Two beautiful people tied by love

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London Paris New York is a light, cute love story that is upfront about its intentions, but not its inspiration. In the first scene itself we hear about Mills & Boon, so we figure where it’s headed. And as the film progresses, hopping from one kiss in one country to another longing kiss in another, we see and hear Before Sunrise and Before Sunset (starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy).

Like its inspirations, London Paris New York is about a boy and a girl — Nikhil (Ali Zafar), and Lalitha Krishnan (Aditi Rao Hydari). Lalitha is the serious sort. Prodigy child of Brahmin parents, she intends to study politics and return to India to make a difference. Nikhil is the spoilt, impulsive son of fawning Punjabi parents who is joining a film school in London. If he’s in the mood, he’ll make a few films. Mostly, though, he’s looking for a good time with attractive company.
The two meet at Heathrow, London, after she misses her connecting flight to New York. She has a day to kill and nowhere to go. So Nikhil, who carries around some baggage about his dead brother and fussy parents, offers to spend the day with her.
They walk around London, chatting about their lives, likes and dislikes, drinking, singing songs and connecting in a way that’s new for both of them. It’s 2005, when they sealed their special day with a kiss, and the promise to meet in New York six months later. But, insists, Lalitha, no letters, no phone calls, no emails. Nikhil says okay and buys a ticket to New York.
Next it’s 2007, Paris. Lalitha now has a charming pixie haircut, wears short dresses, red lipstick and drinks a lot. Nikhil tracks her down, at the Sorbonne, where she’s on an exchange programme. They spend the day together, chat, drink, kiss and take it to the bedroom. But soon after they wake up together in the morning, Lalitha walks out on Nikhil, telling him what happened that day they were supposed to meet, and that his film is “shitty and fake”.
Nikhil makes a better film, goes to New York to promote it, and late at night knocks on Lalitha’s apartment door. This happens, according to the film, circa today. There is no other destination, all that has to happen must happen here, because the film is called London Paris New York.

I haven’t seen Before Sunrise and Before Sunset in their entirety, just snippets on YouTube, but I have it on good authority that both, especially Before Sunrise, are super films. London Paris New York is not bad either. It’s sweet, simple and there are moments that are definitely moving and adorable, especially since Ali Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari are beautiful people and efficient actors who seem in love and even have nice sexual tension going.
The film’s dialogues are central to its plot, especially since all that the two do when they meet is talk. It’s through their banter that we get to know them and initially, at least, stand with the innocent, Bambi-eyed Lalitha who is relishing her first kiss, first love. And because Nikhil seems too besotted, too soon.
But as the film progresses, our concern and loyalties shift, and in the film’s real climatic scene, when Nikhil tells Lalitha that she used him, that she’s a tease who wasted so many days and nights and months and years because she wanted to prove a point, Ali Zafar grabs the film and, as they say on American Idol, owns it.