Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan review: Shanaya Kapoor's debut with Vikrant Massey is love story that can't see beyond its flaws

Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan movie review: Directed by Santosh Singh, it falters as a romance lacking depth and emotional resonance.

Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan movie review
Starring: Vikrant Massey & Shanaya Kapoor
Director: Santosh Singh
Star rating: ★★

Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan review: Despite a confident debut by Shanaya Kapoor and decent performance from Vikrant Massey, the film fails to ignite passion, leaving viewers disappointed.

“Pyaar andha hota hai (Love is blind).” Trust me, there’s no wordplay here — that’s an actual line from Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, a film about Jahaan, a visually-challenged singer, who meets Saba (played by Shanaya Kapoor in her debut) on a train to a scenic destination. She’s an aspiring actor, blindfolded as part of her prep for a role. She has no idea that he cannot see — and thus begins their story.

A half-baked love story

There’s a reason the Ruskin Bond story that inspired this, The Eyes Have It, was a short story: the longer the narrative stretches, the more it loses its grip.

The film stumbles right at the start. A girl boards a train to an unknown place with a stranger and doesn’t take off her blindfold even once? Sure, let’s accept the suspension of disbelief. Move past that, and you're treated to a few beautiful locations and pleasant music. Unfortunately, that’s about it.

Written by Mansi Bagla — who also shares screenplay and dialogue credits with Santosh Singh and Niranjan Iyenger — the film starts off as a unique romance. You feel a breath of fresh air, only for it to quickly run stale. The plot lacks depth. Even the dramatic moments that usually elevate conventional love stories are missing. There’s no spark. You wait for that one scene, that one emotional beat that redeems the film, but it never arrives.

The first half is spent in hope. The second begins with it too. But it doesn't even have the charm of scenic backdrops to hold your interest. You’re left with a love story with no highs, no passion, no tension.

Performance report card

Shanaya Kapoor makes a confident debut, even if her character (or the story) doesn't give her much to work with. Vikrant Massey, usually reliable, is decent but not at his best. His role as a visually-challenged man had the potential for nuance, but he doesn’t quite land it. Zain Khan Durrani, as Shanaya’s other love interest Abhinav, is adequate.

The music, composed by Vishal Mishra, is soothing and perhaps the only element that truly works.

In the end, Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyaan feels like a love letter that never reached its destination. It tries to tug at your heartstrings but ends up playing out of tune. You’re left wishing the film had seen its own potential more clearly — instead, it stumbles blindly in search of a spark that never quite ignites.