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Although currently obsessed with sexy thrillers and sci-fi adventures, there's nothing Bollywood filmmakers love more than a good old-fashioned tale of love and marriage. And while the honeymoon is usually the culmination of three hours of romantic storytelling, according to the tag line of Mehgna Gulzar's Just Married, 'Marriage was only the beginning' for Ritu (Esha Deol) and Abhay (Fardeen Khan), a couple thrust together by their families. An arranged marriage comedy with nothing new to offer, this chick flick is charming but unchallenging.

As young, educated, middle-class Indians, Rithika (Deol) and Abhay (Khan) find the concept of arranged marriage outdated, but not enough to reject it outright when their parents set them up. Before they can even say 'I do', the pair find themselves hitched and heading for the hill stations of Ooty where they meet three other newly wed couples. It comes as no shock that they aren't the only strangers struggling to fall in love and live together. Even a warring husband and wife celebrating their silver anniversary, played by the superbly funny Kirron Kher and Satish Shah, can't reveal the secret to successful union.

"PLAYS IT SAFE"

While bearing a resemblance to recent ensemble comedy, Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd, Just Married isn't as daring in exploring the complex nature of modern relationships. Gulzar's screenplay prefers to play it safe with a 'love takes time' philosophy where husbands and wives stick to their expected gender roles and hope for the best. Deol and Khan give honest performances but are ultimately let down by their characters. Sweet but superficial fare.