Feb 21, 2018
Today’s movie is “Love Per Square Foot” (2018), the first Netflix original film from India, directed by Anand Tiwari and written in collaboration with Asif Ali Beg and Sumeet Vyas. The film follows Sanjay Chaturvedi (Vicky Kaushal) and Karina D’Souza (Angira Dhar), two bank co-workers, as they attempt to purchase a home using a marriage scheme while managing their lives at work and home.
It’s hard to judge a Bollywood film if the genre doesn’t excite you. As far as Bollywood films go, “Love Per Square Foot” has all the right elements. Musical numbers. Complex love story. Melodrama. Religious differences. And most importantly, and especially, set against the background of Mumbai’s social classes and changing cultural expectations. It is a mélange of all the right elements... and, unfortunately, an at-best tenuous story.
The premise of using a marriage scheme to secure property isn’t a bad one, but I didn’t like how it was executed. Sanjay and Karina fall in love way too fast, which seems unlikely given Sanjay’s obsession with Rashi Khurana (Alankrita Sahai), his superior at the bank. In fact, we see more relationship development between Sanjay and Rashi than we ever see between Sanjay and Karina. And while I know the endgame is Sanjay and Karina, the eventual ending feels rushed and incomplete, just like the deadline to get married to keep the property.
“Love Per Square Foot” is long, not atypical for Bollywood, but also not great for the meandering storyline. Sanjay and Karina are rarely together after they meet and after one long date, mostly caught up in their disparate lives and families, and managing their other relationships. None of the subplots surrounding Sanjay or Karina are terribly important to the overall storyline, although they do fit the Bollywood mold. I feel like cutting back on a few subplots and reallocating that time to developing their relationship would have served the film well.
This is the first of six films Netflix will be producing in India and distributing worldwide. My problems with the story and message aside, the musical numbers and costumes are gorgeous and engaging, an incredible amount of fun for fans of Bollywood and/or romantic comedies. If you are looking for more than two hours of family drama, this film is for you.
Rotten Tomatoes: NR
Metacritic: NR
One Movie Punch: 6.2/10
“Love Per Square Foot” is rated TV-14 and is currently streaming on Netflix.