Most of the (semi)biographical/
An old demented man visits his doctor and tells him he saw his wife probably in his dreams the last night. His daughter-in-law meets him right after the session and takes him to his son’s home. The man’s wife is no more. The next day, he is away with her ashes leaving his son a diary explaining him where his mother’s ashes belong to. The man is Hari (Rajkummar Rao); a misogynist. Vasudha (Vidya Balan) was the kind of woman I would term a loser. Married off by her ‘poojari’ hypocrite father to Hari, she is one who sheds tears when her husband gets his name tattoo-ed on her wrist. “Ab hui naa tum… saat janmo ke liye meri…” says her husband, screws her and gets lost for five years. Vasudha now has just one reason to live- her son. And on each birthday of his, she gives him a gift faking it’s from his Dad. She doesn’t just cry like a loser but also wears her ‘mangalsutra’ all the time as if she is drugged by it. She also works as a florist in a hotel which is bought by Aarav Ruparel (Emraan Hashmi), owner of 108 hotels but no home of his own. Aarav connects with Vasudha because his mother was a lot like her and then, loses his heart to her. He offers her a job in Dubai, love blossoms and when you think Aarav and Vasudha loved and slept well together, Hari returns. Accused of being a terrorist killing firangs in Bastar, he claims he is not one. And he is not one indeed. But he owns up to a crime he has not done just because he knows Vasudha will feel guilty and not move on with Aarav. He knows his wife is a loser. Aarav who had a troubled childhood troubles himself a little more by heading to Bastar so that Hari is freed.
The problem with ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ is not just the plot but the characters- these are sad losers, all three of them. All they do is brood and cry. Director Mohit Suri seeps in a lot of emotions into the movie but you fail to relate as it all appears too dramatic and boring, add to it the terrible background score reminding you of probably the worst love story in the 80’s. I loved Suri’s movies like‘Aashiqui 2’ and ‘Woh Lamhe’; they were melodramatic and sad too but this is regressive. And even when the loser wife understands her follies and gets strong, you don’t feel for her as it appears just too contrived. Music is the only respite here. ‘Hasi’ and ‘Zaroori Tha’ are my picks. Dialogues are even hilarious and so are a few scenes like the one when Aarav brings Vasudha to his mother so that he can convince her about love. They all are in the same room and a minute later, his mother is shocked to see him. LOL! And she talks about Sita, Radha and Meera. Vasudha is none of them. Just a loser.
All three leads are genuinely talented and one wonders why they signed a movie like this with a pathetic script. Emraan Hashmi does well as the business tycoon who emotes well when he falls in love. Vidya Balan is saddled with a weak character and all she gets to do is weep all the time. A fabulous actor like Rajkummar Rao gets his worst role so far and even his decent performance doesn’t work.
Watch it or not: Only if you want to forcefully cry; even then you might require glycerine.
At the Box Office: Will start low and won’t pick up pace. Flop. The last two releases will continue to make money.
My Verdict:
1.5
The funny serial killer from Mohit Suri's last movie- an unintentionally funny thriller 'Ek Villain' might just want to kill Vasudha here and tell the audience... “Aaj ke baad aap ko shikaayat kaa mauka nahi milega.”
