'Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya' Review: Charming Leads Salvage Sketchy Narrative

As humans fear being overtaken by Artificial Intelligence in the workplace, maybe the day is not too far when it also starts playing a pivotal role in our personal and most intimate relationships.

'Teri Baaton Mein Aise Uljha Jiya' follows the trajectory of the human and robot love stories once seen in Hollywood "Her", Robots" as well as popular K-dramas such as 'My Holo Love', "I Am Not A Robot'.

It seems the Robot is the only one who can solve commitment-phobic Aryan aka Aaru(Shahid Kapoor) who is constantly being badgered by his family to get married. He is a robotic programmer who works in a plush robotic office and his super-creator 'maasi' Urmila(Dimple Kapadia) gives him the perfect chance to move to the United States of America and wants him to work at her company E Robotics.

She introduces him to the super-intelligent Sifra (Kriti Sanon) and there is a task that she cannot do, a sport she cannot play, there is a task she cannot accomplish and a language she cannot speak.

She seems perfectly tailored rather programmed for him, and before you know it, the man is smitten. Though he is a bit baffled by how she seems so compliant, and even when she tells him my battery is down, he takes it otherwise. Until the big reveal, the girl is a robot. Sifra is the result of the lab's 13-year endeavour to create a human-like robot.

Though shocked and seeing Sifra so nonchalant, he is baffled but has also found the perfect bait in her to get his family off his back. "Main toa sirf ek saal ki hun", she tells his family who are shocked to see a perfect 'bahu' material in her, who has downloaded every custom and tradition.

Shahid Kapoor brings back his signature 'Ishq Vishq' style of romance, and he endears as the cocksure Aaryan, who has a repartee and a punch line for every situation. Kriti Sanon as the impassive and mechanical Sifra excels in a part, that is tricky to execute.

'Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya', the long-winded title of a film feels a bit stretched as it gives us a hotchpotch of genres. Sci-fi meets 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun ' vibe, with a rom-com thrown in along with several tropey characters. The loving 'khandaan' finds the perfect "bahu" in Sifra, who is willing to adhere and comply with whatever is expected of her and never lags in her duties.

As she dutifully responds with a 'theek hai' to everything expected of her. After all, is this not what has been expected of women all along? Don't ask, don't" react, but must adhere to the commands and demands of family and society. When Aaryan's brother takes advantage of her, his response is "She is just a robot anyway."

Dimple Kapadia and Dharmendra are endearing and scene-stealers.

Though the message is in the right place, as it satirises society and its attitude towards women. One of the first of its kind in Bollywood, one cannot help but applaud the attempt in that direction, But it's the writing, which falls short and lags at places and parts, making the narrative confusing at times.

High on production and its CGI and VFX are on point, the film is saved by its lead pair, who give pitch-perfect performances in an otherwise sketchy narrative.