Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, a Romcom May Inspire Love Stories in the Your but Lacks Originality

Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar has hit the theatres and people are thronging in to grab a seat for weekend fun. Ranbir Kapoor plays a professional breakup expert. He helps those who do not want to continue relationships and offers specialized solution packages to them. The movie may give you a nostalgic feel as Jodi Breakers was about the same concept. It had released in 2012 starring Bipasha Basu and R. Madhavan. The audience was not that receptive to the new idea back then.

However, ten years down the line, when love and relationships are confusing for people, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar may find roots in the mind of moviegoers. The loverboy image in contrast to Mickey (Ranbir) from the film is about cynicism towards commitment and love. The actor has portrayed a similar character in the past in the films Tamasha, Bachna Ae Haseeno, and Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani. He plays a character that is scared of relationships and then gets serious about love in a plot twist.

In Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar has a plot twist too with Shraddha Kapoor (Tinni). Mickey falls for Tinni as Shraddha hires him as a break-up expert to end their relationship in a tragic and comical reality on a holiday trip to Spain. The movie has a family melodrama, with a feel-good effort and climax. However, the film does not do anything different in romantic theme or offer something unique. A few romantic hits we see are mostly adapted from regional Indian movies or Hollywood.

We are losing out on original content and romance-based films are more into people munching popcorn and passing away 2 hours of their day with nothing. Yet, we can say Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar could resonate with the youth reminding them about similar movies such as Raanjhanna, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Jab We Met, Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na.  In recent years, we have seldom seen love stories in Bollywood that actually makes your heart melt.

Aashiqui was, however, unique with its musical touch but Aashiqui 2 was all about pride, ego, and ambition. Then Lootera starring Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh, inspired by The Last Leaf did give the audience some serious notes about romance. But these could not overwhelm the classic movie Abhimaan that cast Jaya Bhaduri and Amitabh Bachchan.

While romance-based movies today do attain commercial success, these do not outdo the legends such as Mughal-e-Azam, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Bobby, and Maine Pyar Kiya. The change in perception of music is what has damped romantic movies in the new age. Earlier melodious songs were the backbone of such films. But these days, love stories have become more about passion and sexual tension than mature role and script that plays directly into emotions.

Sexual chemistry with Shraddha Kapoor in a bikini flaunting her hourglass frame and Ranbir Kapoor showing off his perfect abs does catch the eyeballs. However, it is far from engaging the audience with anything heartfelt that stirs feelings and emotions otherwise, the true elements of romantic movies earlier.