Gustaakh Ishq, directed by Vibhu Puri and set in Delhi of 1998, attempts to immerse viewers in a world dripping with Urdu poetry and ornate dialogue.
November 28, 2025: The plot primarily follows three individuals: Nawazuddin Saifuddin (Vijay Varma), a man struggling to save his family’s printing press; Mannat (Fatima Sana Shaikh), Aziz’s newly divorced daughter; and the reclusive poet Aziz Beg (Naseeruddin Shah). Nawazuddin stumbles upon Aziz’s impressive, unpublished literary works and believes printing them could solve his financial woes.
When he realizes Aziz never intended to publish, he sets out to persuade the poet, meeting Mannat along the way. The film thus explores whether Nawazuddin secures the printing rights and if he and Mannat find love.
The film’s first half is described as self-indulgent, taking its time to establish a world where seemingly every line is twisted into a rhyme. The dialogue, written by Prashant Jha and Vibhu Puri, flows freely—sometimes too freely—with ornate words that could potentially “alienate viewers who are not fully attuned to the language.”
However, the film begins to click in its second half, shifting focus to its core theme: decoding the complex relationship between art and the artist. It pauses to ask what art looks like when it exists purely for itself, resisting monetisation. This idea is encapsulated by Naseeruddin Shah’s character, Aziz, who delivers a lingering line: “voh shayar hi kya jise mashoor hone ke liye bazaar ke mohar ki zaroorat ho” (What kind of poet needs the stamp of the market to be famous?). The title, Gustaakh Ishq (Rogue/Bold Love), is deemed fitting for Aziz’s fierce love for his unshared work.
In terms of performance, Vijay Varma carries his role with ease, while Fatima Sana Shaikh is good. But it is the ever-dependable Naseeruddin Shah who shoulders the film with his signature gravitas. The music by Vishal Bhardwaj, especially the title track “Ul Jalool Ishq” (which was the film’s initial title), is noted for complementing the story well.
Verdict: While Gustaakh Ishq may meander and test the audience’s patience during its initial stages, the film eventually finds its emotional core and leaves viewers with a “gentle, lingering warmth once the credits roll.” The reviewer gave the film a rating of 3/5.