Like most of the Zee5 films, I liked the core concept of One Upon Two Times as well. It was a bit ‘hatke,’ a story that is not regularly told, seen, or heard. It was quite enjoyable at times but the only problem with the movie is that, when it came to storytelling, it wasn’t ambitious enough.
The curve of interest did go downwards at times but never really spiked. Most of the time, it was a flat line.
What is the story of Once Upon Two Times?
Once upon two times start with a story of a college going couple, Ahaan and Ruhi, who are very much in love with each other. Ahaan is pursuing classical singing and Ruhi is a supportive partner who is seen on the front seat for all of his performances. But as college ends and it’s time to turn passion into a career, rejection starts hitting hard and Ahaan starts losing faith in his singing. While Ruhi still wants him to work hard and follow his heart, he is adamant about quitting singing entirely and taking up higher education, settling down in life, and marrying Ruhi as for him, that’s all he wants in life.
Ruhi, on the other hand, is afraid that with long-distance, Ahaan might feel that it’s not working out which may lead to parting ways soon. As an assurance, Ahaan proposes marriage to Ruhi and wants her to travel with him. The beauty of this story lies in a sub-plot which is introduced to us after the couple’s parents’ meet to give a green signal to this marriage.
Here, we get to know that Ahaan’s father, Kaushik (played by Sanjay Suri) and Ruhi’s mother, Purnima (played by Mrinal Kulkarni) have a past. They were in love and were also planning to elope and get married but things didn’t work out and they parted ways. They still resent each other but after so many years, when that pain is still so fresh, deep down, that resentment and anger speaks of love. This single track of a middle-aged love story where both individuals are now settled in their lives but revisiting the past is still hurtful was so interesting, but unfortunately, the underlying emotions were not explored enough. More than Ahaan and Ruhi, you sit still and watch the film with interest when Kaushi and Purnima come on the screen.
Rest of the story is again predictable. Everything goes well for the young couple after a brief fight, the parents patch up, and Ahaan and Ruhi end up together. To watch or skip this movie is completely your choice. It’s a one-time watch but no harm in skipping it either.
