London Paris New York

Cast: Ali Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari

Director: Anu Menon

Producer/s: Shrishti Arya, Goldie Behl

Plot: London Paris New York is a film that captures the angst of the twenties, the most dramatic period of one’s life – when you have to find a career; you have your first significant relationship and most importantly form your identity in this world.

This is story about Lalitha, a middle class south Indian girl from Chembur (an eastern suburb in mumbai) who is on her way to New York to study politics with full scholarship, and Nikhil, a punjabi, rich kid from Bandra  (a posh western suburb of Mumbai – read new money) who is going to study Film Making in London on 100% dad’s money. They decide to hangout together one evening in London and find that they are completely drawn to each other even as their future lies on separate continents.

The film follows their personal journey and their love story as they meet in London, Paris and New York for a night each over eight years. The film is in three chapters and each chapter will be shot in a manner that mirrors the mental state of Nikhil and Lalitha.. The three bridges on the three rivers – Thames, Seine and Hudson witness the three states of love.

Music is integral to the film and takes form according to the moods. The three cities also give a dramatic canvas to create different exciting themes. Pop -Romance in London. Electronic Sufi in Paris. Blues-rap in New York. Blended in with Indian true bollywood style.The dialogues are natural and fresh and you get a sense that you are eavesdropping on these two characters. The film is romantic but not sentimental in the least. Even though there are discussing a lot of meaningful stuff, the film is always underpinned by humour.

Strangers Ali Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari meet in London and spend a day together. They promise to meet again in New York, but don’t. When they do meet in Paris, they end up in bed but Aditi walks out on Ali. What happens then? Find out more in the review of London Paris NewYork.

Business rating:  1/5 (One star)

Star cast: Ali Zafar, Aditi Rao Hydari.

What’s Good: The performances.

What’s Bad: The very restricted appeal of the script; elements of the screenplay which are not convincing; the lack of hit music.

Verdict: London Paris New York will not work too well in India.

Loo break: Not really.

Watch or Not?: Watch it for a different movie experience.

Fox Star Studios and Rose Movies’ London Paris New York (UA) is the love story of Nikhil (Ali Zafar) and Lalitha (Aditi Rao Hydari). Complete strangers, they meet by chance in London. They spend a day together, sight-seeing, and develop a fondness for each other. Lalitha has to go to New York where she would be studying Politics while Nikhil would be learning filmmaking in London. Nikhil promises to meet Lalitha in New York but he is unable to keep his word.

After some years, he meets Lalitha in Paris. The two spend time together and even end up in bed but then, Lalitha walks out on Nikhil after telling him that she had come to his house in London but had returned without meeting him as she had seen him in bed with a foreigner girl. Nikhil tries to explain that he only loves her (Lalitha) but she won’t hear anything of it.

Some years later, Nikhil calls on Lalitha in New York and she is very happy to see him. Even though she is due to get married to a foreigner the following day, Lalitha spends the night with Nikhil on the streets of New York.

What happens thereafter? Has Lalitha forgiven Nikhil or does she still resent his sexual encounter with the foreigner? Does Lalitha marry the foreigner friend?

London Paris New York Review: Script Analysis

Anu Menon’s story and screenplay are so class-appealing that the masses would not even be able to relate to the drama. Even among the classes, it is only a small section which would find the film interesting and there are several reasons for this. For one, almost the entire film revolves around just two characters, making it a monotonous watch. There are some aspects of the screenplay which won’t go down too well with the audience. Nikhil and Lalitha getting so close to one another in a matter of a few hours looks unpalatable. Even worse than this is the fact that in spite of having seen Nikhil in bed with another girl, Lalitha ends up sleeping with him in Paris. If she had to walk out on him, why did she get physical with him in the first place? Getting physical may not be such a big thing for a section of the audience but even they would wonder why she was so desperate to have sex with Nikhil when she had not been able to forgive him for his sexcapade in London. The angle of Lalitha having recalled that incident only after she saw the movie he had made, looks like a very convenient appendage, and not a very convincing one at that! Again, it is not explained why Lalitha gives Nikhil such a warm welcome when he comes to meet her in New York. She had walked out on him in Paris and it’s not clear what has changed after that for her to be so happy about meeting him. The writer has simply not bothered to show if Lalitha later regretted her action or if she simply chose to let bygones be bygones. Probably, the biggest drawback of the love story is that the viewer’s heart just doesn’t go out to the two love birds.

Furthermore, the screenplay of the film is not too convincing. It is not very clear if Nikhil and Lalitha have fallen in love or are just fond of one another after their day out in London. Dialogues, penned by Anu Menon and Ritu Bhatia, are appropriate to the demands of the story and screenplay.

London Paris New York Review: Star Performances

Ali Zafar acts well and is very natural. Aditi Rao Hydari is also good and performs ably. Dalip Tahhil and Mantra are alright in bit roles. The others lend ordinary support, having hardly anything to do.

London Paris New York Review: Direction & Music

Anu Menon’s direction is good for a debutante but, like her script, the film has very restricted appeal. Ali Zafar’s music is fair. Woh dekhne mein and London se Paris are quite nice but the absence of a hit musical score is sorely felt. Song picturisations (by Adil and Feroze) are routine. Dhruv Ghanekar’s background score is alright. Sameer Arya’s cinematography is very good. The foreign locales have been beautifully captured, giving the film a good look. Editing, by Shyam Salgaonkar, is alright.

London Paris New York Review: Komal Nahta’s Verdict

On the whole, London Paris New York may be a medium-budget film but its appeal is so limited that recovering even the limited investment would be an impossible task.

London Paris New York releases in India on 2 March 2012.

London Paris New York Trailer

Komal Nahta, the Editor of Koimoi.com, is Bollywood’s most trusted trade analyst & film reviewer. You can follow him on Twitter and check out his Video Blog.