Star Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Aparshakti Khurana, Pankaj Tripathi, Atul Srivastava

Director: Laxman Utekar

“Humein bhi try karna chahiya naa, Aajkal toh sab log kar rahe hain,” quips Kriti Sanon’s Rashmi suggesting a live-in relationship when her beau Guddu (Kartik Aaryan) goes down on his knees to pop the question. She is a spunky young girl who insists that she wants to know her boyfriend before taking the martial plunge. Guddu, on the other hand, is a charming lad who is keen to exchange nuptials at the earliest. The duo may be chalk and cheese in few aspects. But it’s their love for each other which is a major constant in their relationship.

Set in Mathura, Guddu (Kartik Aaryan) is a star reporter in a local news channel. It’s love at first sight for him when he comes across Rashmi (Kriti Sanon) who joins his work-place as an intern. She is the daughter of an aspiring politician (Vinay Pathak) who also heads a culture protection group. Soon, Rashmi also reciprocates his feelings.

When Guddi proposes Rashmi for marriage, the latter convinces him about the joy of being in a live-in relationship instead. The lovebirds rent a place in Gwalior. When one of their nosy neighbours there try to blow off their bluff, Rashmi and Guddi fake their marriage which takes a hilarious turn after a surprise visit from Guddu’s folks. While the theme of live-in relationships has been previously explored in films like Salaam Namaste and Shuddh Desi Romance, director Laxman Utekar brings in his own novel take on it without being preachy about it. He binds together a socially relevant message with threads of breezy humour and pleasant performances. The wry comedy works in the film’s favour.

On the flipside, Luka Chuppi needed a tight writing in the first half to make things even more enjoyable. However, the film picks up pace post interval and serves you moments of bouts of laughter. Writer Rohan Shankar stumbles a bit when it comes to treading carefully between ‘modern’ and ‘too progressive’. Kartik Aaryan is easy on the eyes and his child-like charm will definitely woo the ladies. Kriti Sanon delivers her small-town girl act with a bang. The duo share an endearing chemistry on the big screen. Aparshakti Khurrana is lovable as Kartik’s buddy in the film. Pankaj Tripathi as the sleazy, conning brother-in-law gives you plenty of ‘ha-ha’ moments with his loud, dramatic act. Vinay Pathak is effective as Trivedi.

Milind Jog’s cinematography beautifully captures the small-town locales of Mathura and Gwalior. Manish Pradhan’s editing is crisp. Luka Chuppi staggers a bit when it comes to the music department. Barring ‘Tu Laung Main Elaachi’ and ‘Photo’, the other tracks fail to create a lasting impact. Luka Chuppi is a light-hearted film which leaves you with a smile on your face. It doesn’t insult your intelligence and subtly raises a pertinent issue in today’s times. I am going with three stars.

Source : filmibeat.com