Ishq Vishk Rebound Movie Review: Let’s begin this review with a confession. Ishq Vishk Rebound is not made for me. I am not its target audience, but it might be a treat for Rohit Saraf fans! However, as a person who enjoys watching romcoms and has loved the OG Ishq Vishk, the new film seems like that strange relationship which has far more red flags than green ones. While it has the troupes of a fun rom-com with all the ‘Ishq Vishk’, it fell short on the ‘pyaar-vyaar’.
For the unversed, Ishq Vishk Rebound is not a sequel to Ishq Vishk that starred Shahid Kapoor, Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasury. It is a fresh story about three Gen Z friends — Sahir (Jibraan Khan), Sanya (Pashmina Roshan) and Raghav (Rohit Saraf) — who have grown up together. At a certain point in their lives, Sahir and Sanya start dating while Raghav is their permanent third wheel.
Not only is he a part of their dates but is also involved in their fights. He is also a support to both the characters who tackle their share of daddy issues. But life gets complicated when Rohit stars dating Riya (Naila Grrewal). A environmentalist, Riya doesn’t get off on a good note with Sanya, who behaves like a pampered brat with her. As a result, Raghav decides to date her in secret. Even as they dated, Raghav prioritised his friendship with Sanya over her. This results in Raghav and Riya’s breakup.
On the other hand, Sanya and Sahir break up because he gets admitted to Army school and Riya, despite being aware of his life choices, behave immaturely. With Sahir off to his military school, Raghav is tasked to take care of Sanya. However, one thing leads to another and the friends end up kissing each other. Their equation changes and this unfolds layers of complications. Will Raghav end up with Sanya or is it just another rebound that will come to end? You will have to watch the film to find that out.
But fair warning, much like most situationships, Ishq Vishk Rebound is messy too. Writing-wise, the scenarios and flaky Ishq-Vishk they share with their ‘SO’ are portrayed well. However, it has not translated properly to the screen. It feels like the movie was a part of some Instagram series that were patched together.
(Possible spoiler ahead): There is a scene in the first half where Raghav gets lost and a worried Sanya tries to hunt him down. When she finally finds him, she gets emotional. Thanks to the Instagram-style editing, my brain immediately thought that the song ‘Sajni Re’ from Laapataa Ladies would start playing in the background. (Thank you, Kiran Rao and Instagram algorithm).
The biggest issue I faced with this film is the headache-inducing camera work. The angles are random and their experimental shots are not pleasing to the eyes. There is a scene in which Raghav is avoiding Riya’s calls. The camera pans from one situation to another but instead of cutting into scenes, it spins around the frame. The shot is long enough to make your head spin.
The disappointing camera work bogs down the film’s viewing experience. But fortunately, the actors manage to hold our hands until the end. Ishq Vishk Rebound is out and out Rohit Saraf’s film. He is the narrator of the film. His character, Raghav, often breaks the fourth wall to talk to the audience and share his thoughts. The approach is heavily inspired from Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Emmy-award winning show Fleabag. In India, Kader Khan had done it in the 1980s with Ghar Ho Toh Aisa.
Given that the approach has not been used by movies in relatively recent years, audiences will find Rohit breaking the fourth wall refreshing. At one point, he also appeared to be enjoying the unique style of storytelling. Pashmina, on the other hand, delivered an uneven performance. While she had impressive moments with her on-screen mother, played by Supriya Pilgaonkar, her scenes with the boys were rocky in the first half. As she approached the second half, Pashmina appeared a lot more comfortable with the camera and her co-stars.
As for Jibraan Khan and Naila Grrewal, they deserved bigger roles and scenes. Jibraan brought a fun and charming personality on screen but his role was limited to the catalyst of the main love story of the film. Given that it is a complicated love triangle, Jibraan should have had a few more scenes, especially with Rohit to showcase their bond. Naila’s role in the film felt more like an extended cameo.
Bottom line: Ishq Vishk Rebound is for today’s young adults. The youngsters will enjoy the film but those seeking a hint of Ishq Vishk nostalgia will be in for a heartbreak.
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