Lagna Mubarak

Story: Shiv is swept off his feet when he first sees Sara, a new student at his college, but the duo must overcome some hurdles to be together.

Review: Sometimes, seemingly simple stories falter in terms of execution. Lagna Mubarak is a good example of this.

The movie opens with a Baahubali like scene where our protagonist Shiv (Siddhant Mooley), a follower of Shivaji Maharaj, is seen carrying the Maratha king’s idol on his shoulder. There is a sense of déjà vu while watching the film and it continues throughout. The first half focusses on the blooming romance between Shiv and Sara (Prarthana Behere), a la Kuch Kuch Hota Hai style. Also, just like the tomboyish Kajol from the film, Shiv’s friend Isha (Sanskruti Balgude) swallows her feelings for our leading man and instead helps the couple in their love affair. However, soon enough, Sara’s family learns of the budding Hind-Muslim alliance and they take her away from the college. This gets us to the second half of the movie where Shiv, with the help of his loyal friend Irfan (Sanjay Jadhav), continues his efforts of winning Sara back. However, Sara’s brother (Aastad Kale), becomes the biggest obstacle in Shiv’s way.

The movie is nothing but a tiring mix of all the love stories we have grown up watching. It ends up wasting a strong ensemble of actors. Siddhant, though sincere, is inconsistent in his performance while Sanskruti, Prarthana and Sanjay have had better roles in the past. Mahesh Manjrekar’s forced cameo is negligible. However, Aastad lends credibility and stands out in the negative role.

Sagar Pathak’s film would have made a better watch if he would have done away with the banal drama, but Lagna Mubarak falls prey to stereotypes and formulaic direction. You can watch this one at your risk.