'Akaash Vani' Review Roundup: Critics Give Thumbs Up

"Akaash Vani" is a romantic film directed by Luv Ranjan, who first shot to fame with his cult hit "Pyaar Ka Punchnama". The film, which features Kartik Tiwari and Nushrat Bharucha in the lead roles, received positive to mixed reviews from film reviewers.

Here is what critics have to say:   

Mohar Basu of Koimoi.com said: "When Luv Ranjan's Pyaar Ka Punchnama released, it worked for its sarcastically and wittedly told story. I remember walking out of the hall, still laughing at Kartik Tiwari's awesome 5 minutes of comical yet stellar women bashing! Ranjan comes back this time to narrate a diametrically opposite story. Akash Vani is all about college romance forced by circumstances to remain unrequited and is wound up quite shabbily in the climax.

"While expectations are sky rocketing high from Luv Ranjan, his story was clearly disappointing. The film which was directed towards the younger faction of the audience will surely not be able to please them, at least the urban audience. While the romance of Akaash and Vaani is quite impressionable, it is hard to buy that a girl educated at India's one of the most premier colleges acts so dim wittedly. 

"The film makes for a decent one time watch. Watch it just for the beautiful and enchanting chemistry of Nushrat and Kartik! A double thumbs up to the duo."

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama said: "From its trailer clips, it's palpable that AKAASHVANI too fits in the romantic variety, a genre that's beaten to death by the dream merchants in Mumbai. But Luv Ranjan assures that AKAASHVANI does not veer into the banal and repetitive zone, does not become just an additional love yarn to hit the Hindi screen. Sure, it's about a good looking pair and the ups and downs in their lives. But what you carry home, besides this loveable pair, are some incredible moments that arouse myriad emotions as you partake in Akaash and Vani's journey. This in itself is the strength of this endeavor! 

"Like PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA, AKAASHVANI also has a bond with realism. It's about the present times. It communicates the contemporary lingo. Yet, it has the old world charisma that still makes you go weak in your knees. It has shades of everything, from fidelity and commitment to resentment and mistrust to anguish and betrayal. 

"On the whole, AKAASHVANI appeals for the characters that Luv Ranjan has created as well as the buoyancy and gusto with which the principal actors bring alive the characters on screen. The movie contains just the right blend of sparkle and spice and is definitely worthy of a watch. Go for it!"

Ananya Bhattacharya of Zee News said: "From a talented director like Luv Ranjan, 'Akaash Vani' is almost a disappointment in parts. The story is fresh - no doubts about that, but it plays with clichés. So while there are moments which define it and turn it into a brilliantly made film, there are others which take away some parts of the same brilliance. 'Akaash Vani' has some scenes which can move even a heart of stone to tears, yet at others can make one wish it didn't go on for so long. For at a runtime of 149 minutes, the film might find it hard to grab the twenty-first century youngster's attention - whose love story the film tries to portray on celluloid. The redeeming factor of 'Akaash Vani' is the superb, solid performance by its lead cast - Nushrat Bharucha and Kartik Tiwari - take a bow.

"As far as art direction is concerned, there are scenes which are lifted straight out of a dream perhaps - and hats off to the brains behind it for the same! Cascading rivers, picturesque locales, snowfalls and hilltop cottages - Luv Ranjan makes poetry come alive on screen. 

"The film stands out in its make-believe moments. It makes you want to fall in love yet again, without really making a great impact on the mind - blame the tried and tested climax for that. But watch it for Nushrat and Kartik. The duo deserves an extra star for their performance. Three out of five from me for 'Akaash Vani'."

Subhash K Jha of IANS said: "In one of the film's high dramatic moments shot on a small deserted railway station in the night, the film's protagonists, now estranged by an unfortunate series of circumstances, sit on the bench and... well, they sob. Yes, they simply cry their hearts out. First, the girl. Then in a melancholic celebration of the me-too syndrome, the boy, now alas no longer a boy (and he smokes to prove it), also breaks into little sobs that build up into a wail as theshehnai, indicative of a cruel marital joke, plays in the background.

"The world of "Akaash Vani" is far removed from the bantering bawdy backchat of "Pyaar Ka Punchnama". But that is the beauty of the second film. It tells you that the director is not frozen in his initial world.

"With first-rate performances by both Nushrat and Kartik, this is one love story you can't afford to miss."