He is a maniac, angry, defiant, and reckless to the point of self destruction; meet Dr Kabir Singh, whose surgeon hands can weave magic and the same can even sock the living day lights of his adversary. His bark and bite are equally bad, so you don’t want to mess with him.

He is disheveled, has quite a drive for sex, is a substance abuser, high as a kite as he goes through his medical duties, but if there is one soul he is totally devoted to, is his dog, Preeti. So as he is intoxicated and lost in the fumes of smoke, we are given a flash back. Was this man always the way he was? Well, apparently yes.

We are introduced to Kabir Singh – the medical topper, an ace student and sportsman, but if there is one thing beyond his control, it’s his anger. All hell and bones can break loose if you get on his wrong side. The cigarette smoking Kabir Singh struts around the medical campus terrorizing not just the students, but even the faculty, as he pleases.

One fine day, his eyes set on an innocent, wide-eyed, shy fresher, and our man has proclaimed, ‘yeh mere bandi hai’. So much so, he enters a class room of people and warns them in Punjabi, in the presence of the professor, that no one dare even look her way, or they have him to answer to.

Overconfident and love lorn, Kabir kind of imposes himself on the girl, who we’re introduced to as Preeti. From telling her who she can be friends with, to taking her away from the classroom to give her personal tutorials, so much so – even taking her to his own hostel room, when she hurts herself in her student digs.

Preeti appears tongue-tied and mute through this shower of adulation, rather coercive ownership. So as Kabir punches rogues in the hostel, who offend her morality and proclaims his undying love for her, Preeti willingly gives herself to him completely, since Kabir tells her, ‘I love the way you breathe’.

We are treated to a montage of intense passion, as Kabir and Preeti are swept in throes of love-making and cramming lessons in their love nest on campus, rules and regulations of the faculty be damned.

Years pass, the couple live through their so-called long distance relationship, which is cut short by many a visit to the other. Preeti is finally a doctor too, but now comes the twist in the tale. Preeti’s family hates the foul-mouth Kabir and his guts. So much so, the headstrong Kabir bullies his girl to chose either him or her family.

Kabir sets forth on the path of self-destruction after being separated from the object of his affection, despite his unfathomable ways of functioning, he excels as a doctor. Willing to go through a string of relationships, since his libido is beyond his control. Kabir is toxic and on a warpath with himself.

Shahid Kapoor, yet again, gets under the skin of the debauched, unfathomable, misogynist Kabir Singh. He brilliantly showcases the vulnerability of the character, who needs to be saved.

Kiara Advani as Preeti, is so totally dehumanized, one wonders if this character is for real. The actress doesn’t have much to do, just like her character.

Kabir Singh maybe a modern day Devdas, but he is a man to be weary of, not applauded. Preeti, as a woman, who is willing to be manipulated by a man who proclaims he owns her, so much so, even endorsing his sadism, set out some warning signs in my head as I was appalled to hear cheers and claps by many in the theatre.

I heart love stories, they are my favourite genre, but sorry, this love story didn’t make my heart go dhak dhak. Clocking in three hours, Kabir Singh could have been shortened by a good half hour. Despite my reservations about the story line, however, the show belongs to Shahid Kapoor.

Rating: 2.5/5