I Love You Review: Rakul Preet Singh Encaged in Tiresome Thriller

The celluloid sphere has witnessed another disappointing offering in the form of 'I Love You'. Spearheaded by Nikhil Mahajan, the film featuring Rakul Preet Singh, intended as an escape room thriller with a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the toxic fandom of '90s Bollywood, fails on both fronts.

'I Love You': A Mediocre Homage to SRK's Antagonistic Characters

The Bollywood of the '90s was marked by Shah Rukh Khan's portrayal of disturbingly violent anti-heroes. With the iconic films 'Darr' and 'Baazigar' released in 1993 and 'Anjaam' in 1994, Khan brilliantly enacted the roles that were as thrilling as they were unsettling. Today, these films are remembered as pop-cultural landmarks and narratives dissecting spurned masculinity. The famous dialogue "K-K-K...Kiran" from 'Darr', reused light-heartedly in 'Pathaan', has a chilling undertone that most modern audiences fail to grasp.

Mahajan's latest offering 'I Love You' attempts to pay tribute to Khan's haunting repertoire, albeit set in a modern milieu replete with smartphones and surveillance cameras. However, the film hardly captures the gripping essence of the original classics, instead resembling an unsuccessful Bollywood superfan's attempt at replicating the tone of Michael Haneke's thrillers.

Rakul Preet Singh's Character Trapped in a Mundane Thriller

Rakul Preet Singh embodies the character of Satya, a corporate employee, engaged to her colleague Vishal, played by Akshay Oberoi. The plot takes a sinister turn when it introduces another co-worker, Rakesh (Pavail Gulati), who secretly admires Satya. The elements of creepiness are overtly displayed through Rakesh's strange paraphernalia, including a goldfish named 'Anjali', a coffee mug reading 'Single Forever', and a suspiciously named candy, 'Love Bites'. His voyeuristic tendencies, revealed through spying on Satya and Vishal, ominously indicate that Satya's planned flight on Diwali's Eve may not go as smoothly as she expects.

'I Love You' on JioCinema: An Underwhelming Thriller

Available for streaming on JioCinema, 'I Love You' is a misguided endeavour to recreate the 'Darr' magic in a modern context. Unfortunately, it falls short of delivering the intended thrill and commentary on toxic fandom. The plot's predictability further douses the intrigue, making it a lacklustre watch. While Rakul Preet Singh does her best in her role, the film as a whole fails to captivate the audience, leaving them longing for the ingenuity of the '90s thrillers it tries to emulate.

In conclusion, 'I Love You' misses the mark when it comes to keeping viewers on the edge of their seats, making it a regrettable addition to the repertoire of escape room thrillers. A concept with significant potential falls flat due to its uninspiring execution, leaving audiences in search of a more gripping thriller. Despite its attempts at social commentary and homage to Bollywood's past, 'I Love You' remains an unfulfilled promise.

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