Dream Girl review: A film that tries gender-bending, but falls on its face

It's a plausible and clever premise that builds on the tradition of men playing women to suggest how necessity is also the mother of acting

The trailers of Dream Girl teased us with a compelling prospect of Ayushmann Khurrana — among a select few leading men in Bollywood today who are distinguished by their ability to slip into Everyman roles — conjuring up an “Everywoman”.

Khurrana had a stellar 2018, which landed him a National Award for Andhadhun, so it is not surprising to find him trying to raise the bar here. And true to his promise, he eases into the unusual character of a man who unwittingly seduces men by pretending to be a female caller (that’s part of his job description). Yet, the film