The film seeks to address Gen Z’s uncertainty about love and rebounding.

Since they were little children, Sahir (Jibraan Khan), Sanya (Pashmina Roshan), and Raghav (Rohit Saraf) have been best friends. A couple named Sanya and Sahir split up because of significant disagreements. Raghav and his lover Riya (Naila Grrewal) split up at the same time. When Sanya and Raghav kiss one day, their “love story” on the rebound starts.

A rebound love tale involving two closest friends who betray a third friend seems intriguing on paper. It makes you wonder what will happen to the friendship and how the love story will develop. Regretfully, it is where the main idea starts and finishes. The rest of “Ishq Vishk Rebound” is a mishmash of concepts that don’t quite work.

The film seeks to address Gen Z’s uncertainty about love and rebounding. But nothing in the movie seems authentically Gen Z. Furthermore, none of the characters truly love one another. Things move so quickly that we never have time to really connect with somebody. The beginning of Raghav and Sanya’s rebound romance is unaffected by the breakup scenes. The performers seem to be merely following directions and going through the motions.

The rom-com appeal of the original “Ishq Vishk,” which starred Shahid Kapoor, Amrita Rao, and Shehnaz Treasurywala, is sorely missed in “Ishq Vishk Rebound.” Even if the 2003 film had its share of problems, it was nevertheless entertaining, and the characters had enough intrigue to keep us wondering who would end up with whom. Watching the 2024 version is akin to viewing a bad big-screen “Mismatched” episode from Netflix. The movie doesn’t do a good job of developing a captivating love tale or introducing interesting characters.

Raghav, played by Rohit Saraf, seems to be a continuation of his “Mismatched” character Rishi Shekhawat. Despite his strong acting and performance, the storyline prevents him from reaching his full potential. Raghav, as portrayed by Rohit, lacks intensity. Not even the part where he snaps at his buddies makes an impression. It’s also not fun when the fourth wall is consistently broken.

As stated in the movie, Pashmina Roshan plays Sanya, a fiery teenager with father difficulties. Her sentiments for any of the boys, or her troubles with her father, don’t feel genuine. Because of how bad the writing is, Pashmina finds it difficult to make Sanya seem like a real person, let alone likeable. It appears that Jibraan Khan may have added some complexity to the narrative. The performer does a good job in the short scenes he is in. The film utilizes Naila Grrewal’s ability to no use. Influencer Kusha Kapila has more scenes than she does, despite the lackluster nature of her role!

Nipun Dharmadhikari thought of a clever concept, but he couldn’t carry it through. The storyline unravels in the final thirty minutes. Despite the film’s title, “Ishq Vishk Rebound,” it is clear that there isn’t any charming youthful love here. It’s not fun.

Sonu Nigam’s song “Ishq Vishk Pyaar Vyaar” is one highlight; it makes you grin a lot. Taken from the 2003 movie, it’s a fun scene.

Finally, “Ishq Vishk Rebound” has the potential to be a fascinating examination of love and friendship in the setting of contemporary relationships. But because of its shoddy execution, bad screenplay, and lack of any character development, it fails. A chance to make a memorable rom-com for the Gen Z audience was lost.