Pyar Ishq Mohabbat (2001)
Starring: Sunil Shetty, Kirti Reddy, Arjun Ramphal, Aftab, Monica Bedi
Director: Rajiv Rai
Music Director: Viju Sha
Synopsis: far fetched tale suffers due to the putrid acting of its main lead Ms. Reddy
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

Rajiv Rai returned after the tremendous success of Gupt with something rather different from his usual slick action thrillers. This time he turned his attention to romance. Pyaar Ishq Mohabbat is set almost entirely overseas and immediately dazzles with its breathtaking locations and sumptuous photography.

Yash Sabharwal (Sunil Shetty) repeatedly dreams of a mysterious young woman standing atop a cliff. Fate appears to intervene when he awards a scholarship to Isha Nayar (Kirti Reddy) and promptly falls head over heels in love with her. Wasting little time, he sends a marriage proposal, but Isha has other priorities. She wants to study, not marry, and rejects him outright.

Yash, a man who believes everything in life can be bought—including love—responds in the only way he knows. He strikes a deal with struggling actor Gaurav (Arjun Rampal): for the princely sum of ten crores, Gaurav is to woo Isha, win her heart, then shatter it so completely that she will eventually return to Yash.

Far-fetched?

You haven't heard the half of it.

Isha soon finds herself living in Lord Bhardwaj's (Dalip Tahil) picturesque Scottish castle, where his son Taj (Aftab Shivdasani) promptly falls for her. Gaurav, meanwhile, smoothly executes his assignment and has little difficulty winning Isha's affection. The obvious question then becomes not whether her heart will be broken, but who she will ultimately choose. Will it be the calculating Yash, the charming Gaurav, or the thoroughly decent Taj? There are few genuine surprises along the way, and the destination is never really in doubt.

The greatest problem with Pyaar Ishq Mohabbat is not its implausible premise but its excessive length. There is enough material here for an entertaining romantic drama, yet the film stretches itself well beyond its natural lifespan until the proceedings become increasingly predictable and laboured.

The film's biggest weakness, however, lies at its very centre.

Kirti Reddy simply isn't able to carry the role of Isha. This character demands warmth, innocence and vulnerability—someone capable of making the audience genuinely care what happens to her. Instead, Kirti remains frustratingly expressionless throughout, like a beautifully dressed porcelain doll. There is precious little emotional depth, and because the audience never truly connects with her, the central love triangle loses much of its impact. One cannot help imagining what an actress with genuine screen presence—someone in the mould of Audrey Hepburn—might have brought to such a role.

Sunil Shetty enjoys one of the more interesting characters, a romantic hero shaded with hints of obsession and moral ambiguity, but Rajiv Rai never fully explores these darker aspects. The role cries out for greater complexity.

Aftab Shivdasani has comparatively little to do but acquits himself reasonably well, although I still find it difficult to imagine him advertising anything other than corrective lip surgery.

The real surprise is Arjun Rampal.

Making his Hindi debut, he performs far better than many model-turned-actors before him. He possesses an effortless screen presence, an excellent speaking voice and an easy confidence that suggests considerable promise. If he chooses his future projects wisely, he could have a long career ahead of him.

Viju Shah provides an energetic score, recognisably in the style of his music for Gupt, although never quite reaching the same heights. Rajiv Rai directs with his customary assurance and visual polish. Every frame looks expensive, every location is stunning, and the choreography is first-rate. Unfortunately, beneath all the gloss lies a surprising emotional emptiness.

Ultimately, Pyaar Ishq Mohabbat boils down to a very expensive way of saying, "You can't buy love."

A perfectly reasonable sentiment.

The trouble is that by the time the film finally arrives there, very few viewers are likely to care enough about Isha—or anyone else—to be particularly moved. Beautiful to look at, certainly, but hardly a film I shall be rushing to revisit.