Hate Story IV Movie Review: Not Quite A Must Watch

Twists and turns - Now this is something that has been a hallmark of Abbas-Mustan films. One of their most loyal followers and admirers has been director Vishal Pandya who has incorporated erotic elements in the dramatic-thriller recipe of Abbas-Mustan films in his earlier outings like Hate Story 2, Hate Story 3 and Wajah Tum Ho. Each of these three films has been a Box Office success of varied degree and hence when Hate Story IV went on floors, expectations were that the filmmaker would be taking forward the successful formula and bringing something exciting for the audience all over again.

As it turns out though, the fourth in the franchise turns out to be a rather ordinary affair. Yes, there were certain moments in the film that did grab my attention, especially the ones from the flashback portions where the motive of the central protagonist was revealed. However this is exactly where the trouble also lies because the revelation is so soon in the narrative (right after the interval point) that you end up wondering where would the story head from this point on.

This is the reason why even though there is an attempt made to establish the conflict between a woman (Urvashi Rautela) and her two suitors (Vivan Bhatena, Karan Wahi), there isn’t much of an excitement since the surprise element is somehow not there. Whether it is the murders or the blackmail or the real v/s perceived motivations behind all the happenings on the screens, you don’t really jump off your seats and get truly engrossed in the proceedings on the screen.

Yes, what catches your attention is the background score since that is a character in itself (as was the case with previous Hate Story outings as well) due to which the narrative appears to be much more fast paced than what it actually is. However the songs, though somehow decent affairs, are exciting only if you are watching them for the sizzle quotient. Otherwise by and large they bring the pace down of the film and hence at places the thriller element is lost too.

Nonetheless the film isn’t the kind of outing that you turn away from entirely since it almost gives what it promises as far as the erotica quotient is concerned. Whether it is Urvashi or newcomer Ihana Dhillon, they deliver what was expected out of them when it comes to the sizzle factor. However beyond that from the acting perspective, both the leading ladies are just about okay, barring a few scenes here or there. On the other hand the male leads do a better job and the best part is that that they actually come across as brothers with Gulshan Grover actually appearing to be their multimillionaire father.

The film may not quite do multimillionaire business though at the Box Office, as was the case with Hate Story 3 which had hit the roof by going past the 50 crore mark. Even if it actually comes close to half its business, it would still be okay both from the merits as well as the cost perspective, hence turning out to be a safe bet for its makers.