Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana reviews

'Luv Shuv Te Chicken Khurana' is delicious, wholesome, rich Punjabi fare. It is mouth wateringly spicy, prepared on such a smooth, oily premise that your insides will burp with joy.

And it's a full Maharaja sized Thaali, mind you. All the vegetables, lentils and spices are freshly sourced from the best acting schools across the country, and cooked on a simmering flame by an excellent Director. And of course, the kitchen is Anurag Kashyap's production house, which is known to serve delectable food, Friday after Friday (with only one hiccup yet - Aiyya).

Let's start with the staple - The Dal Subzi, or Omi's immediate family. His Chacha Khurana, Chachi Khurana and cousin Jeet Khurana. These play their part in the diet perfectly - providing support and supplementing the main dish, but never overpowering it. Understated and elegant.

And the main dish, the Chicken/Paneer - Omi Khurana. The key thing about the main course is to fulfill the customer's expectations and never try something wild. Because in case you burn this dish, no matter how well you prepare everything else, the customer is never, never going to come back. Kunal Kapoor comes back after an year, and possibly in his longest role. He takes centre stage with subtlety and performs his part neatly. Kudos to him, for he was the least accomplished actor of the lot.

Titu Mama (Rajesh Sharma, God bless him) works as the sour pickle, who lends life and soul to the meal. It's usually had with each morsel, and is rarely accorded the respect it deserves, for the tickly, tangy flavour it provides.

But wait - before you start with the subzi and the main course, there is Daarji Vinod Nagpal in a crisp yet sublime role, much like the Papad which keeps you occupied till the piping hot rotis arrive. It is always a pleasure to watch him in films that usually qualify as gems (like Khosla ka Ghosla, and Main, Meri Patni aur Woh).

The dessert is usually reserved for afterwards, because you want its taste to linger on for long. And the Gulab Jamun in this Thaali is definitely Huma Qureshi, who blows your mind away with her 'jabraat' act as Doctorani Harman, who is being paired with the SUbji but yearns for the chicken. Watch out for her, because she is filling that enviable space in new age Indian Cinema which I earlier thought was occupied by Mahie Gill, until she started working with RGV.

Do watch this yummy slice-of-life film that will satiate all your senses and aggravate your tastebuds, for which you need to head to a typical Punjabi Dhaaba. This is the only time that a hard core veggie like me is rooting for Non-Veg fare !

For me, Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana is like Kunal Kapoor's acting. It isn't in your face, saying “Hey look at my performance”. His performance can easily be mistaken for being inadequate. Same way, this film can also be easily mistaken for an average fare. The film doesn't say, “Hey look I will win you over”. Although it does win you over, but it manages to do it organically instead of going the way most movies do. This is a quiet movie. It isn't loud like most films set in Punjab are. I love those movies as well but this one has different rewards.

Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana makes you feel you're in a small town in Punjab. Props to director Sameer Sharma for choosing to tell this story the way he wanted to instead of making it crisper, more entertaining. By compromising on things, which would have made it more filmy, he concentrates on telling a story, creating moments which feel genuine and intimate. The pacing is just right. If you've actually lived in a small town you'll find life does not exactly move fast there.

The film is about Omi Khurana (Kunal Kapoor) who returns to his pind after many years. Instead of coming back to get the bride or revel in nostalgia while discovering poverty with a patriotic song in the background, he is back purely for selfish reasons; he needs money to pay off a gangster. Omi decides to sell the Chicken Khurana recipe for a big amount and do away with his financial troubles. The problem is only Daarji (Vinod Nagpal) knows the secret ingredient and he has lost his memory. Consider the resolution of the gangster sub-plot. In a lesser film, it would have been something predictable but also stale.

To be honest, the story isn't the most original story out there. Then why does the film work so well? The music is great. Amit Trivedi is going strong as he produces yet another terrific album. (He is the best musician in our country today). That sure makes the film look good but what is that one thing? I would say the not-so-secret ingredient and the obvious reason why the film works well is the casting.

Titu Mama is the character everyone talks about after they exit the theater and for good reason. Rajesh Sharma is an actor of immense talent. Huma Qureshi is wonderful as Harman, I can't pick any other actress currently working in the film industry who could look like more like a Punjaban than she does. I can't wait to see her in more movies. (I also hope she makes good choices while selecting her films). Albeit, my favorite feat of casting is the Chachi. If there is any character in this film who felt perfectly placed in a film like this, it would be her. Seema Kaushal doesn't act, she “is”. I won't be surprised to learn that she actually stays in a similar house with a similar family.

This reminds me of the flashback we see which reveals the secret ingredient to us. If I had to pick out what was the secret ingredient of the film, it is this flashback. By giving us information, which the characters in the film don't know but we do, it makes an inspired choice, which I believe makes all the difference. We may not notice it, just like the secret ingredient, just like Kunal Kapoor, just like Chachi. But this is what counts and brings us back to place the same order at the same restaurant.

There's lot to like in this film. Top of my list is Rajesh Sharma as Titu mama. This character deserves a separate film for him. There's also Daarji and Buaji but even with all this lovely characters and some wonderful moments the film ended up as boring and bland. Not even Amit Trivedi's fantastic music could save it.

Omi (Kunal Kapoor) has to return to Punjab from London to arrange money he has to pay Munish Makhija (Udhham Singh from Channel V). His plan is to steal that money from his Daarji (Vinod Nagpal). He believes that Daarji's dhabha is doing quite well but when he lands up in Punjab he finds out that the dhabha has shutdown, Daarji is not keeping well, has lost his memory and with it the Khurana's have lost the recipe of his famous dish chicken Khurana. In his search of the secret recipe Omi finds the secret ingredient of life.

Debutant director Sameer Sharma tells this story at its own pace establishing characters and showing us a quieter Punjab that was missing in the loud portrayal of Punjabis in Hindi movies. Filled with wonderful characters and an ensemble cast to support it the only area which the film falters is in its lead actor.

Though Kunal Kapoor plays his part earnestly he doesn't have the charisma or screen presence to connect with the audience.

There are sprinkles of wonderful moments and scenes like the flashback love story of Daarji and his wife, Buaji's scene with Kunal and a hilarious scene that involves underwear. Add to all of this, every scene that has Rajesh Sharma in it. Barring Jeet (Rahul Bagga) and his love track everything fits in fine. The pace of the screenplay is extremely laidback. Though this kind of pace worked for me in Swades( written by Sameer Sharma) here it tends to get lethargic. Even Huma Qureshi could not add spark to the proceeding.

Luv Shuv ends up as an example of how everything else falls apart if you don't get your lead actor right.

Word of mouth - Luv shuv tey chicken Khurana is good in intention and is sprinkled with some lovely moments but ends up as boring and bland.

Rating - *** (Above average)

Ticket meter - Worth 150 bucks.

Like a good dish that is just good and never great, Luv Shuv With chicken Khurana is decent yet not with enough "meat" and zest in it to make for a delightful expereince. Just as the epynomous dish in the name is missing the secret ingredient, LSTCK too lacks that something that could make it come alive despite having all the ingreditents in place.

Omi,played by Kunal Kapoor, is a selfish broke and jobless youngster who is sent back from London to the house he ran away from after stealing money as a kid to clear off his debt. Hoping to raise money here, he inherits a dhaba of his senile grandpa and a recipe of chicken Khurana, a dish that has one key ingredient missing. Through his search for the missing spice, he finds his way back to his own good self and his lost family.

Director Samer Sharma manages to get the basics pitch perfectly right. Punjab is not the glitzy Karan Johar Yash Raj affair but a believable reality. The characters are sufficiently odd ball, especially the pretend mad Titu and smoking Bua Santani. Shunning the glossy picture that Punjab brings to mind on screen, he opts for a warm lived in texture to the pallete, giving the film a sense of warmth, much like some home made food.

That though is not enough to make for some great cinema. For while the characters are likable, one can sense the utter lack of chemistry and energy in the proceedings. Niether the situations nor the characters are exploited for the inherent madness in them, the jokes fall flat save for a few liners, and the entire love track in the secong half is extremely insipid and slow. The Chicken Khurana, and search for its recipe it self makes a belated entry in the movie and by then patience is already running thin.

Kunal Kapoor is too unstarry to carry off a lead role of this kind. In the hands of someone with a stronger screen presence, the role could have risen above the shoddy writing. Hume Qureshi is brilliant as Harman, her beauty and acting chops in perfect display. Titu, aka Rajesh Sharma and Dolly Ahluwalia are the other memorable performances, sadly none of them are allowed any leaverage to go crazy by the laidback writing.

LSTCK is not an unwatchable film though. At two hours fifteen minutes, it seems like going on for eternity with some laughs here and there. While you wouldnt be disappointed, dont expect a Khosla ka ghosla as the promos suggested.

The trailers of this movie looked really interesting, promising us another movie like say Vicky Donor- small and sweet with a very personal touch. Well, the story has that promise but the film whittles it away with its slow pace and a too laidback almost lackadaisical approach to the subject.

Omi is a wastrel who stole money from his grandfather and ran away to make a life in London. Now 10 years later he is saddled with a debt that the hoodlums he borrowed from come calling for. They send him back to Punjab to get the money from his family. As it happens, his granddad used to run a dhaba that was famous for its Chicken Khurana whose secret ingredient the granddad takes to the grave with him. Omi can get one crore for the dhaba from another dhaba owner on the condition that he cough up the recipe for Chicken Khurana too. Will he be able to replicate the taste? Will he be able to get the money? and will he find true love? This makes up the rest of this dish.

The main crux of the story is the chicken recipe and the connect Omi feels with his roots through the food. But, this is too underplayed. The story ambles along slowly and nothing much happens till the interval except scene setting. The second half also gets to the point pretty slowly.The emotional quotient that could have come across strongly just does not happen.

Part of the problem could be the lead actor- Kunal Kapoor. As Omi he is very understated and passive, letting things happen to him, even the romance. Of course it makes his character more real and he looks really sweet but it lacks the punch needed to take the story forward. The epiphany when it comes to him is too watered down to make an impact. I would blame the DIrector more than him though. Huma Qureshi as Harman, the love interest, is pretty good and so is the rest of the cast.

Amit Trivedi's music is ok. His sound is sort of repetitive here though a couple of songs are good.

Overall, Love shove is a pleasant movie to watch. The setting is pretty real, the drama is kept under control and the acting is competent. However, it remains a tasty dish,lacking that vital spice just like the signature Chicken Khurana's secret ingredient to make it finger lickin' good. Ok for a one-time watch if you are really hungry for a movie.

This movie shows a girl who becomes a doctor even after staying in rural India, where most of the time, girls are not given an oppurtunity to study. Also,a love story where one marrys a widow, this is also a good point to be noticed. Then Kunal makes this movie more watchable as he turns out to be good and sophisticated actor. So, even if u have missed this movie in theatre; do watch this one at home (Not a family movie, depends again). So, just watch once for entartainment and different view of rural India(the most important part).

LSTCK has all the ingredients to make up for a perfect smoking hot chicken recipe minus the garnishing to draw you to the hot pot.

The movie brings a plethora of emotions, drama, subtle love stories , friendship , rustic north Indian village backdrop and innocence and yet lacks in glitz and strength to drive it completely.

Omi Khurana, the estranged young Khurana who ran away to the UK after robbing his own home to chase the great London dreams returns broke and indebted after a decade only hoping to raise money again to clear off his debts.A number of situations run in parallel but the story revolves around “guessing the missing “ ingredient of the famous legacy dish chicken Khurana made by now senile grand dad of Omi. A lot more situations again and finally Omi discovers the missing ingredient and finally the family is reunited with a Bong bahu entering the family and Harman as Omi's love interest and lot of telling the truth.

The plot is as simple as it can get yet the movie commendably captures relations, family ties, love, respect and an average Indian village harmonious back-drop . Especially for people who have some background of village, would enjoy the mud and clay, local shops, tractors, dhabas and most importantly the harmony and peace in the air and in people. Despite a multitude of talented artists, ineffective screenplay and dialoges leave little to for the seasoned artists .Actors like Dolly ahluwalia and Vinod Nagpal had little to contribute. Rajesh Sharma as mamajee is effective and effortless. Rest of the supporting cast have been decent. Huma khan as Harman is very much like Harman except she is a little too much for Omi 's frame(pun intended). Lastly, Kunal Kapoor as Omi is almost in every scene of the movie and has done full justice to the role but like chicken khurana, misses some ingredients still to be called a spark(or star).

Quite liked the moment between Muskaan and darjee, very Shahjahan-Mumtaaz kindaa romance but simplified like beautiful. Also the scene in which darjee recognizes Omi when Omi tries to wipe Darjee's face is very simple yet natural and emotional. Such scenes reinstate your faith in humanity and family bonding and of course bollywood story telling without requiring huge starry expensive family songs and dances like other family dramas claim to produce.

Last word, you may not come out very satisfied and basking in the effect of LSTCK but if you are really looking for some simple, light hearted movie LSTCK leaves you with some etched memories revisited of your home, background and belongings and emotions.