Dear Ishq review: Sehban Azim-Niyati Fatnani’s show is about good performances and bad execution

3/5

Story:

A literature lover Asmita Roy is forced to edit a romantic writer Abhimanyu Razdan’s novel. She has no interest in it initially but when she does, Asmita falls in love with the book and the writer. This is till she realizes his truth and he realizes hers. Can they resolve their differences and get back together?

Review:

Dear Ishq is a show that has the concept twisted. The show, for the most bits, is about differences and revenge. The brief romance between Sehban Azim’s Abhimanyu Razdan and Niyati Fatnani’s Asmita Roy is good but like mentioned, it lasts for a short period and is appealing for an even lesser time.

Rather than love and romance, the mystery elements work well for Dear Ishq. This is also because of the major role that music plays on this show. The romantic music doesn’t strike a chord but for a few important scenes, the mystery music definitely works.

Whether it is with Preetish Manas as Rizwan Khan’s boyfriend Anirban or Buneet Kapoor as Shauvik, both their roles have an edge to them. The actors have at least one scene that proves their versatility. One can also distinguish them as better antagonists than lovers. They both come as a surprise on the show and thankfully, it’s a pleasant surprise.

Kunal Verma’s Rizwan Khan is supposed to be the lead villain on the show and he does play his part well but since Kunal is so loveable, you never see him in a bad light. The makers have also made sure that remains the case. Rizwan has very subtle scenes that never get too much for you.

Rizwan’s rivalry with Abhimanyu is one of the best points of Dear Ishq. However, Sehban as an actor really brings an edge to his character. He’s not the best writer you have seen on-screen, no doubt. The one thing that Sehban nails though, is his attitude. Whether emotional scenes or arrogant ones, he’s on point with each. The credit also goes to how his role has been written. The actor has much to perform and he does for most parts.

Niyati Fatnani, on the other hand, has a constant feel on the show. She is either depressed or goofy. If Abhimanyu’s character has layers, she has none and that appears to be case just because she’s a woman who in a fairytale world is expected to be delicate and dumb. While Asmita does have a voice of her own, even those scenes are dumbed down. That barely works for Niyati as an actor.

Meanwhile, Kishwer Merchant does a fabulous job even if she comes only in a cameo as Maya. In the role of a female boss, she expresses exactly as the scene demands. She is seen as the boss since the beginning but when her mother side is unveiled, even then Kishwer is an absolute delight.

Puneet Tejwani, who plays her husband Peter on the show, gets better as his role progresses. There isn’t much depth to him in the beginning but by the end of the show, he also has a journey. It is almost a case of too little, too late for him but Puneet sails through anyway.

The parents – Roma Bali and Sanjeev Seth as Abhimanyu’s parents and Beena Banerjee and Kaveri Ghosh as Asmita’s – work well too. They are almost constant in the vibe of the character. While Roma and Sanjeev play the typical concerned parents, Beena and Kaveri’s characters are more fun.

Sugandh Dhindaw as Bani is another woman whose character is affected on the show. She suffers mainly thanks to the music associated with her role. While Bani is anyway a snob and Sugandh does very little to justify that, the music is of no help.

Tanya Sharma as Shalini has a very passing role on the show. She is also limited to one expression per episode. It can barely prove her talent as an actor. Simran Rawal as Arya suffers the same fate.

On the other hand, Sandeep Soni, who plays Abhimanyu’s house help, also has a better role. He begins as a funny character and ends up looking an extra by the time his role comes to an end. Nonetheless, Sandeep has a better role as compared to the women who play supporting characters on the show.

The big issue with Dear Ishq comes in the form of the show’s execution. The makers introduce a scene and cut that scene, introduce glimpses of Mumbai to take you to the next scene. After the next scene starts, they take you back to the previous scene. This disturbs your viewing experience. It gets worse when a few more minutes are spent staring at a nameplate rather than seeing the actors act or the director tell the story he set out to tell.

Verdict:

Director Atif Khan could make the actors act for the most bits of Dear Ishq. However, the editing by Rakesh Lal Das and Santosh Patel is not up to the mark. Atif and the editors introduced and skipped scenes without any reason or justification which is disturbing as a viewer. The story is adapted from Ravinder Singh’s Write Me A Love Story and that aspect is almost portrayed well. It would have, however, been better without the distractions. Thanks to that, unfortunately, Dear Ishq isn’t as breezy as the book. Read the novel, we’d suggest, rather than watching this show.