Shaandaar

Vihar Bhuta's "Shaandaar" attempts to blend romantic comedy with family drama against a London wedding backdrop, but the execution falters where ambition should shine. The premise of two insomniacs finding solace in each other has genuine charm, and Shahid Kapoor brings effortless charisma to JJ, while Alia Bhatt's luminous screen presence elevates even underwritten moments. However, the narrative becomes fractured when trying to juggle multiple plot threads—the adopted daughter angle, the family's financial desperation, and the central romance never cohere into a compelling whole. The film's tonal inconsistency is its greatest weakness; it shifts jarringly between light-hearted rom-com beats and darker family dysfunction without earning either register. Technically slick with vibrant cinematography, "Shaandaar" looks expensive, which its ₹75.7 crore collection and respectable ROI confirm audiences were willing to pay for—yet visual polish cannot compensate for a script that prioritizes spectacle over substance.

The supporting cast, particularly Pankaj Kapur as the protective father figure, delivers moments of warmth that hint at what could have been a tighter, more emotionally resonant film. But Bhuta, whose directorial average sits at 6.3/10, struggles with pacing and character development here, particularly in establishing why we should care about these secondary relationships beyond surface-level conflict. The wedding sequences feel bloated rather than celebratory, and t