‘Most Eligible Bachelor’ movie review: Part-fun, part-preachy story of finding love

Pooja Hegde and Akhil Akkineni prop up a passable rom-com that could have been so much more

The film’s title is less of a statement and more of a question, and thereby hangs a tale. In conventional societal norms, Harsha (Akhil Akkineni) would tick all the boxes to qualify as the most eligible bachelor. He has a well-paying job in the US, invests in a new house and sets up everything to move in with his soulmate. He even turns down a live-in overture because he is the quintessential nice guy who doesn’t want to do something that his family back in India, wouldn’t approve of. Sweet, isn’t it?

But does Harsha really know what he wants from marriage? The story throws this question at Harsha by pitting him against a more worldly wise woman, Vibha (Pooja Hegde). The shallowness in the approach of Harsha’s large, doting family is evident in the way they make arrangements for his wedding, despite the fact that he is yet to choose his bride. Harsha arrives in India on a 20-day vacation and both he and his family are confident that things will fall in place. After all, he is the most eligible bachelor.

Many women who have gone through the rigours of matchmaking might have come across NRI grooms visiting India barely for a few days and wanting to find a life partner in that period. That sort of entitlement from a groom’s family might be accepted by some, but there will be women like Vibha who will question it.