Love Aaj Kal Movie Review

Love Aaj Kal directed by one of Bollywood’s most promising directors, who in the past, has directed gems like Socha Na Tha (2005) and Jab We Met (2007). Ali is arugably one big reason, why Love Aaj Kal is on every moviegoer’s must-watch list.

While Socha Na Tha (a box office disaster) is one of his best works to date, Jab We Met aided by Kareena Kapoor’s fabulous performance, fantastic dialogues and great music was thoroughly entertaining. Love Aaj Kal has great music and a decent storyline but the performances and overall entertainment value fall well short of expectations.

What works for Love Aaj Kal

  1. Music by Pritam Chakraborty adds great value to the film. Yeh Dooriyan stands out.
  2. The dialogues to a certain extent are very realistic, something which the current generation can easily identify with.
  3. The “Aaj” and “Kal” stories are easy to relate to; survival of long distance relationships, commitment phobia, of love getting more physical and mental are some of the common issues, most in their 20s are struggling with. The older generation would love Rishi’s love story, a story which shows how the concept of dating and falling in love has changed drastically in the last couple of decades or so.
  4. Saif Ali Khan is brilliant as Jai, a role similar to his characters in Kal Ho Na Ho and Dil Chahta Hai.
  5. Rishi Kapoor has limited scope, but does well. Wife Neetu Singh has a special appearance. Rahul Khanna is good in a small role.
  6. The young Harleen is cute, has just about 2 dialogues but her screen presence and expressions more than makes up for her silence!

Reasons why Love Aaj Kal disappoints

  1. Its a D-R-A-G, the second half seems to go on forever! Should have ideally been about 30 minutes shorter.
  2. Without revealing the rather disappointing climax, the last 30 odd minutes is full of unnecessary Bollywood clichés.
  3. The narrative, which keeps switching between “Aaj” and “Kal”, does get confusing at times. To add to it, we have Saif as the young Rishi Kapoor; the only way to differentiate between the two is the turban and the sets.
  4. Saif’s mannerisms and accent doesn’t quite go with the punjabi character of Veer Singh in the 60s.
  5. Love Aaj Kal lacks the wholesome entertainment value of Imtiaz Ali’s earlier films, the light hearted scenes just don’t work.
  6. Deepika Padukone is poor in emotional sequences, crying is something she should avoid in her future films.

Overall, make no mistake, Love Aaj Kal is a decent family flick. But from a Imtiaz Ali film, we expect more, a lot more than what this slow, at times over dramatic tale on love relationships has to offer.

The wait and hype, most definitely and quite sadly, hasn’t been worth it. At the box office the film would rely on its pre-release hype and music to draw audience to theatres.

Rating: ★★½☆☆

Watched Love Aaj Kal? Do post your reviews below, we would love to read your opinions, good or bad, on the film.

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42 Comments

  • INDICINE TEAM:First review,i c giving less than 4!!!Is this movie slow pace?Well i m not fan of Saif ali khan neither Deepika….so i rather watch it in dvd!!!But according to report of other sites and review,it is gonna be hit or super hit

    Wht do u think whether movie will be hit or not? Wht was the surrounding of movie watcher while watching this movie when u watch?wht was the reaction of audience?

  • the movie is a OK fare but may b cud hav been good…the plot is jus abt ok
    doesnot excite u much after leaving the hall…more of a srk movie i shud say…
    as pointe out second half is moving at snail ‘s pace..i dont thnk it will sustain wel
    in single screens as for multiplexes yes it has a audience since it is a family fare unlike
    KI. its not a repeat of JWM. Rating 4-5/10

  • The crowd was silent throughout the movie. The only noise one could hear was during the climax, guys were literally laughing when Deepika cried.

    Spoiler Alert (dont read below if you intend to watch the film)

    The climax was weird.. Deepika marries Rahul Khanna, realises the very next day she cannot possibly live without Saif.. Tells her one-day-old husband the same and makes her way to unite with Saif.. Just then gets a call from him, saying his dream project in California has come true… She takes a u-turn and goes back.. ONe year later, a happy Saif gradually looses interest in life.. the reason? His lost love.. He comes back to India.. reunites with Deepika.. THE END. Very unrealistic and poorly executed.. The climax was a major let-down..

    And yes, its very slow. Like we mentioned in the review, should have been 30 mins shorter.. It lacks mass-appeal, so may not do so well in single screen theatres..

    Jab we met was MUCH MUCH better!

  • love aaj kal is a complete boooooooring movie!!!!!

    bad acting by deepika…..instead the new heroine was good in his very or almost nothing role!!!!

    climax wad the worse u would ever see!!!!!

    rishi kapoor was wasted!!!!!

    the movie will earn money only 25-26 crores frm Ist week………soooooo a flop is sure…!!!!!

    iss movie se mujhe bachao!!!!!!!!!!

  • I thought deepika really did well…so i dont agree with u there! she was very good in the second half! Yes its not another JWM..but its a decent movie… 3.5/5!

  • Good review buddy, Probably the best review in all other websites especially those m0r0ns who take money and give 4 stars :-)

  • Hi, Indicine.

    Thanx for replying to my comments. I have been following this and other KI box office topics very closely on your and other sites but there is still differences and none are clear. So is it possible for you to give the first four weeks collectionx for KI for India, USA, UK and Dubai and also let us know the budget of the film. Let us(Akki Bhai fans) also know whether it is a hit, superhit, above average, average or flop film according to BO collections and budget and also the reason why so??
    Thanx and waiting for your reply

  • ALso could you please verify whether it indeed was 42 crores nett for KI in first week and please cite your sources/reasons.

    Also apologies to LAK fans for posting KI comments in LAK topic. By the way hope LAK to be a big hit/superhit of 2009. I will be watching it coming weekend. Cant wait and am very excited

  • Agyaat will be an excellent movie, Mark my words:

    A film unit goes for a shoot deep into a forest. They settle at a place with bare minimal facilities run by a strange and quirky man called Setu.

    The hero of the film, Sharman, is a completely preoccupied man with no other concern except for his muscles and the leading lady. The leading lady, Aasha, (Nisha Kothari) bears with him because of his star status. Director JJ (Harvey Rosemeyer) thinks of himself as India’s answer to Steven Spielberg and producer Moorty (Ishrat Ali) thinks the director is screwing up the film and stopping him from becoming the next Yash Chopra.

    Laxman is a completely obedient spot boy but with a hidden monstrous ego. Cinematographer Shakky is very philosophical in nature and action director Rakka (Ravi Khale) is a frustrated man who hates the leading actor, Sharman. Script supervisor Sameera is a simpleton with ideals and a secret crush on the protagonist Sujal (Nitin Kumar Reddy) who is an assistant director, who in turn has a huge crush on Aasha.

    It all begins when the camera malfunctions. They have to wait for two days for the replacements to arrive, with no form of entertainment or communication. So when Setu suggests a camping trip into the forest, they jump at the opportunity. As Setu drives them through the jungle around undergrowth in a relic Jonga, they begin to wonder how Setu can remember the way back as the jungle looks the same all around.

    As they settle near a pond for the night and sit around a bonfire Setu hears a strange sound. He goes to investigate and never returns. After a desperate search they discover his dead body. Panic sets in among the unit members and they jump into the Jonga but they are unfamiliar with the terrain and their hastiness result in an accident. The axle breaks.

    Now completely lost and trapped in the jungle as, Setu, the only guy who knows the way out is dead and they don’t know which way to go to get out of the forest. Yet another unit member gets brutally killed, making them realize that whatever it is that has killed Setu is out to get them all.

    From then on it is a desperate struggle to survive against that unknown entity. And as their numbers dwindle, their suppressed passions come forth as they realize that it is not only their lives they are fighting for, but also for their love.

  • perfect and original review. watched the muvi 1st day 1st show. totaly disapointing. around 30 people went out frm the theatre ( few of them even before the interval) and thats just from the D.C itself. dont know abt the rear stall. it was a bit counfusing at the start. plz watch it on dvd.(better if its pirated)

  • it is bogges,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,flop, bakwas, borring…………………….
    i m good fan of saif, but he didn’t match in sardar role, if the saif as a producer if he want give role for as a sardar je, then he should to contact AKSHAY KUMAR OR SUNNY DEOL,

    because no one star can match in sardar role . only Sunny Deol(GADAR,BORDER),AKSHAY KUMAR(SINGH IS KING,NAMASTE LONDON) AND ya one is Salman Khan.

    so saif is not well in movie, i think he forget the acting because at resent he is only remember one thing and this is KAREENA,,,,,

    so if you would take my advice then don’t go in multiplex to watch this movie,if you realy want to see this then see on DVD., at home. ha ha ah

  • i beg to disagree to many of the comments here…i think d movie was a out and out entertainer with amazing performances by d lead actors…n d typical “imtiaz” flavour is so alive in d movie considersin i loved socha na tha n jab we met…n ya..u have to go into d theater wid a open mind n not keepin in mind dat it was d jab we met director…ne way….d movie worked very well for me n a lot of my friends too…

    gonna give it “4 outta 5”!!!!!!!! :) :)

  • Totally boring and predictable hogwash movie. Deepika is no actress. Saif way out of his shallow depth. LAK is much more interesting than Kambakkht Ishq, but that is faint praise indeed.

  • @Sachin rocki —-
    From very long time i am watching that you are opposing the Indicine team with their review.
    See that every one has their own point of view , if you are not agree with them than why are you looking around here just go to the other website….
    @Indicine team your review’s are very similar to me and i appreciate you

  • By the way movie was good
    You can see it one time.
    Twice is more than enough.
    chemistry is also good B\W them
    I’ll give 3.8/5

  • I really went to see the movie having high expectations after Jab We Met. But sadly love aaj kal was a big dissapointment. The movie in the first half was really boring and just kept dragging. The second half I thought picked up slightly but nothing great. Deepika doesn’t know how to act, the songs were okay nothing great. In spite of its poor direction, acting and diologues, the movie’s message or theme was good. It showed how love has changed today as to the love of the past. It was just showing how confused people of today’s generation are, and some of the values of yesterday still hold today provided people give it a chance. One thing I couldn’t understand although it was meant to be a comedy movie, people in the theatre were laughing even when there wasn’t anything funny in the movie, I didn’t find anything in the movie worth laughing at.

    Just an overall really boring movie, a real let down for me, and I went to watch with high expectations.

  • Come to think of it, if the film carries the ‘burden’ of humungous expectations, it’s imperative that it goes beyond those expectations.
    The reaction after watching the film has to be similar to a child who has laid his hands on his fav toy. The joyous smile would say it all. The question is, does Love Aaj Kal live up to the hype and hoopla surrounding it? Or does it go beyond that?

    Love Aaj Kal is not an easy film to write and execute. Sure, it’s a love story, but it’s not one of those mundane love stories that talks of love and heartache. Here, the two stories, set in different eras, run parallel, but have a similar end.

    To be brutally honest, it takes time to grasp the plot, since the past and present run concurrently. If you aren’t attentive, chances are you’d lose the plot. Also, if you aren’t aware by now that Saif enacts dual roles in the film — playing his part as also the part of young Rishi Kapoor — the goings-on would confuse you no end, when the transition occurs
    It is to Imtiaz Ali’s credit that he has penned an offbeat story, developed a complex but comprehensive screenplay and extracted sensitive performances from the principal cast. At the same time, the writing isn’t the type that would appeal to all sections of movie-going audience. Besides, the execution of the subject and also the pacing in the first hour are deterrents.

    Final word? Love Aaj Kal makes you fall in love with love all over again. Makes you value your loved ones all the more. This film is special!

    thts my review to flim…plz read this review….before getting to ny decison..

  • the movie is so boooring !!

    saifs acting was awful. one dimensional actor suitable only for ‘jerk’ roles.

    what a dissapointment this movie is. i can’t believe the movie has got the highest one day multiplex collections ever !! and the 2nd highest 1st day collections ever, 2nd to ghajini. beating films like rab ne bana di jodi and singh is kinng / kambakht ishq.

    it doesn’t deserve such an accolade. it is totally an average fare. personally i would prefer rab ne bana di jodi or singh is kinng or even kambakht ishq to this boring waste of time.

    i wouldn’t advise anyone to go and see it, wait for the dvd. dont waste your money. unless you are bored to death and have nothing better to do.

    i just hope the film crashes badly and doesn’t beat the first week record of the recent big films like rab ne, ghajini, and SIK, KI. it doesn’t deserve to beat any records. saif will be elevated to the A grade if it does, without any valid reason. not deserving at all.

    i wonder why it received such a huge opening at the box office ?

  • I was neither fan of saif ali khan nor deepika !!So today i watch this movie in DVD……Film not wht i thought of.
    Review:Well,movie is good but not best.It is watchable,neither it is boring…songs of movie r fantastic….i really like the love story which was shown of 1965 ad(of rishi kapoor) it was very good …i donot know tht actress name but even without more dialouge she really impress me…it was worth a watch while seeing in the movie!!!!

    Wht works in movie:
    1.Love story of rishi kapoor..this is very cute.
    2.Songs compose by pritam.Except one punjabi song ,all other songs r superb.
    3.the way movie is directed by I.ALi is very nice.He is always know for his direction and again shows tht

    Wht donot work for movie:
    1.When there was not good ending to both love story.it was simple and many films have already used tht.
    2.Modern love story…..was not digest ,how can a women knows only after marry tht she doesnot love her husband but loves her lover
    3.Deepika was boring as usual.Modern saif was not as good as young rishi kapoor

    Prediction:3 out of 5

    Final verdict:Watch a sweet love story of young part of rishi kapoor……..it will surely make u fall in love

  • Kiran, Spiderman, Sudeep.. Good reviews.. So opinions are indeed mixed.. Some have liked Kal, some the Aaj bits.. But very few who have enjoyed the movie as a whole.. Many user reviews have been outright negative, but surprisingly most critics have been extremely positive.

    Karan, do post “your” review, as the one you posted is from Bollywood Hungama..

  • this movie is nothing but a new hash version of HUM TUM …I donno whats so special about this ..bachna ae haseeno is also visible here…all and all a dissapointing show..luckily i saw it from a torrent site so amanged to save my money…four stars not withstanding i wanna give it 1 star rating….period

  • dear indicine team.. my review is not frm bollywood hungam…..i agreed its frm othr site. but wht i found on other site was d same wht i felt. i saw tht this movie is being critizising on ur site a lot. so i posted this review on ur site. if sme movie has somthing in it. thn it has to b appericiated. well i m nt telling u tht agar muje achi lagi movie thn sabko achi lage… but in ur case many users are following u so bcz writing or giving ur views jst think. or u can jst make a new coloumn on ur site thts of movie result, after 3 days of collction of box office on tht note jst give the result of movie tht is flop, avg, hit or superhit. thn compare with ur reviews thn u wil able to find hw much ur reviews r getting correct. the result of this movie is HIT’ nd its on d way of superhit. all d best byeee

  • Karan, a box office BLOCKBUSTER is not necessarily a GOOD movie.. If that was the case the Oscar for best picture should go to the biggest Hollywood blockbuster.. Or here in Bollywood.. Filmfare or National Award.. Get my point? :)

  • I agree with what indicine team just said. Box office blockbusters are not really a good way of saying if a movie was a hit or miss. When I went to see love aaj kal, two guys in front actually got up and left, and people were laughing at scenes that weren’t even meant to be funny, which tells me that people didn’t take it seriously and were just passing time and wanting to get their money’s worth. Although I didn’t like the movie the theme that it was trying to send about “love” nowadays I liked, I put that in quotes because these days love has just turned to more lust than anything else. The message was very true indeed, but in real life many “saif ali khan’s” never realize it until its too late, which is why he went mad at the end, there are some values and morals that have stood the test of time but I guess people nowadays are just trying to fight it without success, which is what Love Aaj Kal was trying to show. I guess in the end it just comes down to a personal preference taking into account direction script acting and all the other stuff that makes a movie complete. I like the message and theme of the movie. The only good thing in the movie was Rishi Kapoor.

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