The great divide

2 States
Starring: Arjun Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Ronit Roy, Amrita Singh, Revathy
Rated: 6/10
Two States will beget two very strong opinions — the overwhelming one will be that it is too slow, too long and too personal. The other, however, will be effervescent, much like Alia Bhatt is in this film on writer Chetan Bhagat’s early days as a student and lover. Somewhere in between these two very distinct views lies the truth — it is an engaging film, for once largely true to the book it is based on, slow in parts and yet interesting enough as a love story with apt regional divides.
The director, it seems, is sold out on Bhagat as he has modeled Arjun Kapoor who plays the writer’s role, as a controlled man with huge understanding (very un-male if one can say) and someone who rarely gets provoked. Yes, it is sad that his growing up years were spent playing father to his mother as he puts it very aptly, and it is even more unsettling that this happened to someone you have read and appreciated as an author so often.
Alia Bhatt takes long strides to stardom in this one, not just as very pretty Tamilian but also as an actor who would have been flawless if she had picked up some of the natural accent of, well, Madrasi. Amrita Singh excels as the nutty Punjaban with Revathy acting as a complete counterfoil as her Madrasan raring-not-to-be-her-samdhan. Ronit Roy as a loser leaves his mark, as does the film which shows nothing new but has its moments, and that includes the songs.
Source: Sunday Pioneer, 20 April, 2013

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