2 States: A celebration of stereotypes

2 States is a long drawn out cliché with a few good laughs in between, Deepa Gauri writes

2 STATES IS LET down by the huge expectations it raised. The film adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s eponymous novel suffers from the same problem, as his vicious critics – the intellectuals – say of his novels. It is shallow.

His cult following of readers were more than satiated with both 3 Idiots and Kai Po Che - both adaptations of his works and were eagerly awaiting 2 States, his semi-autobiographical work.

But strip 2 States of its Bhagat connection, and go by the premise of the film – of the clash of cultures – and what you get is a peripheral film that celebrates stereotypes and clichés.

There is hardly any attempt at all to sink into the cultural sensitivities of two of the most colourful communities of India – Tamilians and Punjabis. The film suffers from a massive ‘reduction effect.’

So Tamilians are sambhar lovers and vegetarians; Punjabis stand by chicken and whiskey. Tamil mothers are passionate Carnatic singers. Punjabi mothers just can’t have enough of their sweets. You get the drift.

The film that must have been a celebration of love, of how two individuals, Krish and Ananya (Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt) from two sub-cultures in India, can unite with the blessings of their parents, is bereft of the passion, drama and yearning that come with a strong romance. Ek Duuje Ke Liye, anyone? Well, this is a modern-day recreation of a similar story with none of its soul.

The redeeming factors of this movie, however, are some genuine moments from life that brings a lump to your throat. As are some moments of fantastic humour. And then there are strong performances – not necessarily by the lead pair – but by the supporting cast.

If there is one actor who is truly consistent to his character and floors you with his performance, it is Ronit Roy, as Krish’s father. He is outstanding. So are Revathy and Shiv Subramaniam, as Ananya’s parents. Amrita Singh, as Krish’s mother, impresses but is largely inconsistent. A surprise performer is Achint Kaur, as the loud family member of Krish. Her effortless performance makes her a talent to watch out for.

Alia Bhatt, after her superb show in Highway, takes a while before she gets into the groove of the Tamil girl, partly because of the weakness in her characterisation. But when it comes to performance, this girl is pure magic. She can just rise above even mundane situations.

Wish I could say the same about Arjun Kapoor. The young man is earnest and gives his best shot, but the impression he leaves behind is that of an Abhishek Bachchan in the making, with his laboured acting.

What finally really goes against 2 States is that it is not really a clash of cultures that unfolds on screen at all. It just reconfirms the stereotypes and notions that if two people are in love, they must also be so smart as to fix the vexing issues of their beau’s family, before they can be accepted. So here, while Krish resolves Ananya’s dad’s PowerPoint presentation dilemma to get into his heart, Ananya has to salvage a Punjabi wedding before she is even offered a decent cup of coffee.

Meandering through the caricatures, too laggard for a ‘modern India’ romance, 2 States in fact comes a few decades late. A non-engaging one-time watch, if you may.

2 States

Director: Abhishek Varman

Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Ronit Roy, Shiv Subramaniam, Revathy, Amrita Singh