Nadaaniyan review: Inspired Idiocy

Nadaaniyan review: Inspired Idiocy

What: ‘Nadaaniyan’ is an infant film that refuses to grow. It is so template-ridden that it consistently reinforces a thought that it’s made using ChatGPT employing all formulaic tropes of teen flicks, confused romance and relationships, misguided parenting and entitlements.

Nadaaniyan movie review

‘Nadaaniyan’ made me feel that I am watching an apprentice film – that essentially needs to be completed like a practical project because you know your theory paper has gone awry, by someone who enrolled into a crash course in filmmaking. 

That’s a shame when it comes from one of the esteemed production houses – the OTT wing of Dharma Productions, better known as Dharmatic Entertainment, which launches Saif Ali Khan’s son, Ibrahim Ali Khan while roping in Khushi Kapoor as its lead protagonists and projects them as school kids entangled in a confused relationship. 

When the affluent Pia (played by Khushi) from South Delhi hires the Noida based brainy whiz kid Arjun (played by Ibrahim) to fake as her boyfriend, life at their elite Falcon high school gets chaotic and complicated. While developing this one-liner into a full-fledged story of two hours, director Shauna Gautam employs all familiar tropes of confused relationships, entitlements and parenting to a wafer-thin script from a troika of writers – Riva Razdan Kapoor, Ishita Moitra and Jehan Handa.

Even Dharma’s sensibilities can’t grow above the cliched ideas of schooling and parenting seen in ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ and ‘Student of the year’. Essentially, it’s like plotting these characters in a beaten-to-death template with a rich tapestry of colours and cliches. Characters who are completely stifled and saddled by wobbly writing. It is even a sort of reprisal for Archana Puran Singh reviving the same Mrs. Braganza, Aha! with a battery of Gen-Z acronyms. 

No wonder, Ibrahim Ali Khan in his debut performance looks like an AI created version of his father Saif Ali Khan. The persona has an eerie resemblance with his father, but when it comes to histrionics, it robs him off all the merits. He seriously needs a formal training in acting.

That reminds me instantly of a scene where he breaks down on the shoulders of his on-screen dad played by Jugal Hansraj – who is more believable with his ideas and insights on relationships, romance and break-ups. Meant to be an emotional scene, it descends into a mockery milking down all the mawkish sentimentality we endured though the film.

He's better than his co-actors in the same age group depicted – Suniel Shetty and Mahima Chaudhry (playing Khushi’s ultra-rich parents) still under the ‘Dhadkan’ hangover and Dia Mirza (Ibrahim’s Mom) trying to salvage the adulting tropes with her radiant smile.

To give credits were due, the second hour of the film fares better than its atrocious predecessor. Music helmed by Sachin Jigar while collaborating with the talented troop of singers – Jonita, Varun Jain, Sachet Tandon and Madhubanti Bagchi is a saving grace.