Honestly, I just do not know what to write for the review of this film. The tag line above is self explanatory—Love Aaj Kal, directed by the guy who directed Jab We Met and headlined by Saif Ali Khan who is supposed to be a A-list star now, is a prime example of the stupid movies Bollywood is attempting to make and package off as blockbusters aaj-kal (read these days). Bollywood film makers have become experts at crafting superb trailors in spite of not having anything (read story) in the movie. On Friday, the 31st of July, the Hyderabad box-office saw two big releases—Magadheera and Love Aaj Kal—and I caught them back-to-back. The former was a blast, but Love Aaj Kal is just a stupid attempt by Imtiaz Ali to earn a name in to the big league as the film is more like a series of TV episodes.
Love Aaj Kal is about Jai (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera (Deepika Padukone) and their utterly confused relationship from start to finish (of the film). Set in London, they meet casualy at pubs and start flirting, dating, hugging, touching, kissing etc., but still they are not sure what is going on. Yes, they are definitely dumb. Then Meera who is an ancient buildings restoration art-technician gets an offer to move to New Delhi, India. The two decide to break up and have a break-up party; alas, however cool they wanted it to be it turns out a little sobby after all. They continue talking on the phone, web-chatting etc and keep each other posted about their male/female interests and ‘other’ details as well. It felt like watching The Wonder Years or some teen tele-serial. The confusion continues and it is interval. Oh yes, are you wondering about the bits you saw in the trailers about a set in the 60s? that is there, but it is just a dummy. Jai becomes friends with Veer (Rishi Kapoor) who assumes the role of relationship-advisor to Jai and in between the Jai-Meera story Veer’s story keeps popping out of nowhere. Now second half, Jai is dating and sleeping (he counts up to 15 times) with a blonde and Meera is dating her boss. Next, out of nowhere we see Jai lands up straight at Meera’s workplace and they both begin re-dating, re-flirting etc based on ridiculous logics. Then again, it gets sobby when Meera is proposed by her boss. Jai moves back and gets a job at San Francisco. Again, after a while he loses interest in this job and concludes that he loves Meera as he readily gets beaten up by goons when they want to snatch her photo. However, Meera is already married (Jai attends the wedding and leaves telling her he can’t believe what he is seeing!) and on the honeymoon Meera confesses to her husband that she is still stuck in the past and unable to resolve it. Oh yes, Jai and Meera finally patch up.
Didn’t I tell you it is like a teen TV show! Veer’s (played by Saif Ali Khan) 1960s track adds nothing to the film. In fact, it only makes the proceedings confusing and you keep wondering why are they doing this? Then the answer strikes you (i) Saif Ali Khan is the producer of the film he must have told Imtiaz Ali that even after 15 years in the industry I haven’t played an author-backed type role. Thus, the diro-hero duo do the most fashionable stunt of Bollywood off-late…go back to the 60s and 70s and make it seem magical as opposed to the present. (ii) Imtiaz Ali must have felt such an abstract sort of screenplay will make audience feel he is some of sort of screenplay or story-narration genius. In my view, he should be making TV shows. Come to think of it, that moron of a reviewer Mr. Taran Adarsh actually refers to Imtiaz Ali as a “genius” in his review! What is that track you ask? Veer is in love with Harlen Kaur (turns out she is a Brazilian model; quite impressive) who only communicates with her eyes and head bowed down. Veer follows her to Calcutta, elopes with her even after her engagement, marries her. And the purpose of this track is to tell Jai–the modern youth—that love is magical and not practical. Thanks for the lesson in love Imtiaz Ali, I thought we come to the movies to get entertained.
Deepika Padukone is so adorable (I love her diction) that I don’t feel like blasting her. Poor gal, what can she do?—everything must have 
looked good on paper, but she should have applied her brain before accepting this script. The music is okay, but the placing of the songs is crappy. Twist, for example, is placed so badly in the film and why put Aaahoon…Aaahoon...at the end? If you really look at it, there seem to be only one song, Twist, and that too misplaced. Why have a gori do the song when there is Deepika? rest of the songs feel like background music. As Saif Ali Khan’s first production, the film seems totally targeted towards the multiplex crowd and overseas market with the hope that their target demographics will identify with confused seemingly no-boundaries and no-strings attached relationships. What really worked for the film’s impressive openings are the genuinely misleading trailers showing bits from two generations—that really caught my attention else I would have seen this film on it’s first day.
Bollywood is today in such desparate state of affairs that any film that has a decent to good first three days is declared a hit and that too based on multiplex collections. The film will do well on weekends in urban areas as it is a time pass pop corn flick, but to pump up the industry these movies will just not help. The film will be a great watch for DVD, cable or for in-flight entertainment.
Mr. Inkenti’s Movienomics Verdict: Thumbs Down. For those who were hoping that Imtiaz Ali will deliver a knock-out entertainer with cool characterizations, good songs, peppy story, and entertaining elements will be in for a knock-out dissapointment.
ps–hey Saif, whats with the Illuminati Films? are you heavily in to Dan Brown?
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LAK sucks said
U r right here. This movie is pathetic.
Other than the remixed version of ‘Twist’. This movie has nothing going for it. But the tickets r still selling and that continues to amaze me.