He sings. She sings. He, for his stardom. She, for her supper. And the twain meet. In a restrobar, where she croons and he swoons. And Aashiqui is born. Again! Retelling the celebrity story that stardom ain't an easy ride. It sometimes vrooms and then goes sputter, the fuel of celebdom often running out. Like Rahul Jaykar ( Aditya) discovers; once basking in a 'rockstar' like status, but soon losing it to alcohol, addiction and self-deprecation. But when he meets budding singer Aarohi ( Shraddha) , his heart finds a new beat and his crumbling life finds a cause. He trains her to become the Nightingale of India; she shines while he stays her shadow; sometimes sober, mostly stoned. The real lyric of this story is their romance, pulsating with passion and intensity - on high notes and 'higher spirits'.
Suri's musical love story doesn't bear much semblance to the original 'Aashiqui'; instead it finds its own rhythm. He pitches the story with old-world romance, high-drama and well-crafted heart-breaking moments. Aarohi's character is endearing and Rahul stays 'bottled' ( like 'Devdas' with a cause) , with sudden outbursts. The story slows down in parts and the climax might seem unreal to many, but maybe a 'fix' for die-hard aashiqs.
Aditya is likeable in mushy moments, he shows intensity in flashes but sometimes loses grip. A mature role like this demands a lot, nonetheless, it's a good effort. Shraddha looks innocently beautiful. Letting her emotions play out brilliantly in high-strung scenes with supreme confidence. This is a talent to look out for. The jodi's palpable chemistry heightens the drama. The music is the strongest supporting cast, with captivating tunes like Tum Hi Ho ( Arijit Singh) , Sunn Raha Hai ( Ankit Tiwari) and Bhula Dena ( Mustafa Zahid) pouring more passion in to the story.
This could be good soup for the lovers' soul - with a dash of old-world flavour.
