Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video review: Rajkummar-Triptii’s film is a yawnfest

As 90s kids, when I say I miss the 90s, I mean the aesthetics, the songs, the over-the-top harmless gigs, and a sense of guilty pleasure. So, when director-writer Raj Shaandilyaa gave his word to bring back the lost flavour of the 90s with Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, it held a promise to entertain, the old-school way. But let’s just say not all promises are meant to be fulfilled.
Set in 1997, when Rishikesh was a part of Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand), Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) is a mehndi artist who is in love with Vidya (Triptii Dimri), a doctor by profession. Please note their profession is of little or no significance in this story. After a stretched love siyappa, they manipulate their families into accepting their marriage. On a Goa honeymoon, Vicky suggests Vidya that they record themselves in their intimate moments because foreigners do it. It is all hunky-dory till the CD gets misplaced, opening a floodgate for chaos.
On paper, the story seems to have a lot of potential to develop into a full-fledged comedy. Let me repeat. It had the potential, but Raj gets too ambitious by wanting to incorporate a little of everything. Result? It’s a bland khichdi with no aftertaste. The tone of the film keeps stumbling between comedy, horror and melodrama, never fleshing out enough for one to completely invest in it. It had borrowed plots from Dhamaal, Welcome, and Stree (what!), perhaps triggering the franchise fandom into asking “Kehna kya chahate ho?”
Here’s the trailer:

The screenplay is as mediocre as it can get, with the writing ranging between poor and very poor. What started seeming like a 90s parody in the first half soon became a yawnfest in the second, with the last 15 minutes adding a tinge of melodrama that no one asked for.
When you have a talented star like Rajkummar Rao, the scope of going wrong is minimal, but sadly, Raj is not given enough tropes to explore. The writing never allows Vicky to go beyond a formulaic portrayal. Raj has previously featured in Guns and Gulaabs where the story was set in the 90s, and he was fantastic in it. This film marks Triptii’s second attempt at comedy and while the actor puts in her efforts, it is clear that comedy is not truly her forte as yet. The fact that the writing did not give the duo enough space to explore decent chemistry is such a letdown as well.
Mallika, on the other hand, marks her return to Bollywood after a while, and she is perhaps the only breath of fresh air onscreen in this otherwise convoluted plot. She plays Chanda, a very straightforward, fun woman, much like herself [a recall to Welcome] and her banter with Vijay Raaz earned a few chuckles.
When you have a talented ensemble like Rajkummar, Triptii, Vijay Raaz and Mallika, it is criminal to not use them to their full potential.
The fact that the team has used a few 90s songs by Kumar Sanu to create a recall value without substance is another disappointment. The songs are coming in and going without any heads-up. If this was Netflix, a unanimous skip was inevitable.
Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video ends with a promise to return for a sequel. To which, I hope to only say “na na na na re”.
1.5 out of 5 stars for Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video.