Plan A Plan B Movie Review: Riteish Deshmukh and Tamannaah Bhatia's Netflix Romcom is a Dull Affair! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Plan A Plan B Movie Review: What would romcom genre do if it was not for the existence of 'Opposites Attract'! Joining the many examples borne out this supposedly romantic trope is Netflix's new Bollywood film, Plan A Plan B. Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, Plan A Plan B is about two individuals, with their troubled romantic pasts, finds themselves at crossroads with each other thanks to their diametrically opposite career choices. And of course, they bicker and fight, before they fall in love and the rainbow leads to a happy ending. Talli Song From Riteish Desmukh, Tamannaah Bhatia’s Netflix Film Plan A Plan B Has a Crazy Party Vibe!

Nirali (Tamannaah Bhatia) is a marriage counsellor, who does her best to inspire couples to enter into matrimony. However, she herself is single as she can't get over her ex. She finds her new office space in the same floor as Koustubh Chougule aka Kosty (Riteish Deshmukh), a divorce lawyer. Like Nirali, even Kosty's love life is in doldrums thanks to an ongoing messy divorce, though that hasn't stopped him from hooking up with Tinder dates.

Thanks to their contrasting jobs, Nirali and Kosty are often at loggerheads with each other, much to the bemusement of the other floor occupants. Of course, that won't stop Cupid striking them soon, and, well, you know where the rest of the story goes.

Watch the Trailer:

Look, I may come across as a meanie in my reviews (if your movie is terrible, that is), but I am a true sucker for romcoms. In these times of hate and infighting, romcom brings both love and laughter in the front, so what's not to like about the genre? Don't mind if the makers use a tried and tested template, but at least the treatment should be fresh, the characters be likeable, there are moments I could enjoy and above all, you care for the love story.

Plan A Plan B, however, fails to tick any of the above check boxes. Riteish Deshmukh and Tamannaah Bhatia are alright, Riteish bringing his charm to a lacklustre role and Tamannaah looking gorgeous. However, the romantic track they are saddled with is both boorishly predictable and quite tepid. The actors do their best to spice up the proceedings, but there is hardly any moment worth liking for. Which in turn makes their chemistry, for the lack of a better word, 'lacking'. The only moment where I saw some spark is in a dance sequence in a finale, or maybe because it was I was beseeching for something there.

For a romcom, neither the romance strikes a match here, nor the comedy makes you split in a grin.  In a film where a marriage counsellor does pheromone test to test compatibility of couples - I kid you, not - and a character is lovingly called 'Pussy Aunty', that's a travesty. The dialogues feel like a baby boomer trying to hip himself or herself up with millennial slang. Even more tiresome are the plot-roadblocks dropped in to delay that happy ending, which should have come earlier.

Yay!

- Lead Actors are Decent Enough

Nay!

- The Actors Are Not Given The Right Material to Shine

Final Thoughts

Riteish Deshmukh and Tamannaah Bhatia are likeable in their own capacities, but Plan A Plan B hardly does justice to their effervescence. With hardly any moment that stays with you and entices you, the romcom ends up being utterly forgettable and would definitely make you look for a Plan C in watching options. Plan A Plan B is streaming on Netflix.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2022 02:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).