The name ‘Ishaqzaade’ sounds like a cool “lover boy” to watch out for: one with a pinch of comedy, romance and drama. Well, it surely does serve all the pointed flavors but, in the end, leaves the audience puzzled over the main issue the movie was trying to address: inter caste marriages in India.

The flick revolves around the beat of a rather nasty election spree and the campaign waged by two of the dominating political groups fighting it. Arjun Kapoor debuts as Parma, who belongs to one of the warring clans and Parineeti Chopra as Zoya from its rival. The main characters, both being dynamic and fiercely loyal to their families, repeatedly get in each other’s way throughout the election campaign.

The first half of the movie, directed by Habib Faisal, ends by leaving the audience with their jaws dropping as the couple get married lovingly (and clandestinely). But Parma bails out of the marriage soon after the wedding night, calling it revenge. The second half deals with Zoya’s retribution, love and their combined struggle against their families’ wishes.

Gauhar Khan as Chanda also plays an important role in the movie as the dancer who loves Parma but helps the couple through their life.

The ending does not have a typical happy ending, one which has become all too common in Bollywood films, but leaves you feeling a mixture of remorse for the couple and hatred toward the others.

The movie basically draws the audience’s attention to inter caste marriages in the country, one of the hidden layers of our society considered a taboo. A quick glance at any local daily or online journal is enough to get a good measure of the number of such cases are reported; where people either kill their own family in the name of honor or outcaste them.

The acting in the movie definitely makes it worth a watch. Arjun Kapoor nicely portrays the character of Parma, the bold protagonist who believes in alcohol, guns and bullets while Parineeti Chopra wears the skin of Zoya with just the right amount of confidence. The duo’s chemistry brings spark to the screen.

The music is average, with ‘Pareshaan’ being the most popular track which is also used as a background score in the movie.

In conclusion, the substance of the movie could’ve been better and some scenes may have been redundant to the flow of the movie. But overall, keeping apart these facts, Ishaqzaade is definitely worth a watch.