Shraddha Kapoor), a basketball player. What follows is quite cliched, with a village boy falling in love with a rich city girl despite their obvious differences, and how their love story pans out.

 

Despite the book not being too popular among the masses, there was a general curiosity amongst the audiences regarding the film, especially after the success of 2 States (2014). However, the trailer is a massive disappointment. Not only is the editing by Devendra Murudeshwar rather shoddy, but one is not able to make out the main plot of the movie. It seems as if the writers and editors are working with the assumption that everyone has read the book and knows what's going to happen, so there's no need to make the trailer intriguing.

 

Coming to performances, Kapoor's ignorant Bihari accent, his styling, and his body language is unconvincing. He looks too urbane to play the part of the village bred Madhav, and the forced accent doesn't help his cause either. While Shraddha Kapoor does impress in a shot or two, she doesn't live up to the expectations. Vikrant Massey, last seen in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), however, definitely impressed us with his acting in the parts where he was present.

 

Director Mohit Suri, currently seen in the popular reality show Nach Baliye, has done what best he could with the script considering he didn't have much to work with in the first place. However, one has to give props to Vishnu Rao's cinematography. The trailer boasts of some beautiful shots featuring New York's skyline, and that honestly appears to be the saving grace of the trailer. The music of the movie has been composed by a myriad of composers including the likes of Mithoon and Amit Trivedi, but nothing in the trailer seems to have left a lasting impact in our minds.

 

Writers: Peehu A. and Ritchelle C.

Editors: Pooja B. and Mohini N.

Graphics: Parii K.