Jabariya Jodi Review: Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra's Bihari diction fails to stir magic

Ara and Ballia Patna's Bahubali Abhay Singh (Sidharth Malhotra) is an expert on 'Jabariya Vivah'. He earns a living by kidnapping grooms and marrying them to brides whose families are unable to pay a fat dowry in exchange. Directed by his overbearing father Hukum Singh (Javed Jaffrey) and collaborating with his gang, he performs the feat very successfully.

Abhay is at the top of his game and believes that by abducting the greedy groom and getting them married, he is doing a virtuous work for the girl child that deserves him a berty at the elections

Things change when his childhood sweetheart Babli (Parineeti Chopra) re-enters his life after 15 years, at the later's friend's wedding. Babli too is no less domineering than Abhay Singh.

Her character starts off being quite feisty, earning the moniker ‘Babli Bomb’ for publicly beating up her boyfriend, for being stood up. Babli's father Biswanlal (Sanjay Mishra) is a simple teacher and Aparshakti Khurana is the forever friendzoned lover.

Abhay Singh and Babli love resurfaces, but now Abhay Singh's focus demand him to be more on winning elections than on love and marriage. 

Director Prashant Singh has managed to garner many moments of humor and entertainment in the film's first half, but the story loses its direction in the second half. The film plays with many characters in many directions at the same time and no track is able to hold on the one's interest for long. The film is loud in many places. The climax appears to be too stretched.  The story becomes increasingly melodramatic, robbing the film of its humour or the impact for the message that it tries to deliver.

Sadly, despite working hard in colorful clothes and Bihari accent, Siddharth could not overcome his classy and urban image. At the same time, the labour of Parineeti's charming acting chops as 'Babli' gets buried under stylish clothes and makeup. 

Javed Jaffrey and Sanjay Mishra have added life to their characters. Aparshakti Khurana and Chandan Roy Sanyal too have done a good job. The supporting cast is decent. 

Jabariya Jodi with its punch lines and some really sarcastic comments on the society starts on a promising note, but loses fizz somewhere along the way. It tries to throw light on serious issues with lighter moments, but its melodramatic and unrealistic narrative butchers all the feel to stardust.