This afternoon, we thoroughly enjoyed "Daawat-E-Ishq" – what a relief, or I would have been furious at myself for watching TWO disappointing movies in one week, ("Khoobsurat—the Remake" was the damp squib) and would have taken a long break from spending any more valuable time and hard-earned $$$ on commercial Hindi films. The lead pair Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapur are endearing performers, and Anupam Kher played Parineeti's father without a trace of the hamminess and excess that sometimes creeps into his performances. Director Habib Faisal and his team got the Hyderabadi (I can vouch for this due to my many visits to that distinctive city) and the Lakhnavi cultures and dialects spot on. And the display of sumptuous Lakhnavi food had us slavering like Pavlov's dog - all I wanted to do upon leaving the cinema was find a biryaani restaurant, but no such luck. Without giving away anything, I can tell you that Gulrez (Parineeti Chopra) and her widower father (Anupam Kher) have had their fill of rejection from various prospective grooms because they lack the means to satisfy their outrageous dowry demands. So Gulrez decides to turn the tables and conceives an elaborate entrapment scheme, whereby she will find a greedy groom and get him to pay her hush money for having demanded a dowry, which is illegal and a federally punishable offense. She will then use this money to fulfill her dream of studying fashion design in the USA. Tariq Haider (Aditya Roy Kapur) is one of her marks, the most famous chef in Lucknow, whose family has owned the city's best restaurant for generations. Tariq takes the bait, Gulrez finds him attractive and genuinely decent, but is determined to follow through with her scheme. Do you think these willful, opinionated protagonists will patch their differences and ever become a couple? Keep in mind that this is a Bollywood film! Parineeti isn't a raving beauty, but she has what many beauties don't: she's a beguilingly natural actress who exudes intelligence and confidence. It's refreshing to see Aditya Roy Kapur's Tariq sober (Kapur has played drunks in two or three recent films) and angst-free, except when he uncovers Gulrez's plot - and then he has every right to be livid.The goings-on in the second half of the film might be a tad far-fetched, but by that point, the cast had generated so much goodwill that we willingly suspended disbelief. I love that things were kept grounded and the middle-class characters were authentically so – the "Khoobsurat" reboot would have done well to emulate the "Daawat-E-Ishq" example if they were dead keen on remaking Hrishikesh Mukerjee's enduring cinematic gem, but Sonam Kapoor had her little heart set on a prince and that garish wardrobe that tried too hard to be kooky, so Hrishi-da's authenticity and simplicity were shown the door. Too bad for them.

This movie is worth a watch. Parineeti Chopra once again shows her skill in acting as the "girl next door" and Aditya Roy Kapoor shows his romantic side. Clean entertaining storyline fun to watch even with kids. The story conveys a social message with a twist. Love all the songs especially "Daawat-e-Ishq" followed by "Shayarana" and "Mannat". Food lovers can easily relate to the food heaven they will reach with the mention of kebabs and biryani and this movie has many a reference, no wonder the name Daawat-e-Ishq. The director, also the director of "Band Baaja Baaraat" executes this movie well once again. Can a middle class girl of today find true love or will the social "riwaaz" of our society crush her dreams ? Check out the movie and find out.

Dawat e ishaq is combination of love and romance but also has a good story. aditya roy kapoor (tariq) working at own restaurant and parineeti chopra (gulzar) working as sales girl at shoes shop. and after story is great. not boring. best time spend and great work done by Director and Producer i see this movie in big screen today and i am sure this is my best time i spend. Acting of Pariniti and Aditya's are superb. Small small elements and dialogs are very nice.this is the movie you should watch. Its a nice play with very nice message, lot of fun and superb dialog delivery. 5 reasons why must watch. 1. Love, Love and Love 2. Aditya roy kapoor 3. Food, food and food 4. Great Songs (Mannat) 5. Anti Dowry Concept ( that is great)

At one point in the film Gulrez tells the garishly flamboyant Tariq 'You are a high school drop out, your English is pathetic, you wear tacky shirts , chew paan and burp!'!!, well but that's not evident in the film though! And that's what was probably essential in Tariq's character that could have worked out more so if he was made more vacuous rather than the 'laugh a loud, good at heart lucknovi chap. Their hasn't been enough timing for the romance to develop between the lead players hence you don't feel bad for Tariq when he is betrayed by Gulrez Having said that, Aditya Roy Kapoor is likable & attractive,no longer camera conscious or droopy (like his previous projects), he shines as the robust kohl-eyed Tariq. Parineeti Chopra with her spontaneity & vivaciousness evident from her very first film is sadly restricted here within this regular glamor doll image with huge dollops of make-up, pan cake and flashy attire,not at ease ,at times, misfit to her character Gulrez! Save for that Hyderabadi accent slipping and falling back into place every now, the dynamics of Parineeti's role isn't all that we haven't seen before, but nevertheless, she is always a delight to watch! It's a light hearted film focusing on the menace aka dowry, the misuse of section 498A & a father-daughter duo's plan to con a rich guy who demands a hefty dowry forms the basic premise of the film. The actors should have undergone some strict workshop sessions to get their hyderabadi & lucknowi accent correct, or maybe a few lessons from Shabana Azmi's Mandi ! The father and daughter's big, well executed con job is lame and unbelievable! TV actor Karan Wahi is so bland in the film that one wonders whether he is just out of a drug rehab centre with that anorexic frame and excess baggage under his eyes. Anupam Kher is a delight to watch and it's good to see him in a charming role after a long time. The note able landmarks of Hyderabad like the Charminar (the film starts with it as the background), Hussain Sagar, Nehru Zoological Park making way for Lucknow's grand Bara Imambara, Rumi Darwaza and bustling Aminabad in the second half, unfortunately, hasn't been utilized properly by the DOP . Sajid- Wajid's dragging soundtrack, a reminiscence of the 90's tracks is such a waste barring the title track which has been utilized well into the narrative with some yummy cuisines on display. The film is surely one time watchable because of the sparkling screen presence of the lead cast and Anupam Kher . A much tighter screenplay could have made a lot of difference to the narrative.