Review | 'Aisa Waisa Pyaar' is a collection of short stories about love that even a cynic will love

Rajit Kapur and Sheeba Chaddha in 'Aisa Waisa Pyaar', streaming on Eros Now from October 27, 2021. (Image: screen grab)

The choice of stories in Eros Now's Aisa Waisa Pyaar is certainly better than what we have seen in the last year on any OTT platform. That’s awesome news for all of us who are fed up with content that seems to be regurgitated from the same tropes.

So it’s four stories about love, starting with two young friends. It resonated with me because so many romances begin with people being best friends. The best example in the movies, perhaps, is When Harry Met Sally.

Prit Kamani and Ahsaas Channa yak away through the evenings, on the phone, as just about all young people do. Conversations that establish their friendship are so real, I wondered if someone eavesdropped on my conversation with my bestie. The story takes a fun, unexpected turn and ends on such a fun note, it makes you smile and feel all warm inside. I am sure I called my bestie who laughed and laughed at a small story turning me into a mush puddle.

The song ‘Tu Dekh’ that comes up with the credits is so good, you won’t mind the credits rolling. Well done singer Sid Paul and lyricist Ayush Kapoor.

The second story starts in a parking lot when an SUV pulls in. By the time you stop gawping at Adah Sharma’s lovely haircut, you start laughing at how she reacts to the annoying kid you watched in the first part. And then there’s Ahsaas too! Clever connection.

They tell you in film school that it’s really tough to work with animals and children. So when a sad Labrador is rescued, you think this is going to be a disaster. But how lovely is the montage! It’s rare to see actors really play with dogs on film. Plus the animals know when it’s fake - they tend to look away. But it’s truly wonderful to see the dog and the girl interact. I groaned at the end, but if you’ve been through a loss or know someone who has lost a partner, you know that this story has a big heart.

The third story revolves around Sheeba Chaddha and Rajit Kapur, and there’s lots of Shah Rukh Khan love here. And what you hear in Hollywood movies at weddings: in sickness and in health…

The annoying child connects this story too but Rajit Kapur’s love for his wife will bring a tear to your eye and you’ll want to hug him as the physio girl (Nidhi Singh) shows up. The story is so good, you will want to pause the show reluctantly and make yourself a cup of adrak chai. I loved the song ‘Kinara’ written by Durgesh Singh and sung again by Sid Paul.

That brings us to the fourth story where the annoying child makes an appearance again, not just with his father, but mum as well. This time they’re watching a movie which has our protagonist - Saqib Saleem - waiting for his girlfriend to show up for a movie.

I laughed because I have been there. I love watching all the commercials and the mandatory National Anthem while balancing my giant tub of popcorn (caramel and cheese mixed, please) and samosas and chai. My friends never ever show up on time. And when they do, they want to know all that they’ve missed.

So when Nidhi Singh, who played the physio in the last film, shows up, and begins talking to our lad who is chomping through the popcorn (and sulking) while watching the movie, you sort of guess what conversation might happen, but it’s been written so nicely, you don’t mind the repartee.

The show gets over too soon, though. And that is an achievement because I did not use the ‘forward by ten seconds’ button even once. For an OTT show, especially because we have seen so many annoying love stories over the last few years, this is practically brilliant.

I hate the title ‘Aisa Waisa Pyaar’, but the stories are a fun watch. Does this mean I will be subscribing to the content on Eros Now? Probably.