There is a sartorial elegance and old world charm about ‘Gustaakh Ishq’. Not surprising, as it is produced by fashion designer Manish Malhotra. None of them are dressed to kill but viewers will be charmed by the gracefully draped sarees, minimalist sherwanis and the touch of nawabi languor the characters occupy their crumbling havelis with. They are not willing to cry over ‘split mulk’.
The characters are all Muslim. But they don’t recite the namaaz nor is the azan heard in the background. The narrative occupies its world comfortably. There is a sense of time coming to a halt as characters weave their way through courtship from behind veils and romance that cannot be found in an app. Shayari adds another layer to the luminous labyrinth of subplots.
A young publisher, Nawabbuddin (Vijay Varma), travels from his home in Delhi to a small culturally plush town in Punjab to learn from an aging poet Aziz (a magnificent Naseeruddin Shah). Predictably, Nawabuddin’s self interest evaporates when he meets the poet’s quiet but determined daughter Minni (Fatima Sana Shaikh).
It is a light story buoyed by excellent writing and Vibhu Puri’s gentle direction. The pace, though languorous, never weighs on the characters. These are people who belong to another era and are unapologetic about the absence of animation in their slow lives.
The actors ensure viewers’ interest doesn’t flag even when the plot seems to be heading nowhere. The film is shot like a dream, with relics and monuments that come alive as characters.
Gulzar’s lyrics are, as expected, an asset. However, Vishal Bhardwaj’s music is nothing we haven’t heard before.
What works in the film’s favour is its deliberate ruminative mood.