This looks to be a season for rom-coms. Directed by a first timer – Anu Menon and starring Ali Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari in lead roles, London Paris New York (LPNY) didn’t really sound attractive on paper. But its fresh trailers and fresh pairing coupled with the romantic feel of the three cities managed to capture the attention of the public. Does it live up to the expectations?
LPNY is the story of Nikhil Chopra (Ali Zafar) and Lalitha Krishnan (Aditi Rao Hydari) and their journey across three of the most beautiful cities on the planet across a time span of more than 5 years. Both of them meet by chance at London Heathrow and as luck would have had it, they spend an entire day together. The day is enough to let a few sparks fly between them. But then its another 2 years before they meet again this time in Paris and there the real truth comes out on what exactly happened in the interim. The meeting lasts again just for a day! The finale is played out in New York.
The plot isn’t really anything to talk about. Love happening over a period of 3 days across continents, across years is a bit too much to take! But then what makes this movie work is the characters. It’s not Ali Zafar or Aditi Rao you are seeing on screen. It’s Nikhil Chopra and Lalitha Krishnan. They are like any couple going around. The instances when they fight, patch up, laugh, smile, cry; all seem straight out of real life. Any couple would associate themselves with the sequences.
The narrative is a bit slow. But the energy and vivaciousness of both the characters keeps the interest alive throughout. The London and New York sequences are the best while the Paris one is a bit out of place.
The songs which are such a key component of a rom-com are very much in sync with the flavour of the movie. Ali Zafar, the composer, lyricist and the singer for almost all of the songs has created a pretty well rounded musical score. “Vo Dekhnay Mein” and the title track stand out.
He can act. He can sing. He can write the lyrics. He can compose songs. He can dance. What can he not do? Ali Zafar delivers an amazing performance. He looks good and manages to break the audience into guffaws with his witty one – liners. His outburst during the climax is another proof of his acting prowess. Aditi looks beautiful particularly in the London and New York sequences. She aptly complements Ali in comic, romantic and even intense sequences.
Go for it with your loved one. You will come out with a smile 
.
Rating – 3/5
