Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga Review - Parameters of Love.

Firstly, here’s something to digest. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is written by a transgender woman, Gazal Dhaliwal. It’s directed by a woman, Shelly Chopra Dhar. It stars a woman and is a love story between two women. I never thought I’d say that. In fact, in a key scene in the film, Dhar calls out the bigotry and homophobia of everyday life, mirroring reactions of real audiences. It’s refreshingly inspired. It stars Sonam Kapoor as Sweety Chowdhry, a young girl who has learnt to protect herself from her surroundings.

She’s learnt to suppress herself, because she’s seen the repercussions of being different firsthand. She draws and writes and expresses her other-worldly desires in a notebook. She’s hiding herself from the loving gaze of her father, played by a divine Anil Kapoor. Balbir is the owner of a garments factory or as Juhi Chawla, playing Chatro in the film describes it, ‘kacche factory.’ But, with the entry of a struggling playwright, Sahil (Rajkummar Rao), Sweety’s life changes. Sahil takes a sledgehammer to both her shell and the taboos surrounding lesbian relationship.

It’s a refreshing rom-com and for the first half, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha … flies. The writing is especially sharp, with supporting characters in the form of the excellent Seema Pahwa and Brijendra Kala stealing the show. They bring a lived-in feel to combat the inherent gloss and glamour of the Kapoors - Anil and Sonam. Also good is Madhumalti Kapoor playing the conservative matriarch of the family who opines that men should stay out of the kitchen and women shouldn’t love other women.

There’s also Abhishek Duhan playing Sweety’s elder brother, Babloo. He says that he wants to wed Sweety off to protect both her and Balbir from the societal shame they’ll have to endure. This is where Shelly scores. The characters aren’t black or white. In a tender moment, we see Babloo break down, but soon after, his walls are back up. Everybody on screen has shades of grey, and unlike in previous Bollywood films dealing with sensitive topics like Dhadak (2018) and Hichki (2018), even the villains have layers to them - nobody’s perfect but nobody’s hopelessly awful.

It helps that the actors are first-rate. Juhi Chawla is absolutely fantastic as Chatro, a caterer who aspires to be an actress. Her outlandish sensibilities are what define her, but Juhi explores Chatro more than the script allows her to. Her glassy eyes in a key scene in the film are especially heartbreaking. There’s also Anil Kapoor, rocking a more mature and older look. His scenes are the best - he’s hopelessly optimistic, even when the world around him is crashing. So, when he finally sees the world for what it is, the frames turn dark.

He’s so good that he decides when Ek Ladki Ko Dekha is effervescent and when it is brimming with sorrow. But, it’s Sonam Kapoor and especially Rajkummar Rao that walk away with top honours. Sonam plays Sweety to the best of her abilities. So, she’s simple and stutters a lot. She’s scared and never raises her voice. Because, the world has taught her otherwise. When she finally demands to be heard, you burst out with tears. Sonam fits the part especially well, because she sheds all vanity and envelops the character in a sombre melancholy.

And then, there’s Rajkummar Rao. Speaking about his talent would be rather redundant, but Raj carries the film single-handedly. Without him, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha would’ve turned sour real quick. His happy-go-lucky charm, wit, and never-say-die attitude is endearing. He’s disappointed when he finds out that Sweety is lesbian, but he never lets it show. There’s also an interesting subplot involving his big producer father and overbearing mother, but it’s under-cooked and the script never lets it simmer.

Alas, in the second half, the film slows down. The situations become more manufactured than touching. You start to see the cracks, especially with this subplot involving a play. But, the climax is a subversion of the patriarchal gaze. Shelly smartly mirrors a real-life situation - so, as audience members leave a play in frustration over its ‘Western’ gaze, you know, this could be the screening of the film you’re in.

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga has its moments. It’s a rom-com that works on many levels, and culminates in a satisfying, tear-jerking end. It’s bolstered by its excellent performances and an assured directorial debut by Dhar. She exercises restrain over her storytelling and characters, never letting either become too indulgent. While it does get preachy at times, it quickly veers back on track to tell stories about real people with real problems.

Who knows? Maybe, we’ll be singing Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in a different way next time. Where both the dilwale and dulhania are women.