Overview
Hate Story 4 is a 2018 Indian Hindi erotic thriller film, directed by Vishal Pandya and produced by Bhushan Kumar under the T-Series banner. This film is the fourth installment in the Hate Story series. Just like in the previous movies of the franchise, Hate Story 4 has emotional drama, intense revenge, eroticism, and power struggles, but this time the setting is London.
The story revolves around Tasha, played by Urvashi Rautela, nad her character is that of a model aspirant. She travels to London in search for name and fame, and as luck may have it, her charm and beauty gets her the much needed attention. Her big break comes along when she is spotted by a photographer Rajveer Khurana (Karan Wahi), who is also the younger son to one of the wealthy businessman’s in town- Vikram Khurana (Gulshan Grover). Rajveer falls head over heels in love with Tasha and persuades his elder brother Aryan Khurana (Vivan Bhatena), who looks after their family business, to make her the face of their new upcoming advertisement campaign.
While Tasha increases her prominence in the modeling world, she gets caught in the midst of a perilous love triangle. Rajveer becomes infatuated with her while Tasha becomes the new object of desire for Aryan who is already dating Rishma (Ihana Dhillon). What begins as an alluring saga of ambition and desire turns into a sinister tale of unchecked lust, treachery, brutal murder, and extreme jealousy.
With the family mysteries of Khurana being unveiled gradually, Tasha is not as gullible as her character is framed for. There are many secrets that she has which involves her getting too close to the Khurana brothers. What seems to be a love story is actually one filled with cold-blooded revenge as Tasha reveals darkest of the secrets from her past which is intertwined with the Khurana family.
The myriad turns and diversions, including multi layered character motivations, makes the storyline all the more interesting. Ally shifts, characters ditch their façades and the threshold of love and hate blurs ever more. The story culminates with a climactic encounter that draws together the ideas underlying desire, justice and vengeance followed by the consequences of unbridled chaos and rage.
As casted above
Urvashi Rautela as Tasha
Urvashi Rautela is a Tasha. A defiant and vengeful Tasha, who is a glamorous model, also has a painful past. As shown in the movie, she has a dual character start out as a damsel in distress only to become stronger and seek justice for her wronged family.
Karan Wahi as Rajveer Khurana
Rajveer is the younger Khurana brother and a more emotionally irresponsible one. Karan Wahi, in his first leading role in Bollywood plays Rajveer, taking a twist from his ‘romeo’ turnes tragic lover, adding depth into his character. He is more sympathetic than his elder sibling.
Vivan Bhatena as Aryan Khurana
Vivan’s character is of the older brother, still in the shadows of the younger. Having an affair with Rishma, he is the pliable, ambadinous and ethically off Tasha and employs Rishma’s services. Vivan shows Aryan’s dark, obsession-filled side and in due time becomes the main antagonist of the movie.
Ihana Dhillon as Rishma
Rishma is Aryan’s longtime girlfriend, which makes her fiercely jealous of him. Allowing her to portray the emotional battered woman, if you will, caught in the cunning schemes of Aryan. Ihana’s role provides additional complication to the love triangle, before ultimately becoming part of the final twist of the film.
Vikram Khurana’s Gulshan Grover
As the Khurana family’s paterfamilias, Gulshan Grover is an important pick for this role. His character is not as prominent as the younger cast’s, but he is required in order to prepare the family’s structure and hierarchy.
Direction and Style
Vishal Pandya who has directed all the previous entries in the franchise, sticks to his style of glossy action and conflict, emotional or otherwise, drama. The movie is filmed in London adding another exotic and stylish metropolitan location to the film’s glamourous list.
The film follows a non-linear structure with frequent flashbacks and reveal nand the storyline follows a revealing and shedding pattern. Sunita Radia, the cinematographer, keeps ensuring the film has a uniform, clean, and smooth look. The film’s musical numbers are also fashion forward along with its themes which are headed towards ambition, and seduction.
Music and Soundtrack
Like every other installment in the franchise, music is an integral part of the film; this time is no different with Hate Story 4. The soundtrack now consists of love and sensually charged tracks and dramatic songs to complement the sentiments of the story. Recreated versions of “Aashiq Banaya Aapne” and “Boond Boond” were among the most loved songs. This is most certainly attractive to the film’s younger audience.
Discussing Themes and Analysis
- Revenge and Justice
The central theme of the movie focuses on the need for revenge. Tasha’s tale of her transformation from a victim to an avenger shows how dramatic emotional trauma can lead to calculating revenge. The film’s focus on avenging women’s suffering is outside the conventional framework, particularly in a system built by men.
- Power and Corruption
The Khurana brothers are an example of how moral reasoning is overshadowed by wealth and influence. These siblings highlight the misuse of power in corporate and interpersonal relationships.
- The Female Protagonist as Avenger
Hate Story 4 marks a shift from other thrillers, placing women as empowering figures rather than passive victims. Tasha, using her wits and charm, epitomizes a woman who outsmarts the system that oppressed her. Her fighting spirit makes fresh statements about empowerment, albeit through a masala-thriller lens.
- Love Vs. Obsession
As in all stories, the perceptive line that separates love from obsession is distinct but sharp. Rajveer and Aryan profess to love Tasha, but their display of control, selfishness, and insecurity is far from what one would classify as genuine love.
Reception
From the critics Hate Story 4 garnered mixed reviews. Some of the critics didn’t quite appreciate the movie for its slow and melodramatic plot, however, others acknowledged the film’s fast pace, bold performances, solid production, and sleek editing. The film was able to gain attention from the fans of the franchise as well as those who enjoy glamorous thriller films with sentimental value.
Urvashi Rautela’s performance was noted for her commanding screen presence, especially in the emotionally charged scenes. The film also generated attention due to its bold content and stylish visuals.
In commercial domains, Hate Story 4 underperformed at the box office. It was not a blockbuster, but it was expected to please the audience and maintain the brand value of the franchise.
Conclusion
Hate Story 4 is a classic revenge thriller wrapped in glamour, seduction, and emotional intrigue. This trend is synonymous to the franchise of placing tales revolving around female empowerment and betrayal resulting in strong acts of justice from women. The film is bound to be adored by those who appreciate high-intensity dramas and morally ambiguous characters due to the stylish visuals, passionate performances, and a plot filled with twists.
Even though it may not have offered any new perspectives to the thriller genre, Hate Story 4 does satisfy with an alluring and gripping plot filled with deception, wherein trust is sacrificed in the name of love. While the film is entertaining and dark for romance and vengeance lovers, it can feel cliché at times.
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