Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan Review – A Love Story that Sees Beyond Sight

Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan offers something both familiar and deeply original a love story rooted in disability, yet presented without condescension or emotional manipulation. The film focuses on blindness, not just as a physical condition, but as a lens through which complex human emotions, identity, and belonging are explored.

What stands out immediately is the sensitive handling of the subject. The narrative doesn’t treat blindness as a limitation to be pitied or overcome. Instead, it becomes the foundation of emotional depth, crafting a love story that is far from ordinary. That in itself is an achievement worth applauding.

Styling vs. Realism

Let’s address the styling of Vikrant Massey’s character undeniably sharp, fashion-forward, and frankly, a bit too well put together for someone navigating life without sight. While cinematic liberties are expected, I found myself questioning the realism behind his look. He appeared more polished than believable at times though perhaps that’s the price of celluloid charm. Fun fact: in certain frames, Massey gives off strong Nakul Mehta vibes the beard, the facial structure, the wardrobe. It was almost uncanny!

Visual & Cinematic Choices

The cinematography, especially in Masoorie, was occasionally breathtaking. The early parts of the film use the landscape to anchor the character’s world and give texture to their lived experience. That said, as the film progresses, Masoorie seems to recede into the background. A missed opportunity, I felt.

There’s a mention of London later in the film, but the European sequences lacked clarity. The location was underdeveloped visually, and I couldn’t quite tell which city we were in. Perhaps I’ll look it up—and maybe it’ll become a fun trivia detail for the comments section.

Plot, Tropes & Twists

Plot-wise, the film is an emotional rollercoaster. It leans into several familiar tropes at times, it felt like a mash-up of La La Land, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Never Kiss Your Best Friend. But even within those tropes, the story manages to find freshness in its execution. There were multiple twists that genuinely surprised me. The writing had momentum, even though parts felt a little contrived.

However, one cardinal sin of the screenplay was the overuse of exposition. So much was told rather than shown. As a viewer, I was hungry for more visual cues and less dialogue-based storytelling. Ironically, the visual storytelling picks up beautifully in the climax, but by then, you wish the entire film had leaned more into that language.

The Bigger Question: Who Is This Film Really For?

One thought that lingered with me: Could this story have been told entirely through sound? Would it resonate with a visually impaired audience in a purely audio format? I'm genuinely curious to experience the film again without visuals just to see if the narrative still holds. If it does, that’s a PR campaign waiting to be written.

Final Take

Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan is a beautiful, sometimes flawed, yet emotionally honest film. It treats its central subject with respect, its romance with tenderness, and its audience with enough intelligence to fill in the blanks most of the time.

There are questions it leaves behind about storytelling, about representation, and about accessibility. But most importantly, it dares to reimagine what love looks like when seen not through the eyes, but through the heart.

This is Kenneth Hopkins, signing off for Alt Bollywood