No sizzler, yet it feels like love

Nonika Singh

Oh, so annoying. Quips our heroine completely put off by her newfound date. Indeed, Irrfan Khan hardly looks like a dream date…in the film that is. Add to it his character Yogi’s not so endearing ways; missing flights, trains and then snoring away to glory…and you have a ready recipe for disaster not love. But as they say it’s the thought that counts. Qarib Qarib Singlle is that precious thought which actually drives love.

Saath jeene marne wali love story nahi…. but isn’t love a journey where what matters is companionship, affection, warmth, regard and care for the other. So, this romcom bereft of all modern visible manifestations of romance is a quirky love tale. There are no unwanted trappings, no high voltage chemistry between the lead pair either. Expect no jargon or lexicon on modern-day idea of love that often begins and ends in virtual world. Jaya (Parvathy) and Yogi meet through a dating site is only a minor part of the big picture.

Beg your pardon…actually the picture is not really big. No larger-than-life characters here; just two ordinary people, one is an insurance agent the other is a self-published poet, well placed and suitably heeled though. As different as chalk and cheese they come together thanks to their lonely lives and hearts… though we get to see more of Jaya’s predicament as she goes around chaperoning others’ children.

Any wonder as they embark on a journey to catch up with Yogi’s exes, something is bound to change in their lives. And we are not just talking love. Sure, it feels like love. Not always though for in this relationship romance as we understand it and have grown accustomed to seeing on the silver screen gets a new makeover. Delivering it with a punch and panache is Irrfan. With his inimitable sardonic ways of saying his dialogues that are by and large amusing, he peps up the film that has as many delightful moments as staid. Like always, he comes up trumps. Despite his fair share of love conquests, three affairs in his kitty… director Tanuja has done well not to give him a typical lover-boy image. Malayalam actress Parvathy, extraordinarily pretty in a very commonplace way, is relatable and comes across as a fine actor. Together they make for an unlikely couple and certainly not that will make your hearts go dhak dhak. But, it’s their unusual pairing and believability that makes you feel and fall for them. 

If you like love tales to come on strong, both physically and emotionally, stay away. This one moves slowly but surely only sans any explicit show of physical ardour. However, if simple and sweet with a fine coating of humour and wit works for you, you will not only enjoy the ride shot beautifully in different locales of India but be able to see many meanings. Like the need to let go of the past put so wisely by drawing a parallel with driving on the road in which the golden rule is to keep eyes on the road ahead, not distracted by what the rear-view mirror offers. Climaxing on an open ended note (love is both a beginning and an end in itself) this old fashioned serving of love in modern times may not be sizzling hot but is warm and palatable.