Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui review: Tentative romance on gender and identity that could have been so much more

Ayushmann Khurrana has become the patron saint of issue-based films in Hindi cinema. After tackling infertility, erectile dysfunction, baldness and a gay romance, to name a few, the actor now attempts to bring to the screen a love story that tackles gender norms in Abhishek Kapoor’s Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021).

As the 30-year-old Manu Munjal, Khurrana plays a dedicated fitness buff from Chandigarh whose family is after him to 'settle down', but he has set out a personal goal to win a bodybuilding tournament. His world is tipped over the moment Maanvi Brar (Vaani Kapoor) enters to begin teaching Zumba classes at the Jatts Flex It gym, which is Manu’s second home.

As the two spend more time with each other, an attraction builds and they quickly fall into a passionate affair which hits a speed bump when Maanvi confesses a vulnerable secret. Manu, naturally, reacts badly and says hurtful things. The rest of the film follows how the couple process their emotions towards each other and deal with their families.

However, director Abhishek Kapoor, along with writers Supratik Sen and Tushar Paranjpe, use comedy to deflect the conflict between the two. Based on a story idea by Simran Sahni, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui deals with a weighty topic, one that requires sensitivity and depth.

The film delves into gender identity only occasionally, mostly when Manu and Maanvi converse with each other. When the screenplay mixes in family and other supporting characters like Manu’s sisters, it becomes cringe-worthy and insensitive. Many aspects of Maanvi’s past are trivialized and the character is often made to feel like an outsider.

After a long while, Vaani Kapoor gets a role to perform rather than just be the female love interest. She portrays the inner struggles of her character, her issues with identity and belonging, and gets an opportunity to stand up for herself. Yet, on the other hand, the film makes her journey superficial; her appearance is always gleaming and glossy. The costume department makes sure the actress is impeccably dressed and accessorized whenever she is on screen.

The songs by Sachin-Jigar add to the light, peppy mood of the film, though there is a nice thoughtfulness in the numbers ‘Kalle Kalle’ and ‘Maafi’, the latter sung by Khurrana.

Khurrana’s commitment to his part in Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui is unmistakable. Playing a Chandigarh lad with ease, he has transformed his lean physique into a buff, almost hefty exterior. We are shown a bit of where Manu comes from, especially his obsession with weightlifting.

The actor’s previous films have explored portrayals of masculinity before. He played a gay man in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhaan (2020) and had to essay feminine roles in Dream Girl (2019), but here his character’s redemption in society has to come from his validation as a man. He takes a risk yet again, choosing what most people will call a ‘bold’ love story but in the end is just a love story.

Of the supporting cast, Kanwaljit Singh as Maanvi’s father and Manu’s friends, the identical twins Riz and Jomo (Gourav and Goutam Sharma), are noteworthy. The rest are slotted into stereotypical roles.

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’s message is not subtle or nuanced. The film gives a beginner’s class into gender, transness and identity. While Hollywood and international cinema have slowly begun to cast trans artistes in both film and television to tell the stories of the community they represent, Indian cinema has a long way to go before that happens.

But while the film is not perfect, there are moments to genuinely like in it, like Manu’s heartfelt speech to Maanvi towards the end and his sincere attempts to educate himself about it.

I would have liked the film a lot more if it did not continue to make the story of Manu-Maanvi more about Manu. Despite all the pain that Maanvi has endured in the past, we only see her glossy exterior. It would have been nice to know more of her journey and transition. But that’s probably for another film to explore; this one has everything tied up neatly by the end.

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui has been released in theatres.