Why Ishq Vishk is this week's pick
- As Shahid Kapoor celebrates his 43rd birthday on February 25, we take a look at the actor's debut film that established his boy-next-door image and left fans drooling over his charming looks and impeccable dancing skills.
New Delhi: All the 90s kids (especially girls) drooled over Shahid Kapoor when he made his acting debut in the 2003 film 'Ishq Vishk'. His boy-next-door charm, good looks and those amazing dancing skills made young women go gaga over him. Though his looks and dancing prowess still continue to charm women, 20 years down the line, we realise how problematic the film has been in context of the portrayal of its characters, especially women.
Directed by Ken Ghosh, 'Ishq Vishk' was a box-office success and served as the right platform for launching Shahid Kapoor's acting career. While the actor had already been a part of the entertainment industry featuring in several ads and music videos, courtesy of his actor parents Pankaj Kapur and Neelima Azim, he catapulted to instant success as a lead hero with his first film itself. Amrita Rao, who made her Bollywood debut with 'Ab Ke Baras' in 2002, also tasted success with the film where she portrayed the role of a college girl and Shahid's love interest.
The plot of 'Ishq Vishk' revolves around Rajiv (Shahid Kapoor) and his school-time best friend Payal (Amrita Rao), who has been harbouring feelings for Rajiv ever since high school without him being aware of it. While Rajiv shares a friendly bond with Payal, he has never seen her in a romantic light as he does not find her as per "his type." Also, the entire college including Rajiv's friends (Danny and Javed) who are the cool studs as they have the hottest women as their girlfriends, has nicknamed Payal 'Behanji' because of her old-school thoughts, all the more irking Rajiv to look for other women.
Tables turn when there's a Desi Day in college where everyone has to dress up in ethnic outfits and Payal steals the show with her gorgeous beauty in a suit. On the same day, Javed declares that the entire gang will be going for an overnight picnic to his Alibaug farmhouse but only couples will be allowed on the trip, which means, Rajiv and his schooltime best friend Mambo (Vishal Malhotra), will now have to get themselves girlfriends.
Provoked by his friends and love guru Rocky (Yash Tonk), Rajiv decides to get into a temporary relationship with Payal so that he can go on the Alibaug trip. Unaware of Rajiv's ulterior motives, Payal confesses her feelings for him when he proposes her and starts living in her dreamy world where she envisions a future with Rajiv.
All was going well until things go for a toss when Rajiv tries to forcibly kiss Payal during the picnic, under the influence of alcohol. A fight breaks between the two with Payal slapping Rajiv in front of everyone. When Payal apologises for her behaviour later, Rajiv asks her to kiss him in front of everyone which Payal refuses to do.
After much drama, Rajiv's involvement with another girl Alisha (Shehnaaz Treasurywala) and a fallout between Rajiv and Mambo, he finally realises that he also loves Payal deeply and confesses his true feelings for her in front of everyone during the college farewell. The film ends on the note that true love prevails no matter what, but, 20 years later, the question is, at what cost?
Here are only a few examples of the film's pervasive sexism, class disparity and other flaws that should not be missed:
1. Mambo and Rajiv's characters are shown as perverts, who are willing to get laid by any woman that they get a chance with. Although Rajiv has certain standards and is on the lookout for a "hot and sexy" girlfriend, Mambo lays his eyes even on Rajiv's maid Kamla, fantasising about her as he looks at her body while she mops the floor. The icing on the cake is that Rajiv's father (Satish Shah) is no less, who is equally interested in having a good look at Kamala Bai's figure and schools his daughter on how she should dress up for college.
2. Boys in college run after girls who dress up in short dresses and desire to make them their girlfriends while a girl like Payal who dresses up decently and adheres to moral values is labelled as a 'Behanji'.
3. When Rajiv drops Payal home, she requests him to drop her off a little farther from her house while Rajiv drops Alisha off right in front of the gate of her house. The director tries to show that for a girl belonging to a middle-class family, respect is very important and she does not want her parents to find out about her love life while a girl belonging to a high-society family has no such qualms. Another such incident takes place when Alisha goes to Rajiv's place wearing a bodycon off-shoulder jumpsuit. Taking a good look at Alisha from head to toe, Rajiv's father tells his wife (Neelima Azim) "ye to bade ghar ki lagti hai. Jitna bada ghar utne chote kapde." While he makes this remark, his wife says, "Munh band kijie, laar tapak rahi hai," hinting at the perversion of a middle-aged man.
4. Payal is shown as a conventional woman with an ever-forgiving and benevolent nature without a hint of malice in her heart. Despite being humiliated by Rajiv in front of the whole college, she still yearns for him, maintains friendly behaviour with him, cries at night for him and wishes the best for him even after seeing her with Alisha. And then forgives him in an instant for all the humiliation that she suffered when he apologises for his mistake. Why Payal Why? It's okay to have a heart of gold but not at the cost of making yourself look like an absolute dumb-struck fool.
5. Rajiv shuffles between two women (Payal and Alisha), not being able to decide whom he loves truly. He goes on to play with both their feelings for the sake of establishing his cool dude image in college. He lurks Payal into his trap so that he could go for the group picnic and not learning from his mistake of establishing a relationship on the basis of a lie, he once again lurks Alisha in his trap to fulfill his dream of dating the most good-looking girl in college. Both women fall into Rajiv's traps only to be left hurt. This clearly implies that a guy can play with a woman's emotions and feelings as per his convenience.
When 'Ishq Vishk' was released, it became popular for its storyline, its songs, some of which even became chartbusters, and its cast that was contemporary and pumping with energy. But if we revisit the film in 2023, the film's storyline is one of the most cringe-worthy of all times. Today's generation will watch it only to bash the story brutally.