Yaariyan Film Review

Film: "Yaariyan"; Cast: Himansh Kohli, Nakul Preet, Deepti Naval; 

Directed by Divya Khosla Kumar; 

Divya Khosla Kumar’s directorial debut Yaariyan stars Himansh Kholi, Serah Singh, Rakul Preet Singh, Nicole Faria, Gulshan Grover and Deepti Naval.

It isn't a pretty sight to see an actress of Deepti Naval's caliber ham. But she, poor thing, does just that in a sequence that even Nirupa Roy would have thought twice before getting into.

The film revolves around four college friends who are pretty much good for nothing. Lakshya (Himansh) is desperate to experience his first kiss, but something goes wrong every time he aims to get it. What’s bizarre is that the whole college is gung-ho about Himansh’s first kiss. It doesn’t end there, with the youngsters. Even the teachers suffer from some hormonal locha and cannot keep their hands off each other. I am glad that I haven’t come across any such college in my life! The tale shifts from the touchy mode to sports, Australia, racial attacks, patriotism and lots of cleavage popping out of the screen into your face. Divya tries to integrate too many issues into one plot. That’s why Yaariyan failed to make any impact on me. Maybe college goers won’t mind watching a movie that hardly makes sense.

"Yaariyan" enters into the young....no, make that very young...territory. Lamentably in the perverse parameters of a particular kind of Bollywood entertainment, "young" is equated with ...no, not reckless....but brainless to the point of being moronic.

There are any number of under-dressed under-graduates luring and pulling boys into empty classes for a bit of necking.

The debutant director sets her sights on making a movie that pays a jam-packed homage to the coming-of-age movies like Mansoor Khan's "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar" and Karan Johar's "Student Of The Year". The movie also bears a weird physical resemblance to Farah Khan's "Main Hoon Na".

The debutante director assumes her audience-profile to be 18-20-year-olds who spend all their time dreaming of smooches and splashing in azure beaches. Laughably, none of the film's young protagonists thinks beyond a kiss. Sex, if you must know, is not for the young in a cinema that focuses on busts, bums and thighs and on a pair of coconuts when the camera tires of the real thing. There is unlimited attempt to sexy.

Hands down it has to be the music and then the cinematography. The songs are lively and colorful and will certainly cheer you up every time you regret walking into the theatre. And Yo Yo Honey Singh’s special number is delicious icing on the cake.

As for the cinematography – the movie has been shot in virgin and unexplored parts of Darjeeling and in Australia. The locales are beautiful and will make you go ‘wow’. There is a motorcycle and bicycle race scene that has been shot brilliantly. Also, the first half is tolerable thanks to some good comic punches. Performance wise, Himansh Kholi is decent and the rest are just okay.

The most significant element – the script! There is too much happening at one point and then abruptly there is nothing happening at all beyond the bosom popping. Brilliant actors like Deepti Naval and Gulshan Grover are wasted. Also, newbie Himansh Kholi needs to work on his ever-smiling face. He flashes his million dollar grin in every frame, which soon gets very, very irksome.

Overall, it is an average movie.