Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 9, 2017)

The camaraderie between Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Bareilly Ki Barfi trio is evident to one and all. On Monday, at the music launch of Junglee Pictures and BR Studios’s upcoming romcom, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao ganged up to prove to their leading lady, Kriti Sanon, how amazing gate-crashing a wedding could be. Raj, known for his serious and versatile onscreen turns, is a quick learner and picked up a latka-jhatka or two from his seasonedin- nach co-stars. “He’s a great dancer, full of energy and carefree,” Ayushmann said, while Raj, wanting more appreciation for his happy feet, looked towards the bar and hollered mock-seriously at the chattering journos, “I know there’s free alcohol there but can we lower the volume.” This only made everyone break into loud guffaws and chat some more.

Later in the evening, when a journalist questioned Ayushmann on another upcoming romcom, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, in which his character appears to be suffering from erectile dysfunction, Kriti said, “Bareilly Ki Barfi is Ayushmann’s journey from Vicky Donor to Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, it will solve the mystery!” And everyone cracked up again.

To the gatecrashers who had sneaked in for selfies with the stars, the trio appeared like three friends chilling at a suburban watering hole together. Unlike celebrities who make late entries and quick exits, they invited members of the media to shake a leg with them on stage and performed the “naagin dance” with the paparazzi. No starry airs here? “Isn’t that how it should be? I love acting but might as well have lots of fun along the way,” Raj said.

The August 18 release features Rajkummar as a shy salesman-turned-stud Romeo. He moves from mild-mannered to Pritam Vidrohi with seamless ease in an attempt to break starry-eyed Bitti’s (read Kriti) heart so Ayushmann, as Chirag, can woo her. The plan backfires when not just Bitti but her entire family grows fond of Vidrohi and a glowering Chirag is side-lined.

On the occasion, the film’s third song, “Twist Kamariya”, a foot-tapping number featuring Bitti and Chirag dancing at a sangeet ceremony with the girl’s papa played by Pankaj Tripathi, was launched. The actors were joined by Tanishk Bagchi and Vayu, the duo who has written and composed the song. In the film, Kriti imitates Michael Jackson’s moves but admits that she didn’t taken tips from her Heropanti costar, Tiger Shroff, who would scream if she goofed up his idol’s signature steps.

“Bitti is the life of every wedding in Bareilly. She watches lots of videos to learn new steps but even when she’s imitating famous dancers, she’s adding her impromptu shakes and swings,” Kriti shared, while Ayushmann added that films like Bareilly Ki Barfi with quirky, interesting subjects are a mirror to society. “I’m hoping lots of kamariyas are dancing to our tunes,” he said.