Review: ‘100 Days of Love’

With a title like 100 Days of Love, obviously we are in for a love tale.

And, like in most love stories, a boy meets a girl.

But before that, scriptwriter-director Jenuse Mohammad gives us a sneak peek into the life of BKN (Dulquer Salmaan), a features writer with a local daily in Bengaluru who’s just been dumped by his girlfriend.

He stalks her on Facebook only to learn that she has moved on and is in love with another man. BKN posts some unwarranted comments on her page. He realises his folly only later when he is woken up by a call from his ex, who is obviously mad at him. To make matters worse that day, BKN loses his job owing to creative differences with his editor.

He is out on a walk that night, when it starts to pour. So he hails a cab. And that’s where he bumps into Sheela, (Nithya Menon) who reaches out for the same cab.

BKN lets her ride on, but he can’t forget her. When he notices that she has accidentally dropped a package, he knows his next move. Get the drift?

If the first half involves searching for Sheela to return her package, the second half is BKN’s attempt to win her over. But then, when was love ever easy?

Did I mention the villain? Rahul, (Rahul Madhav) a good-looking business tycoon and a close friend of Sheela is sure about marrying her.

With all the ingredients for a typical love story, Mohammad’s debut film is comparable to old wine in a new bottle.

What then, makes it worth a watch? His narration, which is set in contemporary times, and dialogues will certainly connect with Gen X.

Salmaan and Menon as the lead pair share wonderful onscreen chemistry.

A pleasant surprise is DJ Sekhar Menon, last seen as the sadistic Anto in the Malayalam film Gangster. As Ummer, BKN’s close buddy and a gaming enthusiast, Menon brings out his inner comedian.

Mohammad’s spoof of Indian cinema and its cliched love stories has situational humour woven into the script, including a joke over BKN’s name.

Dulquer’s finest moment comes as a intoxicated BKN who dares to open his heart to Nithya — a well-orchestrated comic moment. Nithya is a spontaneous actress and that shows in most frames; Rahul Madhav is clearly a talent to watch out for. However, Aju Verghese’s undefined character stuck out like a sore thumb. Pratheesh Varma’s camera roves over Bengaluru capturing the city most beautifully, especially the night frames.

100 Days of Love, is a feel good rom-com. Just go for it.