Love Hostel (2022) :
Movie Review -
Not taking you way back to the 60s and 70s, but just remember those love stories and those formulas made in the 80s. Two love birds, madly in love with each other, are on the run to save themselves from the family members who are against their love. Sometimes it was an honour killing issue, sometimes a tragic ending, but as a whole, we know those formulas. In the 80s, we had 'Ek Duje Ke Liye', 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' and in the 90s, there was 'Dil' to show us the modern definition of love with the same old formulas. Then recently we had the sensational 'Sairat' (2016), directed by Nagraj Manjule, which copied the same syllabus to write a new book of realistic cinema. ZEE5's latest release, Love Hostel, is nothing else but the same old story with a modernised version of violence, while it also adds the mandatory abusive words and vulgarity for the OTT audience. IT has to be there. Maybe it's some condition, I don't know. Love Hostel was supposed to be a love story surrounded by dangerous conflict, but instead it became more of a crime thriller with extreme levels of violence.
The film is about love birds belonging to different casts. Don't bother guessing that one is Hindi and one is Muslim; it's too mainstream, I mean. In the first scene, we see Ashu (Vikrant Massey) and Jyoti (Sanya Malhotra) getting married. They have decided to spend the rest of their lives together, despite the disapproval of family members. The decision puts them in danger as they are now being hunted by Dagar (Bobby Deol), a ruthless mercenary who will stop at nothing until his mission (or social work, as he describes it) is completed. What happens when the newly married couple faces the merciless killer several times and who wins the race at the end? Find out all the answers in Love Hostel.
Love Hostel has Vikrant Massey playing a complex character. He isn't sure about leaving the bad business behind and taking a good life forward, and Vikrant showcases this confused and unstable character very well. Not only does he have well-trimmed hair and a beard, but his expressions also speak volumes. Sanya Malhotra looks gorgeous as a newly wedded bride, but what's more interesting is how she switches that happiness into fear. Watch out for those prey-hunting chase sequences where she gathers almost everything needed for the character. The film is truly boosted by Bobby Deol's ferocious performance. He has almost single-handedly brought this outmoded script to life by portraying a merciless killer in all-perfect manners. There is no combat, no mindless action, just a pure, gun-filled killing spree in which Bobby shines in every scene. Not a single scene passes without him impressing you with his dialogue and attitude. Remember his attitude from 'Badal' (2000) and 'Bicchu' (1999)? Love Hostel will take you back to those Bobby Deol days. The supporting cast looks okay, with Raj Arjun walking away with a few noticeable scenes. That's the problem. Why only a few?
Written by Shanker Raman, Mehak Jamal, and Yogi Singha, the storyline of Love Hostel has nothing new to offer. It has everything that you have seen many times, but somehow, Raman's screenplay keeps it interesting. The violence is too high and horrible, so it might leave a weak-hearted audience shocked, especially female audiences. The cinematography looks good as the action and chase sequences cover most of the runtime on different locations. Vivek Shah's camera work makes those frames look good, but he also spoils the quality with those horrendous close-up shots. With the runtime falling just short of two hours, Love Hostel never bores you. Additionally, it doesn't have those useless songs, and as we all know, an intense background score is always a better choice in the thriller genre. Shaker Raman's last directorial, 'Leila' (2019), was a forgettable affair, and I'm afraid Love Hostel will have the same fate. Love Hostel couldn't have gone anywhere with such a piece of writing, but let's not blame Raman. He at least tried something different with his characters.
Adding more greyness to the character works here, but one must acknowledge the fact that the audience for it is comparatively smaller. Moreover, it's an adult film (18+), so you get the idea, right? OTT lovers may enjoy it somewhat, but not the family audience or rom-com lovers. It's your regular story, alright, but not your regular story all the way. Mind it. Overall, a modern day love slasher uplifted by Bobby Deol's most reckless and imprudent role recently.
RATING - 5/10*
