Name: Gustaakh Ishq
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 2025-11-28
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Fatima Sana Shaikh, Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Sharib Hashmi

Nawabuddin arrives at the residence of Urdu poet Aziz to master shayari. He meets Aziz’s daughter Minni, romance blossoms, and unforeseen misunderstandings drive them apart. 

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‘Gustaakh Ishq’ arrives with an old-fashioned charm and grace that contemporary Bollywood has largely forgotten, or perhaps simply moved on from. It is not in a hurry to impress. Instead, it asks you to settle into its mood, its silences, and its shayari. The world it creates is soaked in ‘tahzeeb’ and ‘adab,’ values that once came naturally to Hindi cinema. The narrative unfolds at a deliberately unhurried pace, letting the setting and its people reveal themselves slowly. Yet, for all its refinement and sincerity, the film never quite rises to greatness. Even with actors of the calibre of Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Varma, it remains muted. Ironically, for a film that calls itself a drama, it is often short on moments that truly sting or soar.
The story follows Nawabuddin (Vijay Varma), a man desperate to save the printing press left behind by his late father. Hoping to restore its lost prestige, he comes to know about the unpublished work of Aziz Beg, a gifted poet who has always kept his distance from fame and fortune. Now ageing and steadily losing his sight, Aziz lives quietly in Malerkotla with his daughter Minni (Fatima Sana Shaikh) and Attachie (Sharib Hashmi), the loyal house help he raised like family. Nawabuddin approaches Aziz under the guise of learning the craft of shayari. With Minni’s help, he tries to convince the poet to allow his work to be published, but Aziz remains stubbornly indifferent. When Nawabuddin abruptly leaves for Delhi to deal with family matters without informing Minni, who has grown close to him by then, it creates a strain between them. Matters grow more complicated when his brother decides to sell the press, pushing Nawabuddin back to Aziz in a last attempt to honour his father’s final wish.
In an era dominated by loud action films and formula-heavy horror comedies, ‘Gustaakh Ishq’ feels like a breath of fresh air. It nudges your attention back to people, conversations, and small emotions. The exchanges between Nawabuddin and Aziz form the quiet backbone of the film, and the shayari recited by Shah—written by Ashok Singh Mizaz—adds to its lingering appeal. There is real pleasure in watching Shah and Varma share the frame as mentor and student. Yet, for a film rooted in both drama and romance, the two never fully bloom. The interval point, meant to be a turning point, passes without leaving much of a mark. The love story between Nawabuddin and Minni unfolds so subtly that it often feels like an afterthought. The film means well and sets the right mood, but the screenplay rarely finds the sharp emotional peaks it so clearly reaches for.
Naseeruddin Shah is the film’s strongest anchor. His Aziz Beg is layered with warmth, dignity, and weariness, and the ease with which he delivers poetry is a joy to watch. Those moments stay with you. Vijay Varma brings honesty to Nawabuddin, though there is a sense that he is holding himself back, where a little messiness might have helped. Fatima Sana Shaikh, despite being present through much of the narrative, remains inconsequential to the plot. The Gulzar–Vishal Bhardwaj collaboration once again works its subtle spell, with Ul Julool, sung by Shilpa Rao and Papon, standing out on the soundtrack. Director Vibhu Puri’s intent is sincere, but the film loses momentum because of its uneven writing. The art direction carries a faint Sanjay Leela Bhansali influence, but the story never quite matches that visual polish.
Designer Manish Malhotra’s debut film as a producer is gentle, though it could have taken a few more emotional risks. It leaves behind traces of beauty in its poetry, music, and performances, even as the larger narrative slips through the cracks. It earns quiet admiration rather than loud applause. You walk away remembering individual moments more than the whole. And perhaps that restrained, slightly unsatisfying aftertaste is exactly what defines ‘Gustaakh Ishq.’

There are only two moments when your conscience will prick you: Before you commit a sin or after you commit it.

It varies from individual to individual, depending on the life choices he makes.

'I wish mine had pricked me before I committed that sin,' says Aziz (Naseeruddin Shah), the Urdu poet in Gustaakh Ishq.

His life is ruined because of the 'sin', and he leads a life of oblivion in his old age, with his young daughter Minni (Fatima Sana Shaikh), in the Malerkotla district of Punjab.

Aziz was a rising Urdu poet in his youth in Delhi.

Everything is going right for him until he commits that one sin, which will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Director and co-writer Vibhu Puri has woven the story so beautifully that Gustaakh Ishq has turned into an Urdu masterpiece.

In the film, Urdu poetry becomes a character. Vibhu and his co-writers have written simple Urdu words, which are easy to understand.

 
In the olden days, the dominance of the Urdu language was so complete in Hindi cinema that till the 1970s, films labeled as 'Hindi' were crafted through Urdu sensibility.

Classics like Mere Mehboob, Chaudhvi Ka Chand, Mughal-E-Azam and Pakeezah had romantic conversations, which were like music to the ears.

In the 1980s, Hindi cinema shifted more to Bambaiya Hindi, burying Urdu's refined diction.

Urdu writers disappeared.

Now, Gustaakh Ishq revives that old refined Urdu language of the 1960s movies.

This is easily one of the bravest attempts by Producer Manish Malhotra.

Like a dialogue in the film says, 'If you tell a woman that she's looking like a murderer in English, she will feel offended.'

But if she say it in Urdu, 'Aap kaatil lag rahi ho', she will be thrilled.

Vijay Varma, as Nawabuddin Saifuddin, gives a career best performance, playing a struggling Urdu publisher living in the streets of Daryaganj, old Delhi.

His dialogue delivery, mannerisms, dress sense, Urdu diction and acting skills make the movie a class apart.
Naseeruddin Shah puts in a brilliant act too, and you feel no other actor could have done justice to the role. His Urdu diction, facial expressions of dismay and helplessness as an ageing poet is terrific. We would really love to see him more often in the movies.

Nawabuddin goes to Malerkotla, Punjab, to convince Aziz to give him his lifetime work to publish, so that his ancestral publishing house can be saved from ruin.

But Aziz's unknown guilt does not allow him to do so.

Nawabuddin is running short of time as his brother Jumaan (Rohan Varma) wants to sell the publishing house.

Jumaan is concerned for the family's financial well-being while Nawabuddin fights to preserve the family's culture and tradition.

The story follows four main characters.

Aziz, lost in his pain forever.

Nawabuddin, who is doing his best to save his publishing house.

Minni, who is searching for love. At the same time, she has undying love for her father makes her take on hurdles in life.

Jumaan, who is more practical than his brother.

Sharib Hashmi pitches in, as the domestic help called 'Attache' and brings in humour whenever the proceedings get too heavy.

On the down side, the twists in the plot may seem unconvincing.

But remember, the story is set in the 1990s, where there were no mobile phones and intimate scenes in the movies were rare.

Songs composed by Vishal Bharadwaj and written by Gulzar are passable, with the exception of Ul Jalool Ishq.

But it seems like the entire focus of the director was on the script and the poetry, not the music.

Gustaakh Ishq feels like a cinematic revival of everything we once loved about Urdu story-telling.

So if you are into literature, poetry and Urdu, and in the mood for a 'clean' love story, Gustaakh Ishq is a must watch.

Manish Malhotra’s production debut, Gustaakh Ishq is a breath of fresh air that Bollywood needed. Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Sheikh in the lead roles, this romantic drama brings back the old-school romance to the big screen. In a paradise made for poetry and shayari lovers, the story takes you through two different generations of love and tragedy. The amount of shayaris in the film will definitely make you say “Waah waah" after each frame.

Director Vibhu Puri has managed to capture the charm of these shayaris through beautiful frames across the 128 minutes of the film. Not a single frame disappoints you. The hidden superstar in majority of the film is the sunlight. The way Puri has managed to play around with natural lights is surely commendable. To add to all of this is the amazing costumes by Manish Malhotra. Fatima Sana Sheikh is seen in hues of pink throughout the film as if it replicates the love blooming between her character and Vijay Varma. Only in a few scenes can you see her costumes in a different colour than pink. Again, attention to detail by the crew stands out here.
Coming to the heart of the film — Naseeruddin Shah just brings out the best in all of what Puri and his team did behind the scenes. He fits in as the perfect piece of the puzzle that elevates not just the poems, but the overall feel of the film. Shah, as Aziz, is flawless in the movie and only goes on to prove why he is one of the finest actors in the country. Be it subtle comedy or dramatic scenes, Shah has got a swag of his own to pull it off.

Fatima Sana Sheikh, as Minni, also manages to blend in perfectly. This year has surely seen Sheikh in different romantic films across platforms. Just like one of her characters, Madhu Bose in Aap Jaisa Koi dealt with French as a language, Sheikh here again deals with Urdu. If Madhu Bose had to say something about Minni, she would definitely call it “epoustouflant", which translates to breathtaking.
Vijay Varma as Nawabuddin Saifuddin Rahman is impressive, too. He has managed to capture the essence of the character very well. The journey of Varma’s character is what sets the tone of the film. An elder son who is struggling to meet ends and save his father’s Urdu Press and how he decides to set out on a journey to meet an old, forgotten poet, who is also his father’s long-lost friend, is what gets the ball rolling in the movie. Varma brings the much-needed laughs with his comic timing and dialogue delivery. He has surely managed to crack the code of playing a small-town romantic, who expresses well through poems and shayaris.

Speaking of the story and the flow of the film, the first half surely engages you and makes you want to just go with the flow of shayaris. However, the second half seems to be a little stretched, and could have been a lot more crisp and to the point than it is now. But having said that, the shayaris and Vishal Bharadwaj’s amazing music will still keep you going.

Manish Malhotra’s debut production is surely something old-school romantics would love on the big screen and is a must-watch for those who want to learn how falling in love can be a beautiful journey in itself.

Gustaakh Ishq_’s_ dialogues, stolen glances, shayris and the nostalgic essence will make you realise, ‘mohabbat abb bhi waisi hai, bass andaaz badal gaya hai.’ When you have a movie produced by ace fashion designer, Manish Malhotra, you are prepared to immerse yourself in aesthetics and finer details of old-world charm. The language of love is very different in this film. Looks like finally Bollywood has a film to be proud of.
Manish Malhotra’s  Gustaakh Ishq celebrates shayris and romance in the best possible way. The best thing about the film is that it is such a treat to the eyes, the costumes and the ambience has a silent charm and there is nothing flashy about it.
Watching the film  at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) made me feel nostalgic about an era that was so simple and timeless. Set in the 1990s (before the age of mobile phones), it is a heartwarming tale of love, art, and self-discovery set against the backdrop of old Delhi and Malerkotla, Punjab.

The story revolves around a man played by Vijay Varma who is drawn to the magic of shayari (poetry) and seeks to learn the art from an Urdu poet, only to fall in love with the poet’s daughter (Fatima Sana Shaikh).

Nawabbuddin (Vijay Varma) plays the role of a young publisher who wants to save the printing press of his father though the family is drowned in debt. He travels from his home in Delhi to a small town in Punjab to meet and learn from a learned poet, Aziz played by master craftsman Naseeruddin Shah. He falls in love with his daughter, Minni (Fatima Sana Shaikh). The movie literally romanticizes old Delhi and its rich culture.
The character played by Vijay Varma is shown to be a person who has been a failure throughout his life and the world thinks him to be an emotional fool. But there are times when emotional fools can be right too.

Though Gustaakh Ishq has a slow pace, there is not a moment that you will lose interest. Those who have been the 90s kids can totally relate to that phase of life. It is a period when mobile phones, WhatsApp chats and social media didn’t invade our life. We didn’t have the cordless phones, but the ones with dials. Those were the days of love letters, photo albums and real romances.

In today’s time, love stories often come wrapped in reels, digital-age slang and quick edits, but Gustaakh Ishq simply slows down by taking a poetic route and will make you believe in the essence of love which isn’t overpowering, but subtle.

Gustaakh Ishq bridges the gap between nostalgia and the present, making the right maiden production for Manish Malhotra. The chemistry between the leads feels effortless, more felt than performed. With Vishal Bhardwaj’s enchanting musical score and Gulzar’s deep lyrics, it looks like films like this will soon find a voice again.
Filled with soulful shayari, don’t miss watching Vijay Varma- Fatima Sana Shaikh’s Gustaakh Ishq, for it will rekindle your love for classics.

Gustaakh Ishq - Official Trailer | Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sharib Hashmi

Fatima Sana Sheikh is an actress who made her debut as a child artist in the 1997 film Chachi 420. She rose to fame with her performance in the film Dangal where she played the role of wrestler Geeta Phogat. She has also appeared in several popular TV soaps like Ladies Special and Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo.

Fatima Sana Shaikh

Beginning his career as a theatre actor, Vijay Varma then completed a post graduate degree from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. Post that, he moved to Mumbai and has been a part of the films Chittagong (2012), Rangrezz (2013) and Monsoon Shootout (2017).

Vijay Varma

The winner of three National Film Awards, Naseeruddin Shah is a veteran film & theater actor. Known for his impeccable contribution to the Indian cinema, Naseeruddin Shah revolutionized the Hindi film industry with his unconventional movies. He is known for his path-breaking performances in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), Sarfarosh (1999), A Wednesday (2008) and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983). Naseeruddin Shah is married to celebrated actor Ratna Pathak Shah.

Naseeruddin Shah

Sharib Hashmi made his acting debut with the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire in 2008. He rose to fame with his second movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) that featured Shah Rukh Khan. Sharib became a star with his stellar performance in Filmistaan (2014). His other movies include Badmashiyaan (2015) and Phullu (2017).

Gustaakh Ishq(2025)