Ever thought the newspaper article that you are chewing upon could be the plot of the next film
that you watch. Well in a world where Ram Gopal Verma resides with his film-making urges
unabated it is very much possible. This week’s new release Not a Love Story is not even a good
story. Infact it is a gory story scavenging on the real life murder of Neeraj Grover for which
Maria Susairaj and her boyfriend were held responsible. The case is still fresh in our minds after
receiving unflinching media attention. When Susairaj was released after serving a punishment of
3 years there were many questioning the legal justice system and when RGV spoke of his film
project and casting Susairaj in it many questioned his mental state.
The film has finally been released with Mahie Gill playing the part of an ambitious struggling
actress Maria Susairaj, Deepak Dobriyal as her mad passionate lover and Ajay Gehi as Neeraj
Grover, the man who was killed by the lover in a fit of rage. I don’t know whether we should be
happy or a tad bit disappointed that RGV completely sticks to the newspaper /TV version of the
murder. There is nothing in the story that we don’t already know. No fresh details or perspective
is put forth. Add to this his refusal to take a stand. The film neither completely damns the
murderers nor does it make us empathize with them.
Even after the gruesome murders Anusha (Mahie Gill) and Robin (Deepak Dobriyal) are shown
to be strangely intertwined in the bond of love that can be best described as esoteric. Just when
we decide to keep an open mind and try to understand the pulls and pressures that could have
pushed an otherwise simple girl to partner a crime such as this, the story and characterization
furnish no details of the angst of her character. It is ironical that a girl who came to Mumbai to
make a name for herself only manages to do so by getting herself and her family to disrepute.
Inspite of this the film is not totally worthless. The first half is lucid and gripping. The story is
neatly put out and while we know where it all is heading, RGV does manage to keep us
Interested and glued. Things begin to rattle after the interval. Mahie Gill's incessant crying and
her ringtone stretch on well past the expiry date making us feel totally irritated. Since it is “not” a
love story the general hue of the film is dark and bloody – literally. Deepak Dobriyal enthralls
us with his gritty performance.
Violence and blood are both expected and accepted but what is difficult to stomach is the placing
of the camera. The angles from which scenes are shot are not just unusual but sometimes in bad
taste and nauseating. As RGV decides to zoom and pan, the camera in question seems to be
totally characterless in nature at times literally barging into Mahie Gill’s body. The movie ends
on a strange note too. Contrary to the title, we see an attempt to show the partners in crime as
hapless lovers being persecuted by society.
Are we surprised…? Well not really. The most important thing to watch an RGV film is to
acclimatize oneself to his topsy turvy universe. Once you are ready to do that nothing seems
too difficult to digest. No alien to controversy, Not A Love Story is an unapologetic attempt by
RGV to present his views. I would give it a rating of 5/10 – an average attempt that you can wait
and watch on TV rather than go all the way to the theatre to book tickets for!
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