KUCHH BHEEGE ALFAAZ

Yoodlee Films’ Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz (UA) is the love story of a male radio jockey and a girl considered a social outcast by many because of the large white spots on her face.

Archana (Geetanjali Thapa) works for a company which specialises in making memes for social media. She is unlucky in love because guys don’t find her desirable, thanks to the white spots visible on her face. She has been on several blind dates but has invariably faced rejection. She lives with her single mother (Mona Ambegaonkar). She has a soft corner for her colleague, Apu (Shray Rai Tiwari) who also loves her. Archana is a fan of radio jockey Alfaaz (Zain Khan Durrani) whose voice and talks on his radio show, Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz, have made him a darling of the young and the old alike. After quitting her job, Archana makes Alfaaz’s quotable quotes viral on social media, as a hobby.

Just by chance, Archana and Alfaaz become phone friends and often chat either over the phone or through messages on the phone. Archana is unaware that the person at the other end is none other than Alfaaz. The radio jockey has a past which haunts him.

Soon, Archana and Alfaaz become more than just phone friends. Does Alfaaz meet Archana? If so, does he accept her or, like many earlier boys, reject her? What is Alfaaz’s haunting past?

Abhishek Chatterjee’s story is not new as one has seen love stories in which a person has fallen in love with another without meeting the other person. What’s more, the story moves at such an excruciatingly slow pace that it tests the audience’s patience. Abhishek Chatterjee’s screenplay often meanders aimlessly because the story is thin. Except for the last few minutes of the screenplay, there isn’t much to really engage the viewers, but by then, it is too late. Abhishek Chatterjee’s dialogues are natural.

Geetanjali Thapa delivers a very natural performance as Archana. Zain Khan Durrani looks handsome and is apt for the role of Alfaaz as his voice and narrative style are very good. Shray Rai Tiwari is alright as Apu. Mona Ambegaonkar makes her presence felt in the role of Archana’s mother. Chandreyee Ghosh has her moments as Alfaaz’s colleague. Soumya Mukherji leaves a fine mark as Param, the boss of Archana and Apu. Saheb Bhattacharjee makes his presence felt as Alfaaz’s colleague. Shefali Chavan (as Chhavi) looks pretty and is suitably expressive. Sourav Das (as Tony Baby), Barun Chanda (as Chhavi’s grandfather), Debopriyo (as Naren), Sahil Agarwal (as Kushal), Sangita Drolia (as Apu’s mother) and the rest of the actors lend fair support.

Onir’s direction is alright but his choice of the script is weak. Besides, his narrative pace is slow. Shashwat Srivastava’s background music is fair. Nusrat F. Jafri’s camerawork is okay. Production designing (by Mridul Baidya and Shashwati Baidya) is average. Irene Dhar Malik’s editing is alright.

On the whole, Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz is more for the festival circuit than for the commercial film circuit. As such, it will go quite unnoticed at the ticket windows.