I Hate Luv Stories Movie Review

I Hate Luv Stories directed by Punit Malhotra (nephew of costume designer Manish Malhotra) is a take on some of the most popular love stories that you have seen. The promos were fresh and clicked big time with the audience, the music too was very popular and the film has immense buzz surrounding. Quite obvious since the film is produced under one of Bollywood’s most reputed production houses, Dharma Productions. The film stars Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor. 

I Hate Luv Stories is about Jay (Imran Khan) and Simran (Sonam Kapoor). Jay basically hates love stories and for Simran its all about love stories. Both work in Bollywood, Simran is an art director, while Jay is an assistant director to Veer (Samir Sony), who is one of the most famous romantic directors in the Indian film industry. Unfortunately for Jay, he has to live in this world of love and unrealistic larger than life characters.

Simran is engaged to the man of her dreams, Raj (Sameer Dattani), who is well, Raj straight out of DDLJ. But the film isn’t about Raj and Simran here, as Jay’s dislike towards love soon becomes one of the main reasons for the two – Jay and Simran – to fall in love.

What works for I Hate Luv Stories

  • First off, Punit Malhotra is a director to watch out for. Its his direction along with the performances that makes the film a good one time watch.
  • The love story works big time and although Raj is engaged to Simran, you want Jay and Simran to fall in love and no matter how clichéd it might sound – live happily ever after.
  • Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor are perfectly cast and its their sparkling chemistry that stays with you long after the credits roll. Both look amazing in every scene.
  • The more important half of the film, the second, is well paced and while very predictable works very well for the film.
  • The music by Vishal and Shekhar is awesome. Almost every song is a gem – Bin Tere, Jab Mila Tu, Sadka to name a few.
  • The background score (Salim Sulaiman) is excellent. Cinematography (Ayananka Bose) is amazing. Dialogues (Punit Malhotra) are very well written.

What doesn’t work

  • The first half is stretched too long. The film rests on a thin plot and there is nothing much to miss if you walk in a few minutes late.
  • As mentioned above the film is very predictable and although the climax seemed to have worked big time with the audience, it wasn’t great.

Performances

  • Sonam Kapoor is a revelation and should sweep most awards this year. Her character is immensely likable and her performance with a touch of innocence and plenty of charm makes it easily the best performance in the film.
  • Imran Khan is brilliant and in form for the first time since his first film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. The audience, especially girls, will love him in the film.
  • Kavin Dave is very good. Sameer Dattani is wasted. Bruna Abdullah can’t act to save her life. Samir Soni is okay. Aamir Ali is good.

Overall, Punit Malhotra on debut gets most things right. His direction is top notch, the casting is perfect and the performances are superb. A good weekend watch.

Rating: ★★★½☆

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21 Comments

  • nice review indicine,,,,going to see it in the afternoon,,I hope I will like it,,,glad that you posted IHLS review so early and not on friday evenings as you usually do,,,,
    keep rocking..

  • Will watch it on Saturday.. without reading any reviews I know it’s a good film and an interesting one.

    And from Promos I could say that Imran’s performance improved so much.. now he could be considered as one of good bollywood actors.. he got a bright future.

    Sonam: she’s been good since her first movie Saawariya and wl continue to be good, hope that she’ll continue doing good movies.

  • IHLS just bakwas movie .No story in it .Just like a serial episode . Very boring for me .Imran need to learn acting from Aamir .Sonam kapoor looks very nice acting is also good . Music is just below average. Neither of the one song I cant remember .But cinematography is good .Direction also bad Story is very weak .

    My rating 2/5 .

  • IHLS is just about O.K. Nothing new in it. Fresh pairing of Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor works in favor of the film. The music is pretty good. I think the movie will be above average at the box office in my opinion.

  • Indicine Team: there’s so much to miss in the first halft, if u walked out to smoke or to go to any rest room.. it’s not stretched at all.. yeah.. it’s a predictable movie but it’s an interesting one! you’ll just love the movie, you’ll enjoy watching it and you’ll have a good time.

    The movie is nice, as I expected.. now comparing this movie with JTYJN, you all wl realize how that movie was so stupid and poor in direction, in the cast, in the cinematography, in the performance, in the script and it was a super hit movie!! hahaha.. then this movie should be a blockbuster.. that if the indian audience could judge any movie he watchs correctly and how this one is exactly opposite! a well made movie ( and ofcourse because it’s Karan Johar’s magic in this movie.. it’s not only the director.. it’s Karan Johar himself who did this movie helping or guiding the director for sure, Karan Johar is not only a producer but a director too.)

    Sonam was beautiful in this movie, she gained little weight and she became more beautiful than before.. her performance was so good as well as Imran Khan.. he did a good job.

    Watch it everyone.. you’ll enjoy it.. if u did enjoy that stupid poor movie JTYJN then you’ll go crazy for this one!

  • @Indicine

    Please tell me why you removed my post with link,, I am not going to spam the your website and I have no intention of being your compeititor,,I am a regular visitor to your website and please tell me if I can post link or not for the future…

  • Thanks Indicine for posting my link ..

    @FATHIYA
    If you really liked the movie,,wowwwww,,,please tell me one thing what you liked in the movie,,every scene in the movie seems to be copied from either karan’s previous movies or aditya’s movies…. Same ghisa pita stuff with girl falling for the guy but the guy rejects,,later he realizes that he has feelings too and then when he goes to tell her feelings, her boyfriend comes to the scene,,havent we have witnesses this things 100 times before. The only saving grace in the movie is the one liners used throughout the movie which make the movie passable….

  • Gurvinderpal: sorry that I didn’t get a time to write a review on yr website, but I don’t agree with yr rating ( I did post my comment on yr web a few minutes ago)

    Just repeating my question again: if yr rating is only 2 stars for this quality movie in direction, production so what’s yr rating for JTYJN!!

  • @Fathiya

    Well JTYJN is nt any sort of landmark movie,,my rating for it is 3 stars,,but it had novelity in the story and some twists and turns but IHLS is so predictable and it had nothing new to offer. There is no scene in the movie which we hadnt seen in bolywood. Take for example fighting between the Imran and sonam which happen in all the love stories. Sonam believes in love stories like preity believed in DIL CHAHTA HAI,,,,,while Imran is like aamir who dont beleive in love,,,Like preity,, sonam also falls for Imran(same as DCH)….Later like Aamir,,,, Imran realizes that he has feelings for Sonam and when he goes to tell her his feelinhs her finacee comes into the scene…..

    If a movie derives its plot entirely from other movies then sorry I cant like the movie

  • Gurvinderpal: 3 star for that poor direction movie and 2 start for this good direction!! not fair Gurvinder..now tell me.. which bollywood movie is not predictable? And 95% of bollywood movies are based on love stories, family relationships, etc.. few only r different.. and this is about love story and relationships.. so what do u expect out of it?!! some horror or thriller scenes!! some fighting.. the movie is about relationships..what happens between a boy and a girl.. they’re all similar dear in this life.. nothing unique! the only unique and what is different r the movies which the couple die at the end, suicide, kill themselves e.g. Hear Ranja, Sony Mahiwal, Layla Majnoo.. so don’t expect anything else out of love stories.. they’re all similar but as ppl love to see romantic stories ( and this wl never stop as long as we live, new generation come and go and life would continue the same.. ppl fall in love always and their stories r just similar, a boy loves a girl from one side, a girl loves a boy who doesn’t love her back, some wrong relationships, married ppl fall in love after marriage, love, breakup, love breakup, family rejection, labla..) but what happened in JTYJN was so stupid and I think that’s why the audinece loved the movie!!!!

    If u guys go and see a movie which is about love and relationship ( and the title, trailer would confirm that) and expect to see something else happens in the movie so better not to go for it.. watch some action comedy or horror instead!

  • IHLS -> First Weekend = 23 Crores (App.) in India & 8 Crores (App.) Overseas.

    That’s a great score at the box office for a movie starring 2 flop actors. The movie is surely going to be a success at the box office as there is no competition for the movie in the coming weeks.

  • fahadkhawaja: what’re you saying.. flop actors!!! none of them are flop!!

    If a movie didn’t work but the actor was good so u can’t consider him/her as a flop actor, Sonam is a good actress even if her movies didn’t work at the box office.. if she wasn’t good, her performance wasn’t appreciated by the audience or by the filmmakers they’d never sign her for their movies!

    Imran Khan’s performance wasn’t so good in JTYJN but the movie did work.. even if the movie worked but the actor didn’t do a great job in that movie.. also u can’t consider him as a good actor because that movie worked.

    Flop is the one who’s been rejected by the audience and none of them have!

  • IHLS is doing quite good and the movie had clicked to the audience,,,,,what you think about india audience now FATHIYA,,,,who according to you have a bad taste,,:):):):)

  • Indicine,,,,,,can we have a thread on the trailer of LAFANGEY PARINDEY,,,have u seen the trailer,,how do u find the trailer,,good or bad,,

  • Gurvinderpal: but u gave it only 2 stars!! anyways.. thank God that it worked and they liked it.

    I’m still sorry that some good movies which I saw in the past years, which deserved to be some hit or super hit movies didn’t work at the box office and some lousy kachra movies did work!

    Just wished if I could slap those audiences for their bad taste including some critics!

  • yes FATHIYA I know some movie earn much more than what they actually deserve,,classic example is OSO….I loved the movie SHAURYA,,but it was a flop,,,,it is one of my all time favourite movie,,have u seen it…which one of your favorite movie havent done well at BO
    Are you going to see Milenge Milnge

  • Gurvinderpal: yes OSO didn’t deserve to be a blockbuster, but sometimes the starpower or the director, the producer’s name, the promotion, etc encourage ppl to go and watch a specific movie, not only that, even the occasions, holidays e.g. Diwali or Eid time, other holidays.. ppl r free not busy and one of those movies would release so everyone would go and watch it to hv some good time ( in regular days thousands of audiences would go on the first day show but on occasions, during holidays, millions might go!) not only on weekends, holidays or occasions.. I noticed in our cinemas ( and I’m sure that this happens in all cinemas in every part of this world) morning show is so quiet, noon time too, after noon is better in collection, after 6.00pm is good, after 8.00pm is so good, after 10.00pm is housefull!!) just see the difference!! pplr r busy at work so no one would go to cinema to see a movie only few who don’t work, who’re free, who’re retired.
    It’s all luck therefore I never believe in box office and it’s so stupid to consider any movie as a good or as a bad one according to numbers of audience who paid ticket and went to watch it!! what if some millions went to see a movie on the first 3 days of release and the movie collected more than 30 or 40 crores in those 3 days so it became a hit, but after those 3 days.. ppl went backward and didn’t like it.. the movie didn’t sustain or gradually they removed it from cinemas! so.. what would be our decision then? Do we say the movie was good or was bad?

    And good movies which failed, stupid movies which won r many, and already mentioned them on this website.

  • i think movie is osam and fresh. i like all the songs. and direction is o.k it can b better. i luv imran,sonam& luv storys

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