Mehbooba Pre-release buzz, Review

No Puri Jagannadh film in recent years had the kind of buzz that ‘Mehbooba’ is enjoying. Ahead of its release on May 11, this intense action-rom-com is billed to be Puri’s comeback film.  Even though the hero is a debutant (Akash Puri), even though the director has had consecutive flops, the film’s popularity seems to be riding on the back of its genre and the goodwill Puri has gathered because of an ‘Idiot’, a ‘Pokiri’.

What are people saying about ‘Mehbooba’?  Our ground reports suggest that the Trailer is a winner.  If the Trailers of ‘ISM’, ‘Rogue’ and a few other Puri films were pretty much plain, suggesting in no small measure that the director was averse to pushing boundaries, the Trailer of ‘Mehbooba’ has made the audience have high expectations.  

Are the audience expecting the film to click big-time story-wise?  After all, there is this suspicion that its story is a rehash of a ‘Magadheera’.  But any conclusions would be premature.  With Akash Puri recently saying that the story comes with a “big twist”, our bets are very much on.  

The film is set in a different context and milieu.  Above all, Sandeep Chowta has given a winsome album for sure.  The songs ‘Saiyaan’, the title track and ‘Naa Pranam’ are superb.  They actually suggest that we are in for a genuine love story.  

As some users on social media recently commented, the film could have some similarities with ‘Gaddar’ (Hindi).  On a lighter vein, we don’t expect Akash Puri to shout at the top of his vocal chords.  None can match Sunny Deol when it comes to screaming.