First off, unless you’re a die-hard-obsessed-will-watch-any-movie-of-Shahid (or Kriti) kind of viewer, this film is best avoided.
But, poor scripting, story-telling, and general lack of entertainment value are not the only problems with this film.
The film revolves around Aryan Agnihotri (Shahid) an ardent bachelor for life in his 30s, who would rather stay happily single than unhappily married, since he hasn’t found his perfect match yet. Much to the anxiety of his parents who are desperate for him to get married, to anyone.. and as it turns out, to anything. Working as a talented robotics engineer in his masi’s (Dimple Kapadia) US-based robotics company, he prefers spending his time and energy amidst tech and machines than with humans. No wonder then, on a holiday trip to his masi’s house on the west coast, he falls in love with an AI-powered humanoid robot called SIFRA (Super Intelligent Female Robot Automation!), an experiment that his masi tricks him into. Despite knowing SIFRA is a robot, and after months of getting back to India and trying to move on from what had been a passionate but extremely confusing love affair, Aryan realizes he is still madly in love with SIFRA. He decides to give in to his irrational feelings, bringing SIFRA to India, and duping his family with his intention of getting married to "this girl he met in the US". His family, only too happy to see him getting married, accepts her willingly and what follows is the weird and wonderful and supposedly funny story, on one side a love story between a human and a robot, and on the other side a robot pretending to be the human-bride. All leading, expectedly to a disastrous wedding showdown and an ending message, of course.
In many ways, this is an important film. It’s one of the first mainstream, big-budget Bollywood films that explores the very contemporary topic of AI, tech, and robotics, that we are living through today. And it certainly won’t be the last. And for that, we like it, because, after the first howler of an attempt on this topic, it is sure to open the window for more and much better movies in the future (or so we hope), dealing with this very real existential topic of our times. Just for that, I’m glad this movie was made.
But, apart from that, a few sweet and vulnerable moments of love between a human and a robot, and a few songs where it’s a delight to see Shahid dance once again, the movie turns out to be a complete dud.
Expecting it to be fully pop, one doesn’t expect a real or authentic understanding of technology, robotics or AI. And in that, it meets our expectations one hundred percent. Weirdly superficial and blah conversations around technology populate the whole film. But hey, it’s Bollywood, so that’s okay. Remember, we loved Rocky aur Rani (https://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2023/08/rocky-aur-rani-ki-prem-kahaani-2023.html), despite its vacuous depictions and cliched stereotyping of the intellectual Bengali, inane testing of Rocky’s GK with the question on who is the President of India, or where is West Bengal!!!
Because, to enjoy a good Bollywood entertainer, we don’t need intellectual stimulation, we need emotional stimulation.
And that’s where the trouble with this film is.
If it was meant to be a rom-com, it’s neither rom nor com.
If it was meant to make a statement on humanity vs. technology, it confuses and misses the point of both.
If it was meant to show a window into the lonely and isolated lives of our youth, the mirror is so faded that you see nothing.
As a result, the film is neither entertaining nor thought-provoking.
What’s worse is that in pretending to tell a modern story around human vs. technology, it inadvertently ends up exposing itself, and showcasing the deep-seated patriarchy and chauvinism that is still so prevalent in our society. Aryan, constantly makes jokes at his married friend about his miserable married life due to his nagging wife. The women of the Agnihotri family, are all playing the traditional home-bound housewives with stereotypical roles, reminding us of the saas-bahu serials we thought we had left behind. Most fundamentally, the central plot of Aryan falling in love with a woman-as-a-robot is mostly because she follows all his orders! And finally, the climax wedding scene when it all goes wrong and SIFRA malfunctions badly and it takes nothing short of Aryan’s violence to put an end to her. In many ways, it was quite appalling to see such a blatant display of misogyny on the big screen, mainstream cinema. (And no, I don’t think Animal was misogynistic, read my review of Animal here https://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2023/12/animal-2023-film-review.html ).
All in all, a big opportunity lost in what could have been a meaningful and entertaining story around how new technology is enabling and integrating, yet challenging and messing with human lives today and in the future.
Alas! Just like great technology in the hands of misguided humans is one of the most frustrating things in the world today, so is this film.
Smart tech-dumb people.
Well, we see enough of those, don’t we?
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