Zareen Khan and Anshuman Jha’s LGBTQ road-trip movie sways between the amazing and mediocre
Movie: Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele
Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele Cast: Zareen Khan, Anshuman Jha, Ravi Khanvilkar, Gurfateh Pirzada
Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele Director: Harish Vyas
Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Bollyood has done some fantastic road-trip movies in the past like Dil Chahta Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Karwaan, Qarib Qarib Singlle and even Chennai Express for that matter (it’s telling that an Irrfan Khan movie features twice on the list, showing his impeccable script sense). One thing common in each of the aforementioned ones and others that I’ve forgotten to list is how they throw up several quirky incidents and characters to enhance the journey of the main characters while always ensuring the main plot steadily evolves in the backdrop, till the two seamlessly merge in a fulfilling climax. So, does Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, starring Zareen Khan and Anshuman Jha, which has premiered on Disney+ Hotstar and deals with a sensitive albeit important LGBTQ plot, fit the bill? Well, unfortunately, only sometimes, but when it does, boy is it winderful to savor those moments.
So, are you excited about what to watch this weekend or what to watch this week and wondering whether Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele is worth your time? Scroll down for my full Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele review…
What’s it about
Zareen Khan and Anshuman Jha play homosexuals who’s paths cross after they run away from their respective marriages (a match-making process in the case of the former) on the quest to reunite with their lovers. Their journey that helps them grasp the difference between true love and being of soulmates forms the crux of the plot.
Watch the Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele trailer below:
What’s hot
Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele begins on a heartwarmingly unique not, signalling a false dawn of something amazing in store. But as mentioned before, there are moments that are truly amazing, even beside the beginning, like a phone call between Zareen Khan and her parents, the realization between her and Anshuman Jha that what they feel for each other is something that even transcends love, or a wonderful scene where the latter is forced to out another man (can’t reveal his identity to keep this review spoiler-free) from the closet. It makes you wonder whether Director Harish Vyas and his co-writer Susan Fernandes were on a different diet on different days, which in turn affected the creative process.
What’s not
The biggest drawback of Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele are the forced scenes of bonding between the lead pair, the stilted dialogues they’re given to utter in a vague pursuit to make them look hip, and the complete lack of chemistry Zareen and Anshuman share, exacerbating the above two issues. Making matters worse are the average acting abilities of both the main protagonists, restricting them to rise above the script whenever it’s badly needed, and some highly questionable narrative decisions – no way is it cool or fun to cheat a simple foodstall vendor out of his money and that climax or Anshuman’s motivation to do what he did makes neither head nor tail. Technically, too, the film needed a lot more finesse, with Suresh Pai spinning new meaning to the word, ‘lackadaisacal’, Faroukh Mistry and Rakesh Rawat’s camerawork lacking imagination despite such beautiful locations and the production design displaying a cardboard-esque feel at best.
BL Verdict
What hurts worse for true movie-buffs than a film that doesn’t live up to its potential, is one that sporadically sparkles only for its sparks to soon fade away, especially one such as Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, which has such noble intentions only for its pertinent message to get lost somewhere in translation. I’m going with 2.5 out of 5 stars.
2.5 out of 5
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