Director and writer Mr. Shashank Khaitan is first rate as a director but was under pressure to make this movie 'Hat Ke'. First half is romantic comedy with very good addition of sub plots, like brother accepting arrange marriage even being in love with another girl. This plot is simple but used and developed in good way. Yes main female back story of not believing in love because she was cheated by a boy is lame. Then coming to a common point with male lead for fixing her elder sister marriage and then love blossoms between them is shown in entertaining way. Some scenes are quirky but very entertaining like offering marriage proposal while singer is singing Mata Ka Jagran, Goons attack the couple but rather than intension of molesting girl they target boy creates humor but a bit long. At interval point the reason is thrown to audience just for shock but it smashes female lead character. Her reasoning for her act was not justified in second half according to her action. Male lead father being very angry like normally girl father used to behave in that situation is also not going well with the characterization. It was just for length and drama sake. Interval point clearly shown that movie is going to slip badly from Director. Second half starts with typical melo-drama. A bit of scuffle, cute Police angle, then drunken scenes, then live in and all that. Movie becomes slow in second half even after high dose of drama. You neither laugh nor feel that much intensity and it also reflects some humor angle too. Camera work by Neha Parti Matiyani is just fantastic. Film looks so vibrant and beautiful. Performance wise film is also in two parts. First half is full of smooth and fine performances but second half offers unbalanced by same artists. Varun Dhawan as Badrinath is first rate. His accent, body language are just impeccable. Alia Bhatt is brilliant with her emotions and innocence. Yash Sinha as Badrinath's elder brother is balanced and swift with expressions. Sahil Vaid as his friend Somdev is endearing and smooth. Sweta Prasad as sister in law is fine. Actor, who played his father, looks weak when he should have carried typical negative look. Something wrong with his make up too especially beard. Climax comes with a cute message but again with full unnecessary drama.
