oazam-94021

Mohit Suri consistently gets one thing right in his filmography, which is the music. The tracks in his films are raw, fresh, and deeply resonant, setting a benchmark for what good Bollywood music should sound like. With Saiyaara, he taps into the craze of young love among Gen Z and Millennials, bringing something new to the table, at least musically.

The story follows Krish Kapoor, a hot-headed, debt-ridden musician with an alcoholic father who lashes out at a critic for nepotism and for failing to recognize fresh talent. Vaani Batra is a writer aspired to great things, whose mannerism doesn't click with Krrish when they cross paths.

They fall in love, but with Vaani's past story and a health issue that breaks them apart, it becomes short-lived, but how Krrish gets Vaani back is what this film is about, as well as rising from glory to fame.

In all honesty, because of Ahaan's debut, there was something in the gut of the audience that made them hate this film due to the industry's liking to promoting star kids, and it wasn't a great film, but it had elements that made it watchable.

The first half of the film was a good introduction to Krrish and Vaani's roles in the film, and Mohit Suri manages to maintain that. The problem lies in the second half when Vaani's fate turns the tables.

It was far-fetched, and the context of Alzheimer's that Vaani had in the film was out of line and very illogical. The ending, luckily, was predictable and straightforward, but it was a happy ending, as always.

Mohit Suri is usually known for working with Emraan Hashmi, and although the narrative falters, the music manages to keep things afloat. The most OG films were Awarapan & Ek Villain, which were underrated. This time, he introduced a more recent generational take on a love story, and he did a decent job at it, but it still has minor flaws.

The acting was decent, as Aneet Padda, in my opinion, was the only one who shone in her debut in her complex role as Vaani. She was very nuanced and original. Ahaan Pandey was good in parts, and the aggression scene and the climax were rushed.

Music stood out as usual in a Mohit Suri-directed film. The album's highlights for me were Saiyaara, Dhun, & Humsafar. They resonated with what a romantic drama film should be.

Overall, great music and a decent first half, but the dialogues & second half falter for sure. Best to check this out on an OTT. But this film will do better thanks to YRF's new strategy of not doing heavy marketing and overhyping it.

A modern take that tries to recapture the charm of Life in a... Metro, but falls just short.

Anurag Basu, known for his heartfelt, layered storytelling in films like Life in a... Metro, Gangster, Barfi!, and Ludo, returns with Metro... In Dino - a film that attempts to revisit the emotional and interconnected lives of people in a bustling city like Mumbai. While it brings some strong moments and thoughtful themes, it doesn't quite achieve the narrative tightness or emotional resonance of its 2007 predecessor.

Plot Summary (No Major Spoilers): The film follows four parallel stories, each centered around love, loss, and rediscovery:

Akash & Shruti - A married couple on the brink of parenthood, struggling with financial issues and career setbacks. The stress convinces them to consider abortion, raising deep moral and emotional questions.

Parth & Chumki - Chumki, a corporate employee engaged to someone she's unsure about, meets Parth. Their relationship blooms amidst complications, offering a glimpse into modern love and hesitation.

Kajol & Monty - A married couple with a teenage daughter, facing emotional decay as Monty turns to dating apps in search of excitement. Kajol's quiet hurt is among the more affecting aspects of the film.

Shibani & Parimal - Shibani, the mother of Chumki and Kajol, is an older woman who finds companionship in Parimal after years of dealing with her husband's betrayal. Their story offers the most gentle and emotionally honest moments in the film.

Each story unfolds in its own arc but eventually intersects, mirroring the structure of Life in a... Metro, though without the same emotional impact.

What Works: Performances: The cast delivers solid, believable performances, especially the more experienced actors like Neena Gupta (as Shibani) and Anupam Kher (as Parimal). Sara Ali Khan somehow made a very decent comeback as Chumki, and Ali Fazal & Fatima Sana deliver a very nuanced performance.

Pankaj Tripathi performs immaculately, but Konkona & Aditya were very flat in their performance and didn't create much impact in the story.

Music: Pritam manages to maintain the live band sequence this time with Papon & Raghav Chaitanya, similar to Life in a Metro, and delivers a few emotionally resonant tracks that complement the tone. Zamaana Lage and Dil Ka Kya were the main highlights. But too many songs and the balance between scenes & music ratio was off compared to Life in a Metro.

Themes: The film captures relevant emotional and relational issues - urban isolation, generational gaps, infidelity, and the search for meaningful connection, but the 2nd half becomes extremely far-fetched and loses momentum later on, making the end very less tight and out of context.

Overall, this is a one-time watch. While it starts off with a good narrative, the second half becomes too stretched with too many songs, and the editing is less crisp. Maybe a tighter ending, this would've been my two cents of advice to Anurag Basu.