Meri Pyaari Bindu Movie Review: Not That ‘Pyari’

When the trailers of YRF film Meri Pyaari Bindu were released, it gave the impression that the film was more of a musical tribute to the Golden Era of Hindi film music than an actual love story, which is why, I was more curious to see what the film has to offer apart from a sense of nostalgia and I finally got the answer… Set in Mumbai and Kolkata, Meri Pyaari Bindu is about Abhimanyu Roy alias Bubla (Ayushmann Khurrana), a corporate drone-turned-pulp fiction writer, who has been in love with Bindu (Parineeti Chopra) ever since he saw her as a kid. The two grow up together and share a lot of bitter-sweet memories, but when Bubla finally pops the question of marriage, Bindu breaks his heart because she wants to 'find herself' before committing to a marriage. Needless to say, Abhimanyu is heart-broken and how he deals with this, forms the rest of the plot. Ayushmann, who made his Bollywood debut with Vicky Donor, is quite warm and relatable as Bubla, the 'boy next door', who loves Bindu with his heart and soul. Ayushmann gets a lot to play with as regards his role and the man has done full justice to his character. On her part, Parineeti has got quite a quirky and bubbly character, but she fails to make the most of it and her character seems to lack depth and substance. In my opinion, Parineeti had done a better job in Hasee Toh Phasee and I somewhat missed that aura of vulnerability and mischievousness that she had projected in that film. Also, the fact that her character seems to be inspired by that of Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride, put me off to an extent. The rest of the cast, including Abhimanyu's family members, his roommates and their common friends and relatives have done a great job and managed to elevate the humour quotient of the film. However, as for the film, though the first half is quite light-hearted and fun, the plot is quite fantastical and unreal. For example, Abhi and Bindu are seen grooving to songs from black and white films during their childhood in the early 80s (I remember I was more interested in contemporary songs at that age and would often turn up my nose at what we used to call 'old film' songs). Also, the plot seems to be a combination of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and the upcoming Half Girlfriend… which means, it has nothing new to offer and the sight of Abhimanyu mooning over Bindu throughout the duration of the film, may not appeal to the audience. This is not to say that the film doesn't have its moments. The Kolkata vibe has been captured impressively by the director and some of the scenes are quite touching (like the one where Bindu reconciles with her estranged father), but such scenes are few and far between. Meri Pyaari Bindu is a slightly entertaining fare if you walk in with zero expectations.