‘Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan’ Movie Review: Shanaya Kapoor and Vikrant Massey’s Blindfolded Romance Loses Sight of Its Emotional Connect! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan Movie Review: This is the second Hindi film I’ve watched in the last couple of weeks where a character is asked to scream their lungs out to release frustration (the first being Metro In Dino). It’s also the second time where I found the songs pleasant, but that didn't quite translate into a satisfying movie experience. Now that's said, let’s talk about Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, the film that finally gives another industry nepo kid - Shanaya Kapoor - her long-awaited big screen debut. Strangely, it’s not via Karan Johar, though not for lack of trying on his part. Bedhadak: Gurfateh Pirzada Believes His Shelved Dharma Movie With Shanaya Kapoor 'Will Happen at a Better Time'.

The most striking element about Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, even more than the unconventional pairing of Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor, is the credit: 'Written and Created by Mansi Bagla.' I've seen that in television, but rarely (if ever) in a Hindi film. Of course, it helps that Bagla is also the film’s producer, because in Indian cinema, giving due credit to writers still feels like a reluctant favour.

'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' Movie Review - The Plot

The film revolves around Jahaan (Vikrant Massey) and Saba (Shanaya Kapoor), who meet in a first AC train coach on a journey from Delhi to Mussoorie. She’s wearing a blindfold as part of her 'method acting' for a screen test. Don’t ask.

He’s actually visually impaired, but doesn’t tell her. Again, don’t ask. She tags along with him after landing in Mussoorie for support and even ends up staying with him in the same resort room. They obviously fall in love. He still doesn’t tell her he’s blind. And then, he ghosts her, leaving without ever letting her see his face.

Watch the Trailer of 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan':

Three years later, fate intervenes for them in Georgia. She’s now in a relationship with her theatre director Abhinav (an earnest Zain Khan Durrani), and Jahaan, under a new identity, is hired to compose music for their play. What happens next? You don’t need to be, err... perfect sight to see where this is heading.

'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' Movie Review - Contrived Setup

The basic premise of Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan is borrowed from Ruskin Bond’s short story The Eyes Have It, which follows two strangers on a train journey who only realise at the end that the other is visually impaired. The film takes a sliver of this idea and stretches it far beyond the original, which isn’t inherently a bad thing. Vikrant Massey’s debut film, Lootera, was also adapted from O Henry’s The Last Leaf, yet it skilfully expanded the source material into a poignant tale of love, betrayal and loss.

Sadly, lightning doesn’t strike twice for Massey here. Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan feels contrived in its setup, starting with its lead characters. Beyond the irony of casting a nepo baby in a role that lectures about struggle and method acting - opposite an actor who actually struggled - Saba’s whole 'method' approach is laughably ill-conceived. Blindfolding herself for 20 days to prep for a film? At least do it at home instead of being a walking hazard. And how exactly does a lonely trip to Mussoorie help her acting? Also, why specifically 20 days?

This makes you wonder if Vikrant Massey did any method prep for this role - or if being blind by propagandised nationalism is enough to make him role-ready. ‘The Sabarmati Report’ Movie Review: To No One’s Surprise, Vikrant Massey’s Film Is Undisguised Propaganda Masquerading As ‘Investigative’ Drama.

'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' Movie Review - Weak Plot Conflict

Despite the silliness, there’s some charm in the initial spark between Saba and Jahaan. Massey and Shanaya have discernible chemistry, but it’s not enough to make you forget how bizarre it is that nobody around them questions a blindfolded woman walking hand-in-hand with a blind man, like some modern-day Gandhari and Dhritarashtra cosplay.

But the film really lost me in what’s meant to be its most serious emotional moment. After sharing a kiss that leads to an awkward silence, Saba and Jahaan have a heart-to-heart conversation through a wall - a moment that feels conspicuously like actors performing on a split screen. Saba starts monologuing about how the visually impaired need dignity, not pity, after spending just a few days pretending to be blind. Honestly, it plays more like satire on shallow wokeness than a sincere revelation. She didn’t even know Jahaan was blind, making her rant unintentionally hilarious and painfully shallow.

'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' Movie Review - A Predictable Second Half

Their eventual separation - right after they consummate their relationship - feels equally forced. Jahaan ghosts her without explanation. Later, he justifies it by saying he wanted to be someone’s 'choice, not adjustment.' Fair point, but maybe have that conversation before sleeping with her?

Once the story shifts to Georgia, the plot locks into a painfully predictable groove. Enter Abhinav, the green-flag boyfriend who’s easy to root for, until the film needs you to switch teams. So, it makes him use the word 'blind' in anger, prompting Saba to correct him with 'specially abled.' One tiny slip is enough to start tilting the scales in Jahaan’s favour, never mind that he traumatised her with his vanishing act.

The contrivances never let up. In one particularly bizarre sequence, an intoxicated Saba and Jahaan, their drinks having been spiked, confront their lingering feelings. What should feel surreal instead plays out awkwardly, with the characters oscillating between emotional stances like metronomes. The worst is what happens with Saba - there is absolutely no agency for this girl, who finds herself at the mercy of two men's decisions to shape up her love life at various junctures of her life. The blindfold must have gone away from her eyes, but not from her senses.

By the time the story chugs back to the railway station for its grand finale, I found myself longing for someone to have pulled the emergency brake during their initial journey, sparing us this tedious ride.

'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' Movie Review - The Performances and the Music

Shanaya Kapoor shows some promise in her debut, and thankfully, her role sits safely within a comfort zone. Vikrant Massey delivers his customary solid performance, though even his talents can't redeem the lacklustre writing. And why does Massey's mere presence seem to inspire dialogue writers to compose philosophical sonnets, not just for his character, but for everyone around him?

The real star of the show, though, is the soundtrack - melodic, emotional, and deserving of a much better film to live in.

'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan tries to be a soulful love story but ends up as a blindfolded stumble through clichés, contrivances, and melodrama. Between inexplicable character turns and a romance that ghosts common sense, it’s less Ruskin Bond and more soap opera. The only thing truly worth seeing (or hearing) here is the soundtrack - and even that deserves a movie that’s not this dramatically confused.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 11, 2025 05:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).