Gustaakh Ishq review: Despite Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Varma's strong performances, this ambitious film is a betrayal of its own beautiful setup

Aesthetically beautiful with great music, Gustaakh Ishq struggles with a weak screenplay. Vijay Varma and Naseeruddin Shah shine, but the love story feels flat and fails to deliver.

Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Varma in a still from Gustaakh Ishq

Gustaakh Ishq story:

The film follows the story of Nawabuddin (Vijay Varma), a young man from Old Delhi who embarks on a journey to a culturally rich village in Punjab in the 1990s, a time before cell phones. His late father owned a printing press, and he journeys there to save it. Along the way, he meets and becomes devoted to the former Urdu poet Aziz (Naseeruddin Shah), but his focus quickly changes to Mannat, aka Minni (Fatima Sana Shaikh), the poet's shy and driven daughter. As their love grows through poetry and solitude, Nawabuddin faces a dilemma: should he love Minni more than his mentor? This scenario leads to confusion and yearning, all set against the picturesque backdrops of Old Delhi's alleys and Punjab's crumbling kothis.

Gustaakh Ishq review:

Naseeruddin Shah's filmography reveals an infamous pattern, frequently discussed and referenced in his consecutive roles. The legendary actor has played the father to an illegitimate child many times in his career, going from Masoom to Main Hoon Naa. In Gehraiyaan we see a contrasting portrayal, which serves as Shakun Batra's indirect tribute to Shah's previous roles. However, it becomes predictable, and you know that this pattern might just kick in in any of the parts of the film he stars in.

Why did I mention it here? Well, Gustaakh Ishq is the latest film to have added to this pattern, and at this point, I am truly amazed at how it just happens in the most unexpected way. When the trailer for the Vibhu Puri directorial came out, it definitely came out as a typical love (devotion) story – not between the male and female leads, but between a master and his disciple.

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The meaning of "gustaakh" is audacious, and as beautiful as it sounds in Urdu, it has a more profound meaning that can also have a negative connotation. That's the wave; the film taps into the beauty of the language and how it makes everything feel as mesmerising as ever. There's also a scene in the film where Shah talks about how the word "murder" in English sounds like a blatant crime, as does it in Hindi, but when the Urdu word "qatal" is used in a sentence, it just feels piercing in a charming way.

Gustaakh Ishq begins as a simple story of a man named Nawabuddin Saifuddin Rahman Rizvi (Vijay Varma) from Old Delhi, who has a crass mouth but still wants to save his father's legacy by keeping the printing press going. He lives with his younger brother, Jumman (Rohan Verma), and their widowed mother, played by Natasha Rastogi. Nawabuddin decides to leave his home and travel to Punjab with the intention to somehow coax Aziz (Shah) to give his shayaris and get them published in his printing press. Mannat (Fatima Sana Shaikh), Aziz's daughter, invites him to Punjab, only to decline his request. However, Nawabuddin remains determined and pretends to be a devoted fan of Aziz, asking him to teach the art of shayaris to gain easier access to his work. Then comes the expected journey of him falling in love with Mannat and how their love blossoms eventually.

However, while we anticipate a conflict in the film, it doesn't unfold in a naturally occurring manner. The main issue we would expect here is about the love story, but it's always about the male lead never being there for his partner when they are needed the most. Here too, there comes a moment when Shah's character falls sick and Minni wants Nawabuddin to be beside her, but he is nowhere to be found. This scene happens once again in the second half, and it's some sort of glorification of having to make everything about himself.

To be honest, the film is only about Varma's character and his inner and outer battles. He fights with his brother, who doesn't want to lead a poverish life, and also fights internally, as he knows he has come to cheat Aziz but grows fond of him and his art eventually.

The second half takes a further dip, and even with a backstory that doesn't help the present in any good way, it makes it more painful to watch. Gustaakh Ishq is not a film that contains many shocking elements or requires significant reflection after viewing. However, while watching the film, one might wonder how much longer it can rely solely on female characters as catalysts or merely for their presence.

Despite Fatima's character being prominent throughout the film, it doesn't give her much weight to anchor any significant moments. The moments featuring her don't have much dialogue, as there are always songs in the background to convey what she might be feeling. Oh yes, the songs are beautiful and soothing to hear – all thanks to the heart-touching collaboration between Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj. But the visuals don't do much justice to the songs as such. The visuals appear to be more situational, but they seem to exist primarily for effect, which will have a lasting impact.

Gustaakh Ishq has all things beautiful: the actors, the songs, the visuals, and definitely the costumes. "Aesthetically" speaking, it's one of the most beautiful movies to watch, having the vibe of the late 1990s maintained throughout. However, the screenplay by Puri falters and drops as the film progresses. The flat surface has a bump which looks like an issue on a surface level but doesn't feel like one. There's a scene towards the end of the film where Nawabuddin eavesdrops on Aziz and Minni, which leaves him shocked, and I am wondering how and what! There's not a single moment which shines or feels oh-so-romantic or oh-so-heartbreaking.

Gustaakh Ishq aspires to be an audacious love story, but it seems like the translation is definitely getting lost in the process of showing the beauty of Urdu.

Gustaakh Ishq verdict:

Gustaakh Ishq is aesthetically rich, boasting beautiful visuals and a heart-touching soundtrack, thanks to the poetic partnership of Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj. Yet, the film's title, which means audacious, sadly reflects the ambition of its flawed execution. The screenplay falters, making the emotional core feel like a betrayal to the promising setup of devotion, desire, and Urdu beauty.

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