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On the face of it, 2 States looks like just another cross cultural love story. Punjabi boy (Arjun Kapoor) meets South-Indian girl (Alia Bhatt) and after a few scenes of physical intimacy, they fall in love with each other. The real trouble though begins when the respective families enter the picture. Then this film becomes not so much about the marriage of two individuals but rather the union of two distinct families. As expected, the film is chock-full of cliches and stereotypes. But then again you cannot have a film with such a subject matter and not expect at least a few cultural jibes. It mostly stays true to Chetan Bhagat's novel adding a few elements here and there. However what begins as a regular Karan Johar type flick turns into a sensitive, heart-warming and ultimately endearing little film. Diretor Abhishek Varman does a fine job of keeping the drama under-stated. The film ultimately comes across as more of a family drama than a rom-com but this works in its favour and sets it apart from the dime-a-dozen college rom-com flicks. Arjun Kapoor gets rid of his loud, aggressive image and delivers a very controlled performance. He is charming when he needs to be and is a real treat to watch. Alia Bhatt does not have much to do except smile and look pretty and she does that very well in a role tailor made for Kareena Kapoor. The leading pair's chemistry is an added bonus. Somehow the film seems to focus more on Arjun and his family and their characters feel much more fleshed out. The supporting cast is brilliant. Amrita Singh is in good form as the loud Punjabi mom while Ronit Roy puts in his brooding Udaan act once again. Revathi and Shiv Kumar complement them well. -- Published on April 19, 2014
