Reviews: Love Aaj Kal

Love Aaj Kal is arguably the most awaited film of the year, director Imtiaz Ali of Jab We Met fame returns with Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone as his lead stars. Can he recreate the magic and surpass expectations?

The film is set in 2009 and 1965.. While Veer Singh in 1965 travels thousands of kilometres to catch a glimpse of his love, and yet not speak a word. Jai and Meera based in London in the 21st century, break-up, since they believe long-distance relationships don’t work.

We don’t usually post movie reviews from other Bollywood sites, but since we couldn’t make it to the premiere of the much-hyped film and as two credible sites have already published their official reviews, we decided to put it up. Check it out..

First the Bollywood Hungama review by Taran Adarsh. He goes with 4 on 5 stars, calling it a film for the “young and romantic at heart”. Review below

CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL INDICINE REVIEW of LOVE AAJ KAL

********************************************

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 Ali Khan 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.

LOVE AAJ KAL is a director’s (Imtiaz Ali) show entirely. The relationships here are complex because the couple in love lives in complete denial. 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!

Love Aaj – London, San Francisco, Delhi – 2009.
Jai [Saif] and Meera [Deepika] is a modern-day couple in London. They are very happy together, but do not believe in tying each other down. So when life pulls them in different directions, they decide to call off their relationship, since long-distance relationships, in their opinion, don’t work.

Love Kal – Delhi, Calcutta – 1965.
Veer Singh [Rishi Kapoor] is struck by a thunderbolt when he sees Harleen for the first time. He travels a thousand kilometers by train to stand under her balcony, only to have a glimpse of her face. And yet not speak a word with her.

LOVE AAJ KAL travels multiple continents and different eras. The subject matter is novel, never attempted before, but the material, the characters [Saif and Deepika especially] as also its execution is targeted at the youth in big cities mainly. As they say in filmi lingo, this one’s a hardcore multiplex movie.

Another area where Imtiaz Ali experiments is by depicting Saif as the young Rishi Kapoor. It’s a novel concept, no two opinions on that, but the question is, will it cut ice universally? Will people tend to get confused when the sequences turn sepia? The film captivates in bits and spurts in the initial portions. Partly because the writing is so different. But the writing breaks new grounds in the second hour. It’s in this hour that the film grips you completely, when the fragmented pieces are put together and a mesmeric picture emerges.

The second hour is the soul of the film. Right from the time Deepika decides to marry, till the last reunion, the film touches an emotional high. The sequence of events that lead to the culmination is incredible. Saif’s interaction with Deepika at the marriage, or the gradual change in Saif’s behaviour in the U.S. in the course of a song, or the realisation that marriage was a big mistake… moments like these take LOVE AAJ KAL to dizzy heights. Imtiaz Ali is a genius. The film bears the stamp of an accomplished storyteller. This is a forward-thinking film that handles the new-age relationships with complete understanding. The songs compliment the goings-on beautifully. This is amongst Pritam’s accomplished works. ‘Twist’ [already a rage], ‘Aahun Aahun’ [foot-taping], ‘Chor Bazaari’ [melodious] and ‘Dooriyaan’ [melancholic], each song is a gem.

Both Saif and Deepika Padukone come up with their career-best performances in LOVE AAJ KAL. Saif carries the most difficult parts with remarkable ease. Sure, we’ve seen him as the cool, urban guy in several films, but this one’s the most demanding role and only a seasoned actor could’ve delivered it with such precision.

Deepika looks ethereal. Most importantly, in LOVE AAJ KAL, she acts very, very well. Matching up to Saif is no mean achievement and she does it in several scenes. This should be the turning point in her career. Rishi Kapoor is top notch. The actress enacting the role of Harleen is pretty. Rahul Khanna does well in a small, but significant role. Watching Neetu Kapoor in the end sequence is truly astonishing. She’s so graceful.

On the whole, LOVE AAJ KAL is for the young and romantic at heart. Sure, it’s not perfect, but the terrific performances, melodious music and stirring emotional moments [last 35 odd minutes] more than compensate for the hiccups. At the box-office, the film should start with a bang for four factors — its novel cast, super music, great promotion and yes, Imtiaz Ali, a name that commands respect amongst moviegoers.

Rating: ★★★★☆

**************************************

The second review is from Network 18, very positive again.

There are three reasons why you must catch Love Aaj Kal ASAP – dialogues, performances and music. Imtiaz Ali’s tale of love, then and now is a light hearted and refreshing watch.

Burnout, commitment phobia, long distance relationships – issues the minus 30-generation can easily identify with, are subtly touched upon thought the movie. Here’s a film that actually talks the talk.

Like Socha Na Tha and Jab We Met, Imtiaz Ali’s third film also rests on a wafer-thin plot. The director uses smart one-liners and life-like situations to take the story forward. Love Aaj Kal is about Jai (Saif Ali Khan) an urban, alpha male who can’t understand the meaning of love. His girl friend Meera (Deepika Padukone) also believes in choosing career over romance. After a mutual breakup, Jai meets the grand old Veer (Rishi Kapoor). He narrates his own love story to give Jai a peak into old-fashioned romance. The conflicting approaches to love form the base of Love Aaj Kal.

The narrative runs in multiple timelines – which can get confusing sometimes. Imtiaz Ali uses a clever, non-linear edit pattern to draw parallels between his two stories. Saif Ali Khan is in home turf as Jai. Playing a role similar to Kal Ho Na Ho and Hum Tum, Saif is charming as ever with his wise cracks and mannerisms. However it’s in the emotional sequences towards the end, where you realise how much he has matured over the years. Casting him as young Rishi Kapoor, is bit of a cinematic liberty. But it works in the context of the film – even though Khan’s Punjabi is not very authentic. You can often sense the metrosexual Saif wanting to break out of the turban.

Deepika Padukone is the real surprise. Looking her best ever, Deepika delivers a surprisingly effortless performance. A scene where she checks herself out in the mirror before heading for a date is a gem of a moment. And yes! For the first time we discover that the girl knows how to cry. Rishi Kapoor is spontaneous as the romantic Sardar. Watch out for his surprise in the climax.

Imtiaz’s dialogues are once again straight out of everyday conversations. The scenes between Rishi and Saif are bound to remind you of the advice your dad gives you about settling down in life. As a technician Imtiaz shows shades of Yash Raj romances. Pritam’s stupendous score adds tremendous value to the film, making the proceedings even livelier.

Any minuses? Yes! The second half could have been 20 minutes shorter. Also, while the easy pace of the film works for the theme, it often tends to get slow. This film wastes little time in the boy meets girl part and is quick to get to the point. But the point could have been made in under two hours.

On the face of it a lot of sequences appear shallow. Unlike Jab We Met where the comic portions and dramatic ones were distinctly spelt out, here the emotions are pretty understated. There’s a lot of depth in the seeming light hearted portions. It’s a multiplex film in the truest sense of the word.

Love Aaj Kal is not perfect. But in one of Bollywood’s dullest years, this one comes as a refreshing ray of hope. It’s bound to bring a smile on your face. Here’s a film with both head and heart.

Verdict: It’s the coolest film of the year

Rating: ★★★★☆

************************************

One more review, Nikhat Kazmi from Times of India. Again 4 stars.. This film is getting great reviews!

Chalo, let’s get drunk with one more heady potion of Pyar, Imtiaz ishtyle, you tell yourself before sauntering in for his latest, Love Aaj Kal.

And no, you aren’t disappointed at all. Because, this time, the effervescence and adrenalin rush of impetuous love, resonant in the romance of Geet and Aditya in Jab We Met, has been replaced by a more serious and realistic take on modern love. The film literally holds up a mirror to the commitment phobia of the young, successful professionals who keep changing their status from `committed’ to `single’ on the sundry social networking sites. Much to the chagrin of their dads and mums who fail to understand this emotional dilettantism and keep badgering them with love-of-a-lifetime cliches.

The secret of director Imtiaz Ali’s film making lies basically in three primordial areas. Instead of relying heavily on a three-hour long script, he chooses to concentrate on his dialogues: crisp, concise and completely in sync with aaj ka lingo. All of Saif’s babblings about love sans marriage and Deepika’s discourses on career and cumbersome commitment are straight out of real-life ramblings in pubs, discotheques and coffee shops.

Secondly, it’s the characterisations that literally set the screen on fire, with their highly individualistic streak coupled with their sad vulnerability. Here again, Saif Ali Khan’s Jai and Deepika’s Meera aren’t your run-of-the-mill Romeos. While cool dude Jai dreams of building bridges like the Golden Gate and cannot see romance coming in the way of his career, restoration artist, Meera too feels long distance relationships are a drag when she decides to move from London to repaint frescoes in Delhi. Refreshingly, this romance actually begins with a break and then goes through umpteen twists and turns, before the new age Jai realises he ain’t much different from the old-fashioned Veer (Rishi Kapoor) who lived out the Heer-Ranjha story in the less cluttered 1960s. Both Jai and Meera try to live out their lives independently, simply as friends, pursuing their careers and different love interests. But ironically, they keep bumping into each other at odd junctures of their life, babbling incoherently (and funnily) to avoid the senty soulmate signals. And Saif’s absolutely delightful with his gibberish take on I’m okay, you’re okay, we’re okay, while the scene’s actually yelling out something else.

Thirdly, like Jab We Met, this film too scores in the lush atmospherics that anchor the drama so exotically. London, San Franciso are fine, but it’s actually Delhi that once again sweeps you off your feet as it stands by as a sweet and vibrant witness to the wooing and shooing, both in the 1965 romance and the 2009 something-like-love story. Playing a major role in creating the right ambience is Pritam’s foot tapping music score too which boasts of a number of chartbusters.

On the flip side, the first half does ramble a bit and takes time to build up into a riveting second half. But the alluring performances by the lead pair do cover up for the langorous bits. Deepika is definitive and strong as Meera, the modern girl who has an individuality of her own. But it is Saif who renders so many shades to his character to make it seem so very real: confident, confused, careerist, homebody, fancy-free, foolishly in love.

Final query. How do Meera and Jai resolve their long-distance-relationships-don’t-work dilemma? We’d like to believe the bridge-builder moves in with the restoration artist in saddi Dilli! Go watch it for it’s GenNow feel and it’s ekdum modern appeal.

Rating: ★★★★☆

So there you go with 2 positive reviews, great hype and hopefully strong word of mouth, Love Aaj Kal could be the biggest hit of the year so far.

CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL INDICINE REVIEW of LOVE AAJ KAL

Advertisements

25 Comments

  • Love aaj kal is a copycat movie:

    LOVE AAJ KAL seems to be “inspired” , as we know what that means, from a Taiwenese film, HAO DE SHI GUANG (Three Times).

    In THREE TIMES – The movie starts in 1911 then moves to 1966 and eventually culminates in 2005.

    The story of THREE TIMES runs in three phases. It features three chronologically separate stories of love between the two protagonists, in the first two stories, letters are crucial to the outcome; in the third, it is cell phone calls, text messages, and a computer file.

    Over the years between the tales, as sexual intimacy becomes more likely and words more free, communication recedes.

    Imtiaz Ali directed LOVE AAJ KAL starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Florence Brudenell Bruce is all about how love was perceived back in the olden days compared to how it is in modern times.

    The story has Saif in turban romancing Florence in the second part in the film where love is all about innocence. The third part has Saif and Deepika playing non-committal lovers just there for fun, sex & short romance without marriage.

    But Imtiaz however denies the resemblance by stating there are just two stories portraying love then and now. The USP or the main attraction of the film is the love story between Neetu & Rishi Kapoor which is the first of the three love stories which is different.

  • I am proud that I am more intelligent than “Indicine” reviewer, He gave copy paste of reviews from other websites but I have given proof of this movie is copycat, So u decide who has more Inteeligence and more IQ, As for me I am more intelligent :-)

    P.S:

    If u delete this message it will prove you are biased and deleting messages even though the message did not have a single abusive word :-)

    :-)

  • Sachin, we do not delete most comments. We have a comment filter which randomly selects comments and puts it into moderation.. These comments will have to be manually approved. We do not delete any comment unless it goes against the Rules.

    If you believe your intelligent, so be it.. Glad you are. Good day to you :)

    By the way, to others.. Love Aaj Kal from these reviews and those who have already seen the movie, has 2 stories.. One is Rishi Kapoor’s (Saif as the young Rishi) set in 1965 and the modern day love story set in 2009 with Saif and Deepika.

  • Thanx for the complement even though it had a bit of sarcastic tinge to it but give me one dy and I will prove the fact that I am probably the most intelligent if not the most capable user in your website, As for as competition with you it was planned and dramatised to check whether u will delete messages or not :-)

  • On the point of Love aaj kal having 2 stories, If the director does not have even that capability to change the script a little bit after watching the original flick “HAO DE SHI GUANG (Three Times).
    “, Then wat is the point in watching this flick Love aaj kal, Instead we can rent this taiwanese film and watch it by reading sub-titles :-)

  • Sachin, go ahead dude, post whatever you want to. Your free to criticize as long as you dont cross limits or get abusive. Otherwise, take it from me, none of your comments will be deleted.

    Thanks

  • Have you seen Hao De Shi Guang? Is it a scene-to-scene rip off or inspired version? There ain’t 3 stories in this, just two. So how can it be a remake?

  • Any smart director will never make a scene-toscene or dialogue-to-dialogue rip pff of any movie, Imtiaz Ali is a smart director unlike Soham Shah who made it very obvious that Luck was copycat of “The Condemned” starring Stone cold steve austin even though it was not a scene to scene copy or dialogue to dialogue copy, The point is this movie Love aaj kal has only 2 stories rather than 3 but it does not make it original, Does it.???????????????

  • Its a super flop as usual they seems paid again to Praise that Crap movie…as if they vr paid heavily to critize Kambakht Ishq last time ( even when these all above copied site gave KI 4 star they critisized it…where vr ur Copy reviews policy for that biggest over sees blockbuster…
    ur all fake
    its a bakwaas Crapoo…copy of The Condemned

  • I haven’t watched the movie yet,,, But I’m surely gonna do it soon.. Its quite strange that ppl say this is a copyfilm blablablabla.. when LAK has become a superhit movie.. just check out the other sites, if u don’t believe indicine.. This movie is surely gonna rock ;)

  • Why are people so cynical. Watch a movie for entertainment……….copied or not. If you like it Ok. If you dont …….next one will be better. Coming back to the movie hope it is a good one. will be watching it in the weekend. The actors have tried to do their best, and it is upto the public to give it a good approval. Hopè it is better than the stupid movie Luck, Coming to Kaminey ………..hope it is good.

  • INDICINE!!I would like to tell u that don’t care about what some people think about u. Just do what u feel right.I think u r an intelligent reviewer and not biased at all.Not only love aj kal i think now-a-days most of the films are boring and actully have no story….

  • Sachin , U rock man!!!!!!!!!!!!! I totally agree wid u. Do watever u feel guys, but dont say later on that u were not informed before.

  • how can they give this bakwas movie such good reviews when they gave poor reviews to the akshay films such as singh is kinng and kambakht ishq and even cctc ? love aaj kaal is below average. this is proof that the nedia is biased against akshay. LAK was as bad as KI. so should have got poor reviews.

  • im sure viewers will agree that the flip flop between the two actors looks similar to HUM TUM ..TIAWANESES FILM COMES LATER…!!.. it had many shades of the karan film ..i was pretty disgusted with the movie not a single tear jerker moment ..i was aghast ..my wife who wanted to see first show thanked me immensely for downloading it from a torrent site and saving her precious money..

  • This movie is nowhere close to Jab We Met. Except for the Twist song the whole story of this movie is twisted. It was so slow and boring to start with. The movie has no direction and no purpose.
    It is pathetic. The movie may score at the box office due to the tremendous publicity but it does not deserve any accolades.
    As for Saif’s nose well that is another story. It is quite prominent.
    If it is true that Saif had botox he should have trimmed the nose a little. Side shots of him are awful.

  • nazirmo

    ha ha ha !!! i totally agree with you. well said.

    saif looks like a woman though, seriously. and what a jerk. 40 year old man trying to act as a teenager, with his nike shoes an all !!v typical saif. an immature jerk with no purpose in life.

  • UR Biased with akshay Movies……anyways Akshay has signed a new flick with Vishal Bhardwaj Lets c how many stars u give to a class director like Vishal known for all time 4.5 stars…Lets c whether u hate Akshay or u love Vishal….by the way how much SRK pay u to criticise Akshay’s movies?
    If LAK is 4 Star KI was 5 star….
    COZ LAK is just another Salam Namaste…with Javed Jaferi missing

  • what a movie i mean you really fall in love watching this master piece. Imtiaz Ali really made us believe that there is something known as love. Both depuka and saif have acted their hearts out. Is dialogues are so real another thing this movie highlights that how good direction and screenplay can work magic. I think it would end up being the biggest hit of this year

Leave a Comment