A little food, no logic

 But that one-upmanship worked only till half an hour had lapsed in the hall and all I could say was - ‘WTF!!!’ Daawat-e-Ishq is half a social commentary on the infamous section 498A, that deals with dowry, and half a bad YRF hash job of a love story.  

Gulrez Qadir (Parineeti Chopra) works in a shoe shop in Hyderabad and dreams of becoming a shoe designer. Her father (Anupam Kher), a High Court clerk has been working all his life putting together fixed deposits and jewellery for his darling daughter’s wedding. His Rs 15 Lakhs however is not enough because finding a decent IAS, IPS, MBA groom for his Gullu means a bill of Rs 20 Lakhs and counting. 

Amjad (Karan Wahi), the boy Gullu falls in love with for a little while, has his parents asking for a Rs 80 lakhs to ‘help’ him study in the US. Yes much India, much social evil. What happens next will blow you mind. No really. Fed up of these leeches called in-laws and husbands Gullu decides that she just won’t get married. Instead why not marry a guy who demands dowry and then a day after the marriage slap a dowry harassment case on him? He would want to settle out of court right? So let’s demand 80 lakhs and fly off for the American dream! Much wow. 

Even more wow because HC clerk daddy agrees. He only warns her mildly about jail and they head off to Lucknow to hunt. In comes Tariq Haider (Aditya Roy Kapoor - not playing an alcoholic for a refreshing change). Taru falls hook-line-and-sinker for Gullu. As expected, she does dupe him (full 80 lakhs worth) though her heart is turning summersaults because of his inane  goodness, his tacky shirts, his ‘yum’ food and the fact he can hardly speak English.  It is a YRF rom-com so the lovers must unite in the last scene where a simple - ‘I am sorry I cheated you out of Rs 80 lakhs, but I love you,’ is all that is needed. 

The movie is absurd simply because you are waiting breathlessly to see some sense ooze out of that umpteenth kebab on-screen. I adore both the actors, I really do - but this movie is just an assault on logic. How does the father let his daughter pull him on such a crime when all his life he stayed the hell away from corruption? The argument of being a coward is so lame. How does Taru forgive Gullu oh-so-easily? Oh love is not just blind -it is also daft. 

Two stars for the actors and the one song - Meri Mannat Tu. I probably should have watched Khoobsurat.