Ishq Vishk Rebound (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Follows the lives of four young people who become enmeshed in a web of friendship, love, and self-discovery.

My Take – Released in 2003, Ishq Visk saw director Ken Ghosh and writer Vinod Ranganathan readopt the familiar trope of friends-turned-lovers into a then modern setting, lace it with a good soundtrack, and cast of bunch of charming leads in the form of debutante Shahid Kapoor, Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasurywala.

And even though it contained some highly flawed elements and questionable sensibilities, the film emerged as a sleeper hit at the box office and is still fondly remembered by the 90s batch of kids.

Now 21 years later, a spiritual sequel has arrived this weekend, hoping to repeat the magic of its predecessor, by launching four new fresh leads: Rohit Saraf, who is still riding on the success of the Netflix series ‘Mismatched‘; Pashmina Roshan, daughter of music director and composer Rajesh Roshan and Hrithik Roshan’s cousin; Jibraan Khan, who started his career as a child artist with films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001) and Rishtey (2002); and Naila Grrewal, who has already appeared in minor roles in films like Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) and Thappad (2020), but became recognizable with the charming Netflix series ‘Maamla Legal Hai‘.

In a day and age where the definition of love seems to be getting more convoluted with each passing day, the film aims to explore modern-day themes of rebound, friendship and heartbreak.

But, while does sound fun and exciting on paper, director Nipun Dharmadhikari (Me Vasantrao), who co-wrote the film with Dr. Vinay Chhawal, Vaishali Naik, Ketan Pedgaonkar and Akarsh Khurana, fails to create the intended impact and meanders more than one can handle.

Sure, it makes for an alright one-time-watch, it falls short due to its weak script, lack of genuine character development, and poor execution. Making it a missed opportunity to create a memorable rom-com for the Gen Z audience. Most importantly, the film majorly lacks the elements that worked for the original film.

The story follows Raghav (Rohit Saraf) and this two best friends, Sanya (Pashmina Roshan) and Sahir (Jibraan Khan), who have been together since childhood. While Raghav grows up loving books and writing scripts, Sanya and Sahir, bonded by mutual parental trauma, fall for each other.

But with their relationship often seeing ups and downs, Raghav is often left to be the third wheel, picking up their pieces and joining them back together. A set up which unknowingly even affects his own time with his girlfriend, Riya (Naila Grrewal), who is at times forced to question his loyalty.

However, things become complicated when both Riya and Sahir break up with Raghav and Sanya around the same time. And though Raghav decides to put his relationship on hold in a bid to help Sanya heal, an accidental kiss between the two leads to the exploration of feelings they never thought they ever had.

Running for just 106 minutes, the film is indeed one of the shortest ones to arrive in recent time, however, the haphazard screenplay makes it feel way longer than it actually is. Mainly as the film doesn’t refresh the familiar template, despite promising a novel approach, sticking to the same vocabulary with characters saying the same old, clichéd lines. The story tries to show the confusions and indecisiveness that modern couples go though in their relationships, but keeps it very superficial.

The film aims to focus on Gen Z and their confusion about love and rebounds. However, nothing in the film feels genuinely Gen Z. Moreover, there is no real love between any of the characters. Everything happens so fast that we never get a moment to connect with anyone.

Yes, the 2003 film had its flaws, but at least it was enjoyable, and the characters were interesting enough to leave us curious about who would end up with whom. Here, neither the breakup scenes affect us nor the onset of the rebound relationship between Raghav and Sanya. It feels like everyone are just going through the motions because they’re instructed to do so.

In the last 30 minutes, the plot simply goes haywire. Even the songs, which are decent enough, end up acting as a hindrance to the flow of the narrative.

The only element that actually works are the performances. Rohit Saraf is a natural on screen. He has his highs and lows, but doesn’t give you any chance to complain. He makes for a good lead with his charming screen presence and swift dance moves. Pashmina Rohan makes a decent debut. Though there’s a lot of polishing that is required, she manages to hold well, particularly in the emotional scenes.

Jibraan Khan, even with this comparatively lesser screen time, impresses the most. If backed by good writing, the actor has the potential to carry off interesting roles.

Nailla Grrewal, who without a doubt is the strongest when it comes to acting among the lot, has sadly very little to do in the film. Her character arch is solid, and there is a sense of maturity and calmness she brings to her screen presence, yet we see her very less. On the whole, ‘Ishq Vishk Rebound’ is a half-baked romantic comedy that brings nothing new to the genre.