Phillauri movie review: An incredible, dreamy tale comes to life

Director: Anshai Lal

Cast: Anushka Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh, Suraj Sharma, Mehreen Pirzada

Romance is the most explored genre in the Hindi film industry, but at times, few love stories leave a mark and Phillauri is surely one of them. Director Anshai Lal will take you into a dreamy world where true love has no boundaries, with this film.

Kanan (Suraj Sharma), a Canada based rapper comes to India to marry his childhood sweetheart Anu (Mehreen Pirzada) but he is still in search of himself. Meanwhile, a family pandit advice Kanan and his family to make him marry a tree since, he is a Manglik, before marrying Anu.

A very helpless Kanan marries the tree and his life changes upside down. A beautiful ghost Shashi (Anushka Sharma) who resides in the same tree that Kanan marries inadvertently gets married to the young man. Then begins the funny chase of the two in unravelling the mystery. 

The mystery unfolds and Shashi reveals her incomplete love story with Phillauri (Diljit Dosanjh) to Kanan and Anu. What happens next is what you have to find out. 

Debutante director Anshai Lal does a phenomenal job of picking up a subject which has two parallel stories. Defining romance in the past and the present day is a task which he handles sharply. First half looks slow and goes in the characters’ establishment but the second half melts your heart. The narrative of the film looks a lot like Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal but Phillauri has its own historical backdrop as a saving grace. In fact, one sequence in the film reminds you of Lawrence D'souza's cult romantic film Saajan. 

The climax of the film blows your mind and you come out of the theatre with tears of joy and a heavy heart. Kudos to the producers Anushka Sharma, her brother Karnesh Sharma (Clean Slate Films) and Fox Studios for making us believe in a dreamy fairytale like Phillauri. 

Music of the film is soulful, especially the touching and melodious Dum Dum and Sahibaa. One of the noticeable things in the film is its plot which is spread across two different eras. The film beautifully travels from 1919 to 2017. 

Anushka Sharma, as a funny ghost and a secret poetess before Independence does justice to her role. Diljit Dosanjh makes you fall in love with him in his doper Sufi singer role. Suraj Sharma is funny with his silly expressions. Debutante Mehreen is adorable as a loving would be bride. Manav Vij is convincing as a strict brother in his short role.

Overall, Phillauri is a perfect watch this weekend which makes you laugh and cry, also redefining romance on celluloid. The film has a great blend of emotions and believability at the right place, though the pace of the film is slightly slow in the first half which might bore the audience.