Ishq Click review: Some films are made just for the heck of it

What is the basic requirement to make a movie? Roughly, it’s a script, a director and actors. But every now and then, we are made to realize that all it takes to make a feature film is money; nothing else matters. Debutant director Anil Ballani’s Ishq Click is a shining example of this belief.

The story revolves around Aditya Vardhan (Adhyayan Suman), an amateur photographer from Mumbai. He visits Darjeeling for a government assignment where he meets the beautiful Sophie Dias (Sara Loren). She is an orphan who was left near the door of a church when she was an infant. The church authorities bring her up. Aditya falls for Sophia after he secretly clicks her pictures.

Sophia follows Aditya’s advise of migrating to Mumbai and pursuing a career as a model. After some struggle, she becomes an overnight sensation in the modelling world. Aditya’s career, on the other hand, is going nowhere. He gets frustrated and depressed. Finally, he gets a golden opportunity to earn a name in photography. But for that, it is vital for him to become mean. This ensures that the innocent Ira Sengupta (Sanskkriti Jain) enters his life.

To say that Ishq Click doesn’t click will be an understatement. To be fair to the film, it has an interesting plot (though it reminds us of Aashiqui 2). But the presentation and execution kill it and how! In fact, the proceedings become unconvincing in the first few minutes itself with no hope of recovery. In short, it has nothing working for it except the camerawork that beautifully captures the picturesque hills of Darjeeling.

Instead of analysing the film further, it makes more sense to revisit some of memorable moments: 

– Aditya literally harasses Sophia in the name of romance using some lazily contrived pick-up lines. Later, he literally begs for a treat from her. As expected, she falls in love with him, whereas in real life she would have called the police.

– There is just too much happening in the first half: Aditya falls for Sophia, she falls for him, she migrates to Mumbai, struggles for some time, gains success, starts a live-in relationship with him, Aditya becomes insecure after getting rejected, gets an opportunity, ditches Sophia, gives her a huge shock and later she lands in hospital. This is too much for little over an hour. Speeding kills!

– Sophia’s initial success in the modelling world makes her a lead front-page story in all major newspapers and news channels. 

– It just takes a casual introduction and handshake to become close friends with the daughter of India’s most successful photographer and enter into a relationship with her in a jiffy. 

– Parents marry off their daughter to a guy who is the boyfriend of India’s most successful model. Background checks can be so boring.

– A man dressed in formals like a lawyer, doctor or government servant turns out to be a veteran photographer.

– Just before the final act, the makers throw in a song, when the audience is about to leave the theatre.

– Adhyayan Suman isn’t a bad actor. But he is terrible in this film from his first scene. For example, he argues loudly while wooing his girl. Sara Loren and the rest of the cast are nothing much to write about.

Overall, Ishq Click is a film made just for the sake of making it. As for its box-office prospects, are you kidding? 

Director: Anil Ballani
Producers: Algol Films
Writers: Rajeev Yogendra Nath
Cast: Adhyayan Suman, Sara Loren, Sanskkriti Jain
Music: Ajay Jaiswal and Satish Tripathi
Genre: Drama
Duration: 138 minutes
Rating: 1/5