Released this week in Delhi-U.P. and East Punjab, Megabucks Productions’ Ishq Achari is about resilience, relationships and unlikely bonds.
Sujata (Sakshi Gulati), a widowed mother, had struggled through hardships and had started ‘Dehati Achar’, a now-thriving pickle business. Dr. L.L. Asthana (Deepraj Rana) is a staunch opponent of pickles, but starts buying pickles when he meets Sujata and is greatly impressed by her determination. Dr. Asthana’s scheming and manipulative sister, Bela, accuses Sujata of trapping her brother. Sujata’s son, Sujay (Ashutosh Pratap), and father-in-law, Gyan Sahay, intervene. What happens thereafter.
Pradeep K. Srivastava has penned a story that is so predictable that there’s just no element of surprise or shock. His screenplay often becomes clichéd and fails to engage the viewers. The predictable climax hardly impresses. Pradeep K. Srivastava’s dialogues are average.
Deepraj Rana is so-so as Dr. L.L. Asthana. Sakshi Gulati is ordinary in the role of Sujata. Amarendra Singh Chaudhary is average as Ramakant, the well-meaning friend of Dr. Asthana. Riya Kapoor hardly makes a mark as Samiksha. Ashutosh Pratap passes muster as Sujay. Farhana Fatema is okay as Lovely. Others lend routine support.
Amarendra Singh Chaudhary and Ravi Vishwaa’s direction is dull. Vijendra Singh’s (Vicky) music is functional and so are the lyrics (Shakti Singh Nadaan). Abhijeet Banerjee’s choreography is just about passable. Background music is dull. Raju Dhiman’s camerawork is ordinary. Vikas Sharma and Raja Rajkumar’s art direction is nothing to shout about. Jeet Singh Mehta’s editing is loose.
On the whole, Ishq Achari is a dull fare.
