Tadap starring Ahan Shetty, Tara Sutaria, Saurabh Shukla, Kumud Mishra and Sumit Gulati. is now out in theatres. Directed by Milan Luthria, Rajat Arora penned the story. Presented & Co-produced by Fox Star Studios, the music is by Pritam with Irshad Kamil’s lyrics.
The synopsis reads, “Based in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, Ishana meets foreign returned Ramisa. As their passionate romance brews, Ishana falls madly in love with her, but things turn out differently. What seemed to be a straightforward relationship gets hit by the most unexpected storm. Nothing seems to be going right for the star crossed lovers. When things seem almost overwhelming in their finality, Ishana has one more draconian hurdle thrown his way. How he copes with it forms the soul of this incredible love story.”
The plot of Tadap is what we’ve seen in most romantic Hindi films. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, share passionate moments and plan their future together. That’s exactly what happens in Milan Luthria’s film with Ishana (Ahan Shetty) and Ramisa (Tara Sutaria). But every love story has a villain, and there’s one in theirs too. Only in the end do we find out who it is!
Ramisa is MLA Damodar Nautiyal’s daughter (Kumud Mishra). Ishana’s Daddy, played by Saurabh Shukla, is good friends with the MLA. In Mussoorie, Daddy and Ishana own film halls. They had no idea their lives would be filled with the same twists, turns, and drama they’d seen in movies.
Ahan Shetty makes a violent and heroic entry in Tadap, beats up some people and sets vehicles on fire. For at least 45 minutes, the first half makes you crave anything concrete. But it’s bombarded with scenes of Ishana’s outbursts and hurt. Watching him in such a state, I thought she’s dead already! Well, instead of providing direct answers, after 45 minutes, writer Arora takes us back three years to when Ishana and Ramisa first met and fell in love.
Their romance is summed up with a few love scenes and two romantic songs, ‘Tere Siva Jag Mein’ and ‘Tu Mera Hogaya Hai’. We’re given an idea that their love story will have a happy ending considering Daddy and Damodar’s friendship. But that’s when the unexpected happens, and the lovers get separated. The separation marks the beginning of angry, aggressive and self-destructive Ishana we see from the start.
Also Read: Inside Edge Season 3 Review: Ugly Game of Power Gets Intense
Luthria maintains the wrath and pain in the second half while slowly revealing the mystery. Ishana’s craziness knows no bounds, and it eventually hurts Ramisa too. After hooking us with emotions and drama, the truth finally unfolds in the last 30 minutes. The writer and director attempted to keep the secret buried until the climax. However, if one runs out of patience when looking for answers, they may lose interest halfway through.
When it comes to acting, Ahan Shetty has picked a tough character to make his film debut. His character has no limit to how much he can knock someone out. Ahan did a good job playing such a complicated role as a debutant. Damodar and Daddy, played by Saurabh Shukla and Kumud Mishra, steal every scene in which they appear. It’s a cakewalk for the duo to play such straightforward characters.
Ramisa, played by Tara Sutaria, is a fascinating woman who leaves you wanting more. However, Tara’s screen presence is insufficient. We could’ve learned more about her personality, considering its importance to the story and twists.
Pritam’s music gives the narrative that extra oomph that makes you want to watch it again and again. The background music is Arijit Singh’s Tumse Bhi Zyada. Singh’s voice conveys the intensity that the story lacked at times. Similarly, Shilpa Rao’s voice captivated me more than the lovebirds on-screen in Tere Siva Jag Mein.
Tadap Review: Final Thoughts
Tadap throws a lot of punches, a lot of pain, and a little bit of love. It might have been the next Kabir Singh if it weren’t for other characters pointing out Ishana’s insanity and violent behaviour. Even the heartbroken lover was aware often that anger isn’t the solution to get the girl. Whatever the motive and whoever the villain is, the word “abuse” can never be characterised as love. Having said that, it is the gaslighting and anguish that turns Ishana’s life upside down and only he pays the consequence.
Also Read: Dexter: New Blood Episode 4 Review: Hero or a Villain?