Michelle, a marine biologist, has always marched to the beat of her own drum, is far more comfortable in sneakers and jeans than high heels and designer outfits, she sees little reason to change. The fact that she doesn’t fit the mold of the ‘perfect’ Indian girlfriend/wife immediately attracts the attention of the handsome Rahul, with his matinee idol looks, worldly charm, wealth and Instagram-perfect life.
When Rahul asks her out on a date, she literally swoons. This is what she had always fantasized about, being swept off her feet by prince charming. She cannot wait to share the wonderful news with her best friend Pravesh, who is something of a nerd, has a heart of gold, is financially challenged and lives with his grandfather. They have been friends since childhood and have a very close bond.
Suddenly Michelle starts taking an interest in her appearance and, with the help of her glamorous sister, Havanya, upgrades her wardrobe, better to fit in with Rahul’s lifestyle. Pravesh starts to feel excluded from Michelle’s life and this is further exacerbated by his frustration at not being able to express his love for her. The deeper Michelle falls for Rahul, the more desperate Pravesh becomes.
Soon the two men become rivals for Michelle’s love, forcing her to evaluate what it is that makes for a perfect love story. Is A Love Like Bollywood really all that it is cracked up to be?
Two other love stories are woven into the main plot to compliment the theme. Michelle’s Grandmother and Pravesh’s grandfather must get over the loss of their late partners and take a chance at love as older people.
In the third story, Michelle’s sister, Havanya, and her boyfriend Kreason represent the perfect illusion of the KZN version of the Bollywood dream couple. Havanya embodies the perfect Indian daughter/girlfriend/wife. She is extremely pretty, smart and a doctor. She appears to have the perfect Bollywood-handsome partner, but the twist in the tale is that Kreason has no interest in marriage.
The film takes us on Michelle’s journey of self-discovery and through her we learn what the various characters regard as the perfect life and love story, only to realise that it is only in being their authentic selves that true love is revealed.
