Ishq Vishk Rebound Movie Review: Gen Z’s Take on Love in a Confusing Narrative

Before diving into the review of Ishq Vishk Rebound, we need to delve into the ever-present clash between Millennials and Gen Z. This generational divide has shaped the perspective of love, relationships, and everything in between. Unlike the idealistic love story of Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao’s Ishq Vishk (which resonated with millennials), Rohit Saraf and Pashmina Roshan’s Ishq Vishk Rebound might reflect Gen Z’s thought process on situations, breaking free from pain and whatnot. The biggest sign for Gen Z to connect with Nipun Dharmadhikari’s film is the word ‘rebound,’ which simply means rushing into a new relationship without processing the breakup! However, millennials are completely different, they will feel all the pain of a breakup in order to be left with no past baggage before they move ahead for a fresh start.

If you recall Shahid Kapoor’s film Ishq Vishk, it followed the coming-of-age story of Rajiv (Shahid Kapoor), a college student navigating the complexities of first love, friendships, and self-discovery. Fast forward 21 years, and Ishq Vishk Rebound introduces new characters who face similar dilemmas in a modern setting, exploring the concept of a “situationship.”

The Beginning of Ishq Vishk Rebound

Rohit Saraf made a commendable effort to match Shahid Kapoor’s performance in the original Ishq Vishk. The similarities between the two were evident on the big screen, as both actors were in their ‘softboy’ era during their respective films, which made them danced their way into audience’s hearts. While Rohit’s character, Raghav, was portrayed as somewhat timid, Shahid’s character, Rajiv, was more assertive and ready to take the lead. Also, some brownie points to Raghav’s character for adding that touch of humour every here and there in the movie.

Unlike typical movies, Ishq Vishk Rebound starts from the ending. We are introduced to Raghav (Rohit Saraf), an aspiring writer who has recently moved to Mumbai. While it seems like he is there to chase his dreams, the real reason unfolds as the story progresses. However, Raghav’s story would be incomplete without his friends. Together, Raghav (Rohit Saraf), Sanya (Pashmina Roshan), and Sahir (Jibraan Khan) form an inseparable childhood trio and can be called truly ‘ek dusre ki jaan.’ While the friendship between the three always remained a happy one, the scenario started to change when Sanya and Sahir fell in love, leaving Raghav as the third wheel. Soon, the trio multiplies, and it becomes a four-member group when Raghav starts to date Riya (Naila Grrewal).

As Raghav shares his love for books and scriptwriting, Sanya and Sahir’s romance blossoms. However, when their relationship ends, Raghav finds himself caught in the middle as the fallback guy. In a moment of confusion, he accidentally kisses his best friend’s ex-girlfriend. This mistake puts his relationship with Riya at risk, but Raghav chooses to help Sanya recover from her breakup. Sahir doesn’t know about the growing bond between Raghav and Sanya. During this time, Riya mysteriously disappears, only to return after the interval.

Baffling Story Line

As a millennial, one must find it challenging to grasp the concept of finding clarity after confusion. In the film, there’s a poignant moment when Raghav delivers the line, ‘Clarity ka raasta confusion se guzarta hai…’. This left us truly baffled, and we wish the same could be said for the movie itself. Despite the myriad of confusions and complexities the main characters endure, you still don’t have clarity of what will be the outcome.

Coming to Rohit Saraf and Pashmina Roshan, the new couple in the tinsel town showcased undeniable chemistry and did their utmost to captivate the audience. However, unfortunately, their magic did not work on the big screens. They tried to pull off every possible emotion in the film weaving a story, but only partially managed to make it happen. Despite their best attempts, the film fell short of delivering a fully cohesive and engaging narrative.

You know, the scene that really resonated with us was when Sheeba Chaddha appeared on the big screen, advising Raghav about his parents’ love marriage. She explained how we need to constantly work on our relationships to dust off the grime that makes them blurry and less attractive over time. This was boomer + Millennial advice, something anyone from the ’90s era would appreciate to maintain the sanity of their relationships.

Possible Spoiler Alert!

While a lot of things may differ from Shahid’s Ishq Vishk, some things remain the same! Just like Rajiv took Payal on a trip to Alibaug, here Sanya takes Raghav on a ‘Chill trip.’ The only difference between the original film and the rebound is that we witness a temporary end to Rajiv and Payal’s story, whereas this is the beginning of Raghav and Sanya’s romance. During Raghav and Sanya’s spooky getaway, when Raghav gets lost, and a worried Sanya comes looking for him, there’s a meltdown of emotions. As the two finally meet, they open their hearts and share their feelings towards each other, and you guessed it right, the confession of love is finally made. Unaware of what the circumstances could be, Raghav asks himself not to ‘overthink’ and ‘enjoy’ the present. Yes, we know, just a Gen Z thing, right?

The Performances

For Rohit Saraf, Ishq Vishk Rebound presents a significant breakout opportunity. He plays the role of a ‘chuddi buddy‘ to his best friends in the movie, while also being a constant ‘kebab mei haddi.’ However, Rohit never fails to woo the audience with his undeniably charming performance. Despite experiencing ups and downs, he leaves no room for complaints. With his captivating screen presence and dance moves, he effortlessly steals the show. Nevertheless, we can say that Rohit carried the entire film on his shoulders.

Pashmina Roshan makes her Bollywood debut and shows potential, but she still needs some polishing. Despite having the most screen time and playing two main characters, making her the central focus of the film, she didn’t offer anything new. She essayed her styling game. However, her dialogue delivery and expressions didn’t connect well with the audience.

On the other hand, Jibraan Khan and Naila Grewal have less screen time, but in their key scenes, they deliver commendable performances.

Verdict

For anyone going to watch the film, we recommend not to expect anything and let the story unfold itself. You never know you might like some or the other thing in the 1 hour and 46 minutes of the movie. From watching Gen Z making their choices when it comes to love to witnessing boomers putting all their efforts into continuing a relationship after years, Ishq Vishk Rebound has come a long way and would definitely leave you thinking about the generational gap.

Stars: 2.5