Ishq Express is a romantic-drama miniseries directed by Tanmai Rastogi and stars Gayatri Bhardwaj and Ritvik Sahore in lead roles. The series has 3 episodes with a runtime of around 30 minutes each.
– Ishq Express review does not contain spoilers –
Ishq Express is for everyone who is in love with trains and romanticises the idea of falling in love with the long journey home. The mini-series, with only 3 episodes, is a sweet watch with long dialogue-heavy sequences that might bore some.
The story focuses on Aarav and Tanya, two people who meet and fall for each other while going back home from Mumbai. As we watch them get close to each other and go back and forth from the past to the present, the story gives us a great encapsulation of longing and the fear of missing out.
These are two very sweet characters who are trying out their hand at dating someone they’ve had an instant connection with. Aarav, especially, is absolutely relatable in his approach towards someone he likes, although I must say that I’d not be seen dead sitting on the train floor regardless of how romantic media tries to portray it.
Nevertheless, Aarav and Tanya are quite nice to watch and feel grounded and real. Once they come to Mumbai and spend time in the real world, things stop being as romanticized and more real, just like how real life is.
However, I think Tanya’s character is extremely half-baked. You can see Aarav’s motivations and where he is coming from but she is a confusing person. The way she behaves throughout the three episodes gave me whiplash, especially in the last episode. And we feel this because we have no context regarding why she feels so strongly about certain things that happen to her since they seem innocuous enough.
However, being in college has its perks and you can forgive their silliness and miscommunications thanks to their young age. It’s relatable because you might remember something similar you might have done when you were younger.
Also Read: Snowflake Mountain Review: It’s a Sad Day to Watch Things
Communication is key in any relationship and although the Ishq Express’s story is way too simple and doesn’t delve even half as deep as the topics that it chooses to tackle, you still sympathise and relate with the characters and their heartaches and longings.
Another big part of the story is Aarav’s love for his hometown and his family which doesn’t get a satisfying ending. I wondered what it means for the family in the end after everything works out between our protagonists – do they get tossed aside again? Because I think moving your whole life around for just one person not only puts pressure on you but also on that person.
That definitely is not going to be a problem later on.
Ritvik Sahore and Gayatri Bhardwaj have good chemistry and do feel like college kids trying to figure their emotions out. Sahore, especially, fits right into the role of an awkward boy with self-esteem issues constantly second-guessing whether the girl likes him or not.
Bhardwaj, on the other hand, although unable to speak a work of Bangla, which is a personal gripe like no other in this series, plays the role of a Bengali woman who doesn’t have an ounce of Bangla in her. Plus, although her character is confusing and half-baked, she plays her role with conviction, which saves her character somewhat. However, I found her to be rather bland and uninteresting and I wonder why everyone constantly falls for her.
Summing up: Ishq Express
Ishq Express is a slow-paced drama about kids just being kids. If you’re in the mood for a quick and easy watch that reminds you of your college days, then this will fit that bill. However, there are some very obvious problems with the story, especially since it decides to introduce minor plots only to just abandon them later on.
Regardless, I found myself smiling for a greater part of the runtime and hopefully, that’s the same for others as well!
Ishq Express is streaming on Amazon miniTV.
Also Read: Yatri Kripya Dhyan De (2022) Review: Shaheer Sheikh and Shweta Basu Prasad Exceed Expectations!