Zara Hatke Zara Bachke marks the 1st collaboration between Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan for this rom-com. Laxman Utekar has previously directed Mimi and Luka Chuppi. Mimi (adaptation of Marathi film Mala Aai Vhhaychy) proved to be Kriti’s best film and performance till date. Luka Chuppi was an average flick and nothing more than that. Zara Hatke Zara Bachke also turns out to be an average affair. The film was looking like crap itself from its trailer, but thanks to the 1st half, the subject and the humor which saved the film from being crap and ended up being an average flick.
Kapil Dubey (Vikcy Kaushal) and Somya Chawla Dubey (Sara Ali Khan) are a happily married couple from Indore who live in a joint family. Both of them dream to buy their own house in the city, but due to budget issues are unable to buy it. One day Somya finds out about Pradhaan Mantri Jan Aawas Yojna and in order to be eligible in the Yojna, the couple would have to part their ways. Somya and Kapil file for a divorce on paper. Things don’t go as planned as their family gets to know of it, and thus begins a comedy of errors. Kapil and Somya later on find the real definition and importance of a home and family and it changes their lives. Will Somya and Kapil succeed in getting their new home? Will their idea of getting divorce succeed? To find out all these things, watch the film.
Vicky Kaushal is an actor who nails serious and tough roles like a boss. We have seen Vicky in Sardar Udham, Masaan, Raazi, URI, Raman Raghav 2.0, etc. where he had nailed his part like a boss. He was fabulous in Sanju where he went out of his comfort zone and played a fabulous role. Vicky is an actor of different caliber and doesn’t suit much in romantic roles. Vicky goes over the top in many scenes and this isn’t his fault. The casting team has to be blamed here for selecting Vicky in such a role. Vicky is better in emotional scenes for which he is known for. Sara Ali Khan is irritating in many scenes and overacting most of the time. She looks beautiful in many scenes, but beauty doesn’t have much to deal with acting. Sara Ali Khan should try to play safe and avoid playing the roles which aren’t of her type. The chemistry between Vicky and Sara is decent. The rest of the supporting cast, consisting of many talented actors, is decent.
Laxman Utekar’s direction is disappointing. He was fabulous in Mimi but has gone 2 levels down in this one. His direction seems to be confused. He has given a Classic in Marathi Film Industry called Tapaal but hasn’t delivered anything solid in Bollywood. His direction in Mimi was very good where he had perfectly balanced humor and emotions. In Luka Chuppi he went off track and so did he in Zara Hatke Zara Bachke.
Music of Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is good. Phir Aur Kya Chahiye is a typical Arijit Singh song which is going to stay in your playlist. This is definitely the best track from the film. Tere Vaaste and Saanjha are situational tracks which work well.
The writing is terrible in some parts. There are many major blunders in writing which lack logic. There are many faults which cannot be overlooked. Some of the silly mistakes really hurt the narrative. Writing lacks the connection with the audience. The subject which the film deals with could have been written in a powerful and much convincing way but it follows the regular melodramatic route. The film could have given a great message about the importance of family and home but fails to do so. The film fails to convey what it wanted to. It seems like the writer was in a hurry to complete the story and didn’t pay much attention to the subject. It seemed like the writer didn’t have anything to carry the story forward and that’s why he added all the unnecessary stuff just for the sake of completion.
The screenplay in the 1st half is really entertaining and has many humorous scenes. There are many laughing scenes in the 1st half. The 2nd half is over dramatic and dragged. Many scenes in the 2nd half make you feel bored and will make you sleep. The film loses its track in the 2nd half. The 2nd half shows all the unnecessary drama. The climax is disappointing and could have been better. The 1st half somewhat saved this average flick, otherwise this one would have sureshot turned out to be crap.
The film had a good subject, which could have explained the importance of family and definition of a home in a much better way. The film has many scenes which the middle class would connect with. Buying a house is one of the biggest dreams of every middle class person and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke also deals with this subject but in a cold way. There was a huge scope in presenting something memorable in an entertaining way but dumb writing spoils it. The struggle could have been presented in a better way. The connection seems to be lost after a given point of time and this what hurts the film as people are not able to emotionally connect to it. Laxman Utekar adapted the Marathi Classic, Mala Aai Vhhaychy which had a powerful and emotional content. He did full justice to the adaptation and made necessary changes to make Mimi an entertaining flick.
Overall, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is strictly an average flick with many loopholes. The film fails to convey the message in an effective way. The only thing for which the film will be remembered is, the 1st collaboration between Vicky and Sara. Skip this film in cinemas and wait for it to come on OTT as the film fails to hold the attention of a viewer. Instead of watching this, people should give a chance and watch Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse which is a visual treat and thoroughly entertaining film. The film could have been a fine social comedy with a good message but the director and writers had other plans. Zara Bachke with this not so Hatke film.
Rating – 2.5/5*
Watch the trailer below:
