Jassi Weds Jassi review: Well-worn story sinks Ranveer Shorey, Sikander Kher’s comedy
‘Jassi Weds Jassi’ is built on committed performances, but director Paran Bava’s attempt at nineties nostalgia is let down by predictable conflicts and awkward humour. The result is a film that forgets the spark of old-school romance, instead adopting its least imaginative stoicism.
Director Paran Bava is trying to bring back the flavor of the nineties in his comedy-drama – ‘Jassi Weds Jassi’. That era, which seems almost to have passed since the time of countless apocalyptic sci-fi shows, spy-dramas and psychological-thrillers, is nostalgic for millennials. However, very few filmmakers and writers like Sooraj Barjatya and the late Yash Chopra have the ability to portray old-school romance. ‘Jassi Weds Jassi’ has all the elements of a light-hearted family drama with a mix of romance and comedy. Does the film do justice to the genre or offer forced humour, stereotypes and repetition of romance and melodrama?
The story unfolds in 1996 Haldwani (Uttarakhand) and focuses on the romantic aspirations of Jaspreet aka Jassi (Harsh Vardhan Singh Deo). He falls in love with Jasmeet aka Jassi (Rehmat Ratan), but there are many obstacles in the way of true love. Before he can secure her heart, he must overcome a significant, unknown obstacle: another man named Jaswinder (Sikandar Kher) – who is also nicknamed Jassi and is Jasmeet’s elder brother – stands in the way.
There is a parallel track of Sehgal (Ranveer Singh) whose marriage to Sweety (Grusha Kapoor) is going through troubles due to misunderstandings, chaos, suspicion and jealousy. Does Bava do justice to the plot and theme of ‘Jassi Weds Jassi’? Does the film succeed in recreating the connect of old love stories or does it succeed in reproducing forced labor with clichés?
Dev as Jaspreet and Ratan as Jasmeet have done a good job with their characterization. The actors are fully committed while playing their characters throughout the film. His timing, on-screen camaraderie and dialogue delivery help carry the story forward in an otherwise predictable plot. However, it takes more than talented actors to make a love story work. Ultimately, making a love story truly come alive requires more than commitment – it requires a spark that writing fails to ignite.
It is also necessary to truly utilize the potential of experienced actors who have proven their ability time and again. Shorey, who is a chameleon when it comes to adopting versatile characters, has been cast in the most predictable role which is beyond her talent. Shori, known for his versatile character work, is given a predictable role that does not challenge his considerable talent. The actor gives the best of his acting ability, but the limitations of the script somehow do not do justice to his artistic abilities.
Kapoor, who was last seen as Shahid Kapoor’s aunt in the romantic comedy ‘Teri Baton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’ (2024), has done a commendable job that goes beyond her predictable casting as the suspicious wife. As the over-protective brother, Jaswinder, Kher is handed a clichéd cinematic template. Although he plays the role with dedication, the role does not demand the absolute artistic mastery he is known for.
The comedy of errors approach, which relies heavily on putting the main character in a dilemma, unfortunately hits rock bottom and completely fails to generate laughs. The resulting scenes are more tedious than humorous, slowing down the entire story.
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Although the film generally avoids double-meaning dialogue or adult humor, it does contain some unfortunate examples of body-shaming and uncomfortable jokes. This reliance on dated, insensitive humor creates tonal inconsistency, undermining the nineties nostalgia it attempts to evoke.
Music is the biggest USP (Unique Selling Proposition) in love stories in mainstream cinema. But the absence of a single soul-lifting romantic track or an energetic dance number spoils all the melody and Bhangra beats.
Ultimately, ‘Jassi Weds Jassi’ is a comedy-drama that fails to understand the genre it seeks to celebrate. Director Paran Bava has successfully replicated the 1996 setting, but the spirit of romance of that era is lost under a pile of underdeveloped conflicts and repetitive plot devices. While the committed performances of veteran actors like Harsh Vardhan Singh Deo, Rahmat Ratan and especially Shorey and Kapoor consistently elevate the material, talent alone cannot sustain a nearly two-and-a-half hour story.
The result is a film that feels like a cinematic throwback that hasn’t aged gracefully. ‘Jassie Weds Jassie’ attempts to evoke the charm of old-school Bollywood, but instead sticks to its most predictable stereotypes.
