Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari Review: Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor’s ‘win the ex back’ rom-com is bland despite glam

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is a romantic comedy featuring Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf. Directed by Shashank Khaitan, the story starts in Delhi with Ananya (Sanya) rejecting Sunny Sanskari’s (Varun) marriage proposal. Ananya is all set to marry Vikram Singh (Rohit Saraf), who also ended his relationship with Tulsi Kumari (Janhvi Kapoor). Sunny and Tulsi then team up to make their ex-partners jealous by gatecrashing their every wedding function in an attempt to win them back.

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari Review

The problem for Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari started with the trailer itself. It revealed so much that there was no element of surprise left. The trailer revealed that halfway through their ‘win the ex back’ act, Sunny starts falling for Tulsi. That’s all; that’s what the film is all about. But one hopes that maybe the execution is such that even the predictable plot seems enjoyable. Sadly, Shashank fails to do the same.

The narrative lacks depth, relying heavily on clichés rather than developing engaging characters or unexpected twists. Consequently, what could have been a charming romantic comedy turns into a tedious affair that leaves one yearning for more originality. The problem with Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor’s movie is how flashy it becomes in trying to portray love on screen with no heart. Their strategy to break their exes’ wedding appears intriguing, but it ultimately falls flat due to our limited understanding of their exes, which prevents us from engaging meaningfully with the story. The reactions of Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf to their exes’ ridiculous attempts to make them jealous are mostly a waste of time. The story lacks entertainment value and instead creates deeply awkward moments.

 

View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar)

The weak and hollow plot, combined with constant dance numbers from never-ending wedding functions, the annoying presence of Maniesh Paul and his unfunny jokes, and attempts to evoke nostalgia through dialogues from 2000s Hindi films, only worsen the premise. Few jokes land, and the dialogues fail to evoke nostalgia. The absence of any extraordinary moments in Sunny and Tulsi’s developing love story fails to inspire genuine support or intrigue for them. The trailer spoilt everything, leaving little for one to discover. Amidst an attempt to present us a love story, the movie tries to take the preachy part, especially for women. I liked that part about Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari because those scenes felt a bit more believable than the forced romance. However, the story ultimately collapsed when it failed to apply the same logic to Tulsi Kumari’s career. It was the ‘all this for nothing’ moment.

Coming to performances, Varun Dhawan delivers a good performance as Sunny Sanskari. But after all these years, that is not enough, especially if the script is shaky and bland. Janhvi Kapoor’s Tulsi Kumari has her moments, but you never feel sorry for her, even with her character’s tragic backstory. It becomes difficult to take it seriously because the film forgets, like everyone forgets their New Year resolutions by February. Sanya Malhotra has some solid scenes, but she is criminally underused, just like Rohit Saraf.

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari Review: Final Thoughts

Despite having every element that makes flashy and silly romantic comedies entertaining — dance, music, lavish locations, vibrancy, and a good-looking cast — Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari fails to convince you. The film creates an awkward impression due to its unsuccessful attempt to present itself as a modern love story infused with nostalgic, old-school cinematic charm.It lacks the heart and soul that would make one say, ‘kuch kuch hota hai’.