Love Aaj Kal
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan, Randeep Hooda, Aarushi Sharma
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Love, as they say, is a myriad of wonderful things and Imtiaz Ali as a director has explored the auds many times and impressed with his countless cinematic renditions.
This time around, however, Ali’s Love Aaj Kal’s re-release of the same theme of love across generations is disappointing. With a name and general plot structure similar to the first outing, comparisons are inevitable. But while this millennial-focused love story captures the quirkiness of modern love, it certainly lacks the spice that previous Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone offered.
This second round of love and desire in Love Aaj Kal features two parallel romantic tracks – one between Raghu (Randeep Hooda and Kartik Aaryan as his younger self) and Leena (Aarushi Sharma) from the 1990s, while the second is set in the current time. with Veer (Kartik Aaryan) and Zoe (Sara Ali Khan). So far, so good.
Raghu and Leena’s is a throwback to the small-town romances of 1990, the decade of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, complete with a romantic scandal and school dances. In fact, this is the story with emotional power and authenticity that should have been at the heart of the film.
The second thread about a millennial romance with Zoe, a young girl focused on a grand career fueled by her mother’s (Simone Singh) constant warnings not to throw everything away for a man; the always desire to please Veer.
As the famous truth goes, opposites attract and we watch the unlikely jumble of romance blossom in a co-working space run by Raghu (Randeep Hooda). This too could have been a tasty enough story on its own, unfortunately cutting the two love stories through doesn’t result in an intoxicating mix. Instead, it hinders the story flow for both. The intentional gaiety of the younger romance and the cynicism of the elder pull in different directions instead of merging into a unanimous conclusion.
Ali’s writing is good at parts, but he packs too much. Cinema writing is a clever combination of both show and tell. The writing in this film, therefore, clearly from the perspective of a wry observer, should have left much more room to show than to tell the story. All the characters (Leena is the only exception) talk a lot, theorizing about what love is or can be and it gets tiresome over time. Love Aaj Kal lacks the easy, charming and simple romance of Ali’s earlier films.
Kartik Aaryan, best known for ranting against girlfriends during his earlier outings, takes on a much more subdued role and also makes a mess of it. He shows the ability to successfully play quieter, more sensitive roles as well. Sara Ali Khan, the star of the film, is her confident self and you can see why she would be the perfect choice for Zoe. However, the missing cadence in an otherwise heartfelt performance makes it too short. Randeep Hooda and newcomer Aarushi Sharma are extremely eye-catching, despite playing second fiddle to the leading pair in this ode to modern romance.
Matters of the heart are tricky, as are movies on the subject and in this one, despite everyone’s best efforts, the cupid’s arrow misses the mark.
Rating: 2/5