71 reviews
My friend asked me for the movie, i was not ready to go but he forced me, then i thanked him for his offer. The Movie has a cool Love story. I love romantic movies, but to get the feeling one has to deep to get the inner feeling. Some scenes were such that i can't stop tears from rolling down. It has a wonderful plot, the love story of two generations. Acting was OK. Direction Imtiaz Ali U are cool, all the best for your future projects. Music is good. The lyrics were really touching, it got buried deep inside my heart. The movie is a must watch for ROMANTIC Couple. See the movie you will really change your mind if you are new generation lovers.
In My Opinion Love Aaj Kal is one of the best Love Stories I have seen so far.
And Please Watch the movie in theaters or buy original DVDs, do not rent it please. Stop Piracy.
In My Opinion Love Aaj Kal is one of the best Love Stories I have seen so far.
And Please Watch the movie in theaters or buy original DVDs, do not rent it please. Stop Piracy.
- preetua-paul
- Jul 30, 2009
- Permalink
Hi, This is the third movie from Imtiaz Ali's Direction. I didn't like this movie as his earlier movies. Still i am giving this movie 7 out of 10 because of very good performances of Saif, Deepika, Harleen & other characters but for direction i will give him 10 out of 10.
As earlier Imtiaz's movies have lot of comic & funny moments this has very little comic scenes & a lot is focused on Romance. So if you like romantic movies, don't wait & go for it.
There is nothing much about the story as it is simple love story a boy & girl in love but didn't realize it. But the most important thing is the combination of two similar stories of different times at very best.
At the end it is a good movie will beautiful performances....
As earlier Imtiaz's movies have lot of comic & funny moments this has very little comic scenes & a lot is focused on Romance. So if you like romantic movies, don't wait & go for it.
There is nothing much about the story as it is simple love story a boy & girl in love but didn't realize it. But the most important thing is the combination of two similar stories of different times at very best.
At the end it is a good movie will beautiful performances....
- pankajverma1207
- Jul 31, 2009
- Permalink
Unlike the complex games people play nowadays, as Jai Vardhan Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera Pandit (Deepika Padukone) engages in. The first few minutes of the film might be a little strange and frustrating even, where it plays out like an advertisement for modern love moving at a breakneck pace of a whirlwind romance. Jai and Meera meet, fall madly in love, spend incredible moments together, only to allow reasons of practicality spoil everything. Since their careers are going to put them thousands of miles apart – Meera heading towards Delhi and Jai dreaming of eventually relocating to San Francisco, having no trust in long distance relationship means the logical decision to break up and remain friends.
In the other story, Veer Singh (Saif Ali Khan again) meets and falls in love with Harleen Kaur (newcomer Gisele), but being the old-fashioned Romeo and with a process in place to woo the woman of your dreams, he finds it extremely difficult to break the ice, and only to learn that his task has been made doubly complex with the dimension of distance getting in the way as Harleen's family uproots to Kolkata. Swearing a pledge that he will marry her, and for all lifetimes, he journeys to the other side of India, happy to just catch a glimpse of his lady love. And so begins a very tough courtship of stolen glances and secret rendezvous against stacked up odds of opposition.
As a romance, this film has plenty put on its plate. A good looking and charismatic cast, beautiful landscapes and visuals thanks to the jetsetting nature of the story from London to Delhi to Kolkata to San Francisco, and a number of fantastic lines of dialogue sprinkled with a reasonable dose of comedy, and touching moments too. What's there not to like and make you fall in love with the characters, and wring your hand at their predicament, most of which were self-inflicted? Its two stories tell the stark difference between the modern rules of courtship based on practicality, versus that of the more traditional way, though the common thread will always, and has been to follow your heart. The thrill of the chase for instant gratification looks flimsy when set against the old fashioned notion of earning and justifying one's sincerity through action, rather than cheap talk which Saif Ali Khan's Jai is expert at.
The song and dance numbers are OK, though personally nothing was memorable enough to have stuck in my head way after the end credits start rolling. There were fun numbers of course where both leads in their modern roles seem to relish in, highlighting their personal, playful nature as they paint the town red in their secret rendezvous without the knowledge of their newfound partners. I thought there would be enough moments for each to showcase the pain of their ill-informed decisions of breaking up, but all we got was from the guy's point of view, and that was very much after the fact, which I felt time would probably start to heal all wounds, unless of course you let little personal details of milestones in your ex's life to come in and disrupt your current lifestyle.
Though of course in this story's love found, love lost and love gained, there were set pieces which tests the characters resolve, especially the one where their crazy game of double dating on the sly with their new partners, Jai's Jo (Florence Brudenell-Bruce) and Meera's Vikram (Rahul Khanna), rang through some intense pain and uncomfortable jealousy, providing a cliffhanger for the perennial interval.
If there's one thing I dislike and one of the themes as expounded in the film, it's the lack of honesty in the games people play. The romances of old are seemingly simple enough, without facades put up and masks worn to hide true intentions. Contrasted with today's of course, where both Jai and Meera find it too cool to be acknowledging their feelings properly for each other, and go on a round-about journey before they start to realize their true emotions, and face up to them sincerely. Needless to say, between the two stories, I had preferred the older one which is more engaging, honest and wistful even.
I felt that this was a classic showpiece for Saif Ali Khan. His more modern role of Jai has plenty of what makes a suave man tick, though with the tendency of lapsing into moments of Attention Deficit Disorder, rambling off in motor mouth fashion in expressing his innermost thoughts, which in a way helped him rationalize the deeply kept emotions in his heart. But the fun factor was of course having him personify the stoic nature of Veer Singh in the 60s, lovelorn and desperate even to battle against all odds to win over his lady love.
I'm happy for Deepika to have finally moved away from having to play two roles in every film (save for Bachna Ae Haseeno). Contrary to many synopsis out there, she doesn't play the romantic interest opposite Saif Ali Khan's other role, although of course it would probably make it a tad more interesting, though negating Veer Singh's pledge in a certain way. That would also mean a more conventional reincarnation type story that Imtiaz Ali steered clear of with his treatment here. However, I thought in some ways Gisele as the younger Harleen Kaur had upstaged Deepika's screen presence with her quiet and demure stature, though of course Deepika's asset of having that wonderful "stop-all-traffic" smile got exploited by the director through and through to maximum effect in melting even the most stone cold of all hearts.
All in all, Love Aaj Kal didn't manage to hit the heights that its star billing had the potential to, but still came across as a better than average romantic movie that's suitable for a date.
In the other story, Veer Singh (Saif Ali Khan again) meets and falls in love with Harleen Kaur (newcomer Gisele), but being the old-fashioned Romeo and with a process in place to woo the woman of your dreams, he finds it extremely difficult to break the ice, and only to learn that his task has been made doubly complex with the dimension of distance getting in the way as Harleen's family uproots to Kolkata. Swearing a pledge that he will marry her, and for all lifetimes, he journeys to the other side of India, happy to just catch a glimpse of his lady love. And so begins a very tough courtship of stolen glances and secret rendezvous against stacked up odds of opposition.
As a romance, this film has plenty put on its plate. A good looking and charismatic cast, beautiful landscapes and visuals thanks to the jetsetting nature of the story from London to Delhi to Kolkata to San Francisco, and a number of fantastic lines of dialogue sprinkled with a reasonable dose of comedy, and touching moments too. What's there not to like and make you fall in love with the characters, and wring your hand at their predicament, most of which were self-inflicted? Its two stories tell the stark difference between the modern rules of courtship based on practicality, versus that of the more traditional way, though the common thread will always, and has been to follow your heart. The thrill of the chase for instant gratification looks flimsy when set against the old fashioned notion of earning and justifying one's sincerity through action, rather than cheap talk which Saif Ali Khan's Jai is expert at.
The song and dance numbers are OK, though personally nothing was memorable enough to have stuck in my head way after the end credits start rolling. There were fun numbers of course where both leads in their modern roles seem to relish in, highlighting their personal, playful nature as they paint the town red in their secret rendezvous without the knowledge of their newfound partners. I thought there would be enough moments for each to showcase the pain of their ill-informed decisions of breaking up, but all we got was from the guy's point of view, and that was very much after the fact, which I felt time would probably start to heal all wounds, unless of course you let little personal details of milestones in your ex's life to come in and disrupt your current lifestyle.
Though of course in this story's love found, love lost and love gained, there were set pieces which tests the characters resolve, especially the one where their crazy game of double dating on the sly with their new partners, Jai's Jo (Florence Brudenell-Bruce) and Meera's Vikram (Rahul Khanna), rang through some intense pain and uncomfortable jealousy, providing a cliffhanger for the perennial interval.
If there's one thing I dislike and one of the themes as expounded in the film, it's the lack of honesty in the games people play. The romances of old are seemingly simple enough, without facades put up and masks worn to hide true intentions. Contrasted with today's of course, where both Jai and Meera find it too cool to be acknowledging their feelings properly for each other, and go on a round-about journey before they start to realize their true emotions, and face up to them sincerely. Needless to say, between the two stories, I had preferred the older one which is more engaging, honest and wistful even.
I felt that this was a classic showpiece for Saif Ali Khan. His more modern role of Jai has plenty of what makes a suave man tick, though with the tendency of lapsing into moments of Attention Deficit Disorder, rambling off in motor mouth fashion in expressing his innermost thoughts, which in a way helped him rationalize the deeply kept emotions in his heart. But the fun factor was of course having him personify the stoic nature of Veer Singh in the 60s, lovelorn and desperate even to battle against all odds to win over his lady love.
I'm happy for Deepika to have finally moved away from having to play two roles in every film (save for Bachna Ae Haseeno). Contrary to many synopsis out there, she doesn't play the romantic interest opposite Saif Ali Khan's other role, although of course it would probably make it a tad more interesting, though negating Veer Singh's pledge in a certain way. That would also mean a more conventional reincarnation type story that Imtiaz Ali steered clear of with his treatment here. However, I thought in some ways Gisele as the younger Harleen Kaur had upstaged Deepika's screen presence with her quiet and demure stature, though of course Deepika's asset of having that wonderful "stop-all-traffic" smile got exploited by the director through and through to maximum effect in melting even the most stone cold of all hearts.
All in all, Love Aaj Kal didn't manage to hit the heights that its star billing had the potential to, but still came across as a better than average romantic movie that's suitable for a date.
- DICK STEEL
- Jul 31, 2009
- Permalink
- raghavramaiah-1
- Jul 31, 2009
- Permalink
The three films that Imtiaz Ali has directed so far have a common theme running through them - the protagonists do not realize that they are in love till the very end. In all three the real drama is not in how the lovers meet or fall in love or the peripheral characters (like family or friends). It is about realization. That he does it successfully third time in a row probably tells that Imtiaz Ali either feels very strongly about the concept or that he has had some real life experience of his own.
Love Aajkal starts with Jai (Saif) and Meera (Deepika) breaking up. They are apparently very practical about their relationship and plan it such that it goes along with their other plans for life. Only that life, as always, has plans of its own. The more time they spend away from each other, the more they realize they are meant to be together. To catalyze the Jai's end of the realization process we have an amiable old café owner, Veer (Rishi Kapoor). Veer's love story in flashback is a parallel track to Jai-Meera's. Both the stories run juxtaposed with each other to a predictable but nevertheless heart warming climax.
Saif plays both Jai and the young Veer. He is top notch in both roles. Flambouyance comes naturally to him when he plays Jai and he is very convincing as the rugged and (at times) clumsy Veer. Deepika is at ease in the role of Meera. It seems as if she is playing herself. At the dramatic scenes, however, like the one immediately after her marriage where she is impatient to talk to Jai, and the scene following that when she is talking to Jai over the phone, she betrays that she still needs to learn the ropes. She looks stunning in every frame. Perfect foil to the glamorous Meera is the docile and beautiful Harleen. She is pretty as a picture, though she hardly speaks in the entire film.
Imtiaz Ali is an inspired director. He knows his characters and his story. He is more focused on technique this time, compared to Jab We Met or Socha Na Tha. I guess that is because he was aware that he has a weaker story in hand. He handles the two tracks brilliantly, managing to keep both engaging. His editor delivers the goods for him to achieve that. A noteworthy good work by the editor is the sequence at the beginning where we see the cast and crew credits. It is a collage of scenes from the complete film.
The songs go well with the film (though with Pritam, I don't know how much of it is original). The background score could have been more imaginative.
Love Aajkal is easily the best romantic comedy of the year so far. Worth watching.
Love Aajkal starts with Jai (Saif) and Meera (Deepika) breaking up. They are apparently very practical about their relationship and plan it such that it goes along with their other plans for life. Only that life, as always, has plans of its own. The more time they spend away from each other, the more they realize they are meant to be together. To catalyze the Jai's end of the realization process we have an amiable old café owner, Veer (Rishi Kapoor). Veer's love story in flashback is a parallel track to Jai-Meera's. Both the stories run juxtaposed with each other to a predictable but nevertheless heart warming climax.
Saif plays both Jai and the young Veer. He is top notch in both roles. Flambouyance comes naturally to him when he plays Jai and he is very convincing as the rugged and (at times) clumsy Veer. Deepika is at ease in the role of Meera. It seems as if she is playing herself. At the dramatic scenes, however, like the one immediately after her marriage where she is impatient to talk to Jai, and the scene following that when she is talking to Jai over the phone, she betrays that she still needs to learn the ropes. She looks stunning in every frame. Perfect foil to the glamorous Meera is the docile and beautiful Harleen. She is pretty as a picture, though she hardly speaks in the entire film.
Imtiaz Ali is an inspired director. He knows his characters and his story. He is more focused on technique this time, compared to Jab We Met or Socha Na Tha. I guess that is because he was aware that he has a weaker story in hand. He handles the two tracks brilliantly, managing to keep both engaging. His editor delivers the goods for him to achieve that. A noteworthy good work by the editor is the sequence at the beginning where we see the cast and crew credits. It is a collage of scenes from the complete film.
The songs go well with the film (though with Pritam, I don't know how much of it is original). The background score could have been more imaginative.
Love Aajkal is easily the best romantic comedy of the year so far. Worth watching.
- m_shankar20
- Aug 12, 2009
- Permalink
One of my personal favorite love story with imtiaz ali's amazing direction and both the actor's brilliant performance.The story doesn't feel.over the top or unreal.Imtiaz ali surely has a brilliant mind and different way to see romance.kudous to the dialouge writer.Melodious songs and great clothes man!
- faizamonjur
- Apr 18, 2019
- Permalink
It is for mango people! the dialogue rocks!
Simply great movie a truly sensible and for modern lovers. This is a strong film reflects on how the old style of true love is still alive in this generation. It is also strongly appealing that god exists, belief exists and true love exist
finally Saif, and Deepika rocks they both share a good chemistry on screen.And of course how can we forget Rishi Kapoor I think he is well tailored for this role
A very predictable end but the way it ends is simply superb i think all 'HUM TUM' lovers will like this.
Simply great movie a truly sensible and for modern lovers. This is a strong film reflects on how the old style of true love is still alive in this generation. It is also strongly appealing that god exists, belief exists and true love exist
finally Saif, and Deepika rocks they both share a good chemistry on screen.And of course how can we forget Rishi Kapoor I think he is well tailored for this role
A very predictable end but the way it ends is simply superb i think all 'HUM TUM' lovers will like this.
- azizbaghadia
- Jul 31, 2009
- Permalink
It was very fresh kind of film at that time. Dialogues were very real, how we usually talk everyday.
I really loved both the stories. Even though Harleen character barely speak anything but it looks kind of apt as girls were "supposed" to be shy in those times - still liked her performance, and I hoped to see her in more films. But. :(
Deepika & Saif - an odd pair but after watching the film I really liked them.
Both timelines have many relatable elements - my environment is mix of both tradition and modernity.
And the songs are absolutely brilliant. I can still recall all the lyrics of all the songs.
It was a perfect movie. And obviously the LAJ (2020) was not at all needed or at least they could have spared the album.
Deepika & Saif - an odd pair but after watching the film I really liked them.
Both timelines have many relatable elements - my environment is mix of both tradition and modernity.
And the songs are absolutely brilliant. I can still recall all the lyrics of all the songs.
It was a perfect movie. And obviously the LAJ (2020) was not at all needed or at least they could have spared the album.
- riddhimaakaritu
- Aug 12, 2020
- Permalink
I was quite disappointed by Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal. So much hype before and after release, and for what? For an ordinary story with nothing new to offer. The film is light and simple, but while in some cases these are the good qualities of a film, in this case, these are actually the film's pitfalls. There is actually no real story to speak of, and the film is slow-paced and at times simply boring. Love Aaj Kal is about a young guy named Jai who just ended his relationship with his girlfriend Meera. He then meets a mature Sardar named Veer Singh who tells him of his own story. From then on, the past and the present run concurrently. Saif Ali Khan plays Jai, and in the flashbacks, he plays the young Veer, whose older version is played by Rishi Kapoor. This kind of narrative style is not one to my liking, but it could have been more interesting had it been used and treated differently. For one, I could not understand why Ali had to cast Khan to play the young Rishi Kapoor. If there was some family connection between the characters of Veer and Jai, it would be more tolerable. Also, one has to note that there is absolutely zero resemblance between Khan and Kapoor, which makes it quite odd that the former played the younger version of the latter.
The film is not unwatchable by any means, but it is just not a film I personally would want to watch again. There are good things about it, no doubt, but they cannot save the story from being stale and uninspiring. The songs are quite nice to listen to, particularly "Yeh Dooriyan", which is wonderfully sung by Mohit Chauhan, and "Aaj Din Chadheya". The entire soundtrack really fits the film's mood. Saif Ali Khan repeats his young, carefree Don Juan role as Jai. His character has shades of Karan from Hum Tum (according to me his career-best), where he played a modern, cool and kind-hearted womaniser. Khan in an actor of unmatched comic talent, and though he is a bit old to play a character of this sort, here too he performs well and successfully portrays his character's gradual growth. The problem is, as said, casting him in the role of the young Veer. A younger actor would be a more interesting choice for the part. Deepika Padukone is an extremely pretty and attractive lass, and her smile lights up the screen, but something is missing there. Though she does well in some sequences, she fails to register the growth in her character. Rishi Kapoor is wonderful as Veer Singh, Rahul Khanna is okay as Vikay, and Giselle Monteiro is decent as Harleen.
Love Aaj Kal has some nice sequences. It was quite funny to see Jai and Meera celebrating their separation, and then regretting it after realising their true feelings for each other. The dialogues are good for the most part. Loved the scene in which Jo, Jai's new girlfriend who is played by a foreign beauty called Florence Brudenell-Bruce, decides to leave him as she notices his indifference towards their relationship. The film can be an entertaining watch with family and friends, though towards the end it has its share of clichés and becomes very predictable. After watching a charming and entertaining piece like Jab We Met, I had high expectations from this Imtiaz Ali film. Unfortunately, in this one the chemistry between the leads is missing, and though the film grows on you as it nears the end, it ends up being worthy of just a one-time watch. I am sure Ali is capable of making much more than just an ordinary love story like this one. Hope he does so in the future.
The film is not unwatchable by any means, but it is just not a film I personally would want to watch again. There are good things about it, no doubt, but they cannot save the story from being stale and uninspiring. The songs are quite nice to listen to, particularly "Yeh Dooriyan", which is wonderfully sung by Mohit Chauhan, and "Aaj Din Chadheya". The entire soundtrack really fits the film's mood. Saif Ali Khan repeats his young, carefree Don Juan role as Jai. His character has shades of Karan from Hum Tum (according to me his career-best), where he played a modern, cool and kind-hearted womaniser. Khan in an actor of unmatched comic talent, and though he is a bit old to play a character of this sort, here too he performs well and successfully portrays his character's gradual growth. The problem is, as said, casting him in the role of the young Veer. A younger actor would be a more interesting choice for the part. Deepika Padukone is an extremely pretty and attractive lass, and her smile lights up the screen, but something is missing there. Though she does well in some sequences, she fails to register the growth in her character. Rishi Kapoor is wonderful as Veer Singh, Rahul Khanna is okay as Vikay, and Giselle Monteiro is decent as Harleen.
Love Aaj Kal has some nice sequences. It was quite funny to see Jai and Meera celebrating their separation, and then regretting it after realising their true feelings for each other. The dialogues are good for the most part. Loved the scene in which Jo, Jai's new girlfriend who is played by a foreign beauty called Florence Brudenell-Bruce, decides to leave him as she notices his indifference towards their relationship. The film can be an entertaining watch with family and friends, though towards the end it has its share of clichés and becomes very predictable. After watching a charming and entertaining piece like Jab We Met, I had high expectations from this Imtiaz Ali film. Unfortunately, in this one the chemistry between the leads is missing, and though the film grows on you as it nears the end, it ends up being worthy of just a one-time watch. I am sure Ali is capable of making much more than just an ordinary love story like this one. Hope he does so in the future.
- Peter_Young
- Mar 19, 2010
- Permalink
- m_d_sohail
- Aug 5, 2009
- Permalink
After so many years at last there is movie which can be more than once. Saif Ali khan has tried his best 9/10 for him .He can still work on his Punjabi.Deepika Padukone very heavy accent for a British .She should neutralize her thick Bombay-type accent for her own good. If you live outside India you can relate more to this movie. Rishi Kapoor is brilliant as usual. and for Imtiaz Ali , He has some special thing for Punjabi and turbans. He has done a great job with this movie. 10/10 .Great sense of humor running through the movie. MANGO PEOPLE..
Movie has a Hollywood feel when it starts ,which can be a negative for some audience but later it . Overall not your average mas-ala movie, you need some overseas exposure to understand the concept and idea behind this flick
Movie has a Hollywood feel when it starts ,which can be a negative for some audience but later it . Overall not your average mas-ala movie, you need some overseas exposure to understand the concept and idea behind this flick
Its always challenging to write about movie which is complete all aspects. There is a predicament if one would do justice - and needless to say "Love Aaj Kal" falls into the same category. If I were to list the top 3 movies of 2009, it would be - Kaminey, Dev D & Love Aaj Kal.
There is no earth-shattering love-story in "Love Aaj Kal". The USP of "Love Aaj Kal" is juxtaposing the past with the present using "Love" as the baseline. In DDLJ Anupam Kher says a memorable line "Mohabbat ka naam, aaj bhi mohabbat hain" and Imitiaz effectively translates this on silver screen to convey that the core emotion/ feeling "Love" is still the same - unadulterated & pristine, the dynamics however may have changed with times.
¤ Saif: Reprising the character of modern/ contemporary "Jai" comes quite naturally to Saif and undoubtedly his its his forte. I particularly liked the way "Jai" goes on verbal diarrhoea when he gets confused. It takes a while for the audience to get around rustic sepia "Veer Singh" but once that mental block is jumped over, you would appreciate two distinct characters played by Saif and yet again conjoined to Rishi Kapoor. And yes, donning the hats of the producer is indeed praiseworthy.
¤ Deepika: There are varied shades to her character and it lives within the defined boundaries. Her conviction to follow the philosophy "Set your love free...." is well portrayed. Author backed role and she delivers with utmost perfection (to the extent that you can't imagine anybody else in her shoes). And yes, her best performance till date, and maybe long way to go until she manages to surpass it.
¤ Giselle Monteiro: She was fantabulous as Harleen, and keeping the secret under the wraps? Only Imtiaz could have managed to pull such a spectacular feat.
¤ Rishi Kapoor: Spot on. You will fall in love with this large- hearted Sardar.
¤ Rahul Khanna: Nearly forgot! He was adequate but his character was more of a stocking filler.
Songs by Pritam are neatly-blended into the storyline. The foot- tapping numbers are bound to stay on top charts for a while. Nicely complimenting them is the choreography. The costumes designers deserve a special mention. Technical department namely story, screenplay and script are the strongest point of "Love Aaj Kal". The passion of Imtiaz Ali gets reflected in each frame.
"Jab We Met" had set a new bar and I was sceptical if Imtiaz would manage to get even close. But after "Love Aaj Kal", yet again he has set a new precedent.
Raj Kapoor was extremely passionate about his movies - he narrated the story from the bottom of his heart, the female characters were fleshed out strongly and the music was rich. The Bollywood can now rest for a true successor to the "Showman" has arrived.
PS: The last frame in "Love Aaj Kal" was a pure master stroke.
There is no earth-shattering love-story in "Love Aaj Kal". The USP of "Love Aaj Kal" is juxtaposing the past with the present using "Love" as the baseline. In DDLJ Anupam Kher says a memorable line "Mohabbat ka naam, aaj bhi mohabbat hain" and Imitiaz effectively translates this on silver screen to convey that the core emotion/ feeling "Love" is still the same - unadulterated & pristine, the dynamics however may have changed with times.
¤ Saif: Reprising the character of modern/ contemporary "Jai" comes quite naturally to Saif and undoubtedly his its his forte. I particularly liked the way "Jai" goes on verbal diarrhoea when he gets confused. It takes a while for the audience to get around rustic sepia "Veer Singh" but once that mental block is jumped over, you would appreciate two distinct characters played by Saif and yet again conjoined to Rishi Kapoor. And yes, donning the hats of the producer is indeed praiseworthy.
¤ Deepika: There are varied shades to her character and it lives within the defined boundaries. Her conviction to follow the philosophy "Set your love free...." is well portrayed. Author backed role and she delivers with utmost perfection (to the extent that you can't imagine anybody else in her shoes). And yes, her best performance till date, and maybe long way to go until she manages to surpass it.
¤ Giselle Monteiro: She was fantabulous as Harleen, and keeping the secret under the wraps? Only Imtiaz could have managed to pull such a spectacular feat.
¤ Rishi Kapoor: Spot on. You will fall in love with this large- hearted Sardar.
¤ Rahul Khanna: Nearly forgot! He was adequate but his character was more of a stocking filler.
Songs by Pritam are neatly-blended into the storyline. The foot- tapping numbers are bound to stay on top charts for a while. Nicely complimenting them is the choreography. The costumes designers deserve a special mention. Technical department namely story, screenplay and script are the strongest point of "Love Aaj Kal". The passion of Imtiaz Ali gets reflected in each frame.
"Jab We Met" had set a new bar and I was sceptical if Imtiaz would manage to get even close. But after "Love Aaj Kal", yet again he has set a new precedent.
Raj Kapoor was extremely passionate about his movies - he narrated the story from the bottom of his heart, the female characters were fleshed out strongly and the music was rich. The Bollywood can now rest for a true successor to the "Showman" has arrived.
PS: The last frame in "Love Aaj Kal" was a pure master stroke.
- AvinashPatalay
- Feb 16, 2010
- Permalink
Good things about film is concept, saif ali khan acting, cinematography and songs/music. It could be more better if last 40 minutes of screenplay was engaging and Everything was so fast ongoing pace bit done better.
- aniketprasad
- Jul 19, 2020
- Permalink
- shivam_s88
- Oct 7, 2009
- Permalink
- silvan-desouza
- Sep 23, 2012
- Permalink
- roychan742
- Dec 6, 2012
- Permalink
- tirthoaungon
- Nov 15, 2018
- Permalink
Imtiaz Ali's films always have some qualities such as they are cool,breezy have modern characters at the same time rooted and some great music,Love aaj kal is no different.It's a movie which goes on a snail's pace but has elements that work as speedbusters. Such as songs.Songs can be so distracting in various movies but in his films songs are must and are so timely that they boost the energy of the film.This film has great music and some great romantic vibes.My favourite story of the film is particularly Rishi Kapoor's Backstory and Saif is excellent in that part,although in the film he plays much himself but he never disappoints saif no.Deepika brings some charm to the screen but that emotional depth is missing.Overall it has flawed characters,many unanswered questions and only focuses on two particular characters and tells nothing new,we all know love is the key,its the magic that this world runs on and it can be frustrating at times but still with these bumps love aaj kal comes up as smooth-sweet journey it starts off shockingly,alas being obvious, but you relate to those characters anyways. The biggest power of the film is its music.I am rating it 5 plus an additional star rating for its cool music which now and then lightens up the proceedings that makes 6 out of 10 for Love Aaj Kal its nothing new,nothing special,all predictable but despite these shortcomings it still comes out as pretty watchable.
- harshbhagat-26001
- Dec 31, 2019
- Permalink
We are now living into a materialistic world where even the relationships are now built on calculation...but does that mean that the essence of true feelings have gone obsolete? Finding answer of such trivial question would take you a long time unless you want to see a 2+ hours movie called "Love Aaj kal". I am sure now the bells would not ring but definitely in time to come people would realize that the message delivered by the movie is much deeper than what it feels from the first look.
This movie is a journey of love from past to present, to convey the message that something doesn't change with the time and at the end one has to follow his/her heart because that's what is the real pursuit of happiness.
The story of movie revolves around two protagonists, one from the present and one from past. Only with the glitch of time -frame change, both the stories follows the same path and ultimately ends at the very point where essentially a true love story should end, A happy ending. The only difference in both the stories is the way realization happen, in the one of past the realization is much of obvious where as in the present it's quite melodramatic yet very close to a real life incident which you could see around.
Yet after being such serene,pure and refreshing what this movie lacks is the attachment with the characters, you would not be able to connect to the characters as you should, may be the soul of it is missing due to lack of chemistry between the lead actors Saif and Deepika.
I wouldn't say they didn't perform well but still I was kind of disconnect to them though I felt more connected to story of past..may be because I still have my faith on age old love sagas :-). I guess the chemistry between Saif-Deepika didn't work as well as it was expected.
Performance wise, I guess Deepika was standout of the entire cast, she played her role of straight headed career oriented woman with much of ease and really was completely involved in her role (May be because her traits belongs to the same). Saif was looking much of a confused person not only because his role demanded it but also because may be he was not hitting the right cord along with Deepika. Role played by Rishi Kapoor is fantastic, he was the best fit for the role and the urge, excitement and emotions he portrayed were so true to be real that it always made you feel it was coming right from heart and you would want to follow them.
Music is really peppy and catchy, few tunes are foot tapping and there is a very nice soft song "Dooriyan" which would slowly intoxicate you. Cinematography is also very nice and so as direction, the best thing of direction is that Imtiaz never does copy of anyone's style but his improvisation is so nice that he somewhat creates a cult, be it "Socha Na Tha" or "Jab We Met".... you would find people relating themselves to the characters, I am sure this would continue after Love Aaj kal as well. He always come to characters not larger than life but true to life, absolute treat to watch his movies.
All in all this is a good bet to spend your money.
This movie is a journey of love from past to present, to convey the message that something doesn't change with the time and at the end one has to follow his/her heart because that's what is the real pursuit of happiness.
The story of movie revolves around two protagonists, one from the present and one from past. Only with the glitch of time -frame change, both the stories follows the same path and ultimately ends at the very point where essentially a true love story should end, A happy ending. The only difference in both the stories is the way realization happen, in the one of past the realization is much of obvious where as in the present it's quite melodramatic yet very close to a real life incident which you could see around.
Yet after being such serene,pure and refreshing what this movie lacks is the attachment with the characters, you would not be able to connect to the characters as you should, may be the soul of it is missing due to lack of chemistry between the lead actors Saif and Deepika.
I wouldn't say they didn't perform well but still I was kind of disconnect to them though I felt more connected to story of past..may be because I still have my faith on age old love sagas :-). I guess the chemistry between Saif-Deepika didn't work as well as it was expected.
Performance wise, I guess Deepika was standout of the entire cast, she played her role of straight headed career oriented woman with much of ease and really was completely involved in her role (May be because her traits belongs to the same). Saif was looking much of a confused person not only because his role demanded it but also because may be he was not hitting the right cord along with Deepika. Role played by Rishi Kapoor is fantastic, he was the best fit for the role and the urge, excitement and emotions he portrayed were so true to be real that it always made you feel it was coming right from heart and you would want to follow them.
Music is really peppy and catchy, few tunes are foot tapping and there is a very nice soft song "Dooriyan" which would slowly intoxicate you. Cinematography is also very nice and so as direction, the best thing of direction is that Imtiaz never does copy of anyone's style but his improvisation is so nice that he somewhat creates a cult, be it "Socha Na Tha" or "Jab We Met".... you would find people relating themselves to the characters, I am sure this would continue after Love Aaj kal as well. He always come to characters not larger than life but true to life, absolute treat to watch his movies.
All in all this is a good bet to spend your money.
- vaibhav_bhandeo
- Aug 1, 2009
- Permalink
well i had many expectations from this movie after the jab we met blockbuster by imtiaz ali.. it doesn't fit on my expectations actually coz i expected more.. the movie is quite slow paced in the initial half.. it creates interest in the later half building up some emotions at a time and binding the entire script.. the movie is all about saif having the major role and the center of attraction .. the movie is scripted on an ordinary storyline with extraordinary direction h, hats off to imtiaz for it.. deepika is stunning as usual.. saif fits in both the characters accurately.. the songs are mind blowing 8.5 on 10 for music.. it sets the mood.. the climax is guessable but it has a certain twist.. well typical happy go ending as usual.. the song ahun ahun don't let you leave your seats in the casting as well.. so a good one time watchable movie for me..
- anmol_rawat
- Jul 30, 2009
- Permalink
One of the hallmarks of Bollywood cinema in recent years has been its almost single-minded purpose to imitate Hollywood and MTV to such extremes that the weekly offerings of the Indian marquee often play as parodies of parodies (that's right, I'm talking to you, Kambakkhth Ishq). The main purpose of Bollywood cinema is no longer to tell stories or to give actors characters to play, but rather to rev up the hype machine, produce chartbusting musical numbers, and to guarantee an initial weekend box office take which will recover all of the cost of making the film. High art mainstream Bollywood is NOT.
But then it doesn't pretend to be either. So imagine my delight when in the midst of that swell of mediocrity came Imtiaz Ali's delightfully charming (and similarly charmingly delightful) 2007 feature "Jab We Met". His second directorial feature combined all the ingredients of popular cinema: a rigid-boy-meets-garrulous-girl love story full of comedy, song, dance and even (dare I say it?) intellect. Whatever was going on on the sets of "Jab We Met" clearly worked -- the story (while not entirely original) seemed fresh and interesting, compounded by the sincere turn put in by Shahid Kapur and the dizzyingly enthusiastic and big-hearted performance of Kareena Kapoor. Clearly, a major new talent had arrived.
If only. His follow-up to the sparkling "Jab We Met" is a disappointingly stale "Love Aaj Kal". The main gripe one has with the film is that (unlike "Jab We Met") there is no story. None. There is no proper plot, nothing that feels like a sequence of events. In fact, at the end of the film, one has to really stretch to come up with anything that actually "happens". I guess Meera (Deepika Padukone) got married. That counts . . . barely.
The problem is that Ali seems to have been seduced by the all-show-but-no-substance writing formula of Aditya Chopra-Karan Johar-Sanjay Bhansalli that made films like the emotionally dead weight "Mohabbatein", "Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham", and even the oh-so-heinous "Devdas" commercial successes. It's a shame, as one expected Ali to come up with something both entertaining and thoughtful.
So what went wrong? It seems that Ali was acting more as observer than as story-teller. The main sequences of "Love Aaj Kal" are the director's musings on the modern interplay of the sexes, a sort of deduction of contemporary romantic and sexual behavior that elicits remarkably little insight. Yes, the main characters Jai (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera throw a break-up party once they realize their relationship has run its course. Is it unusual for a Hindi film? Yes, undoubtedly. Is it especially revealing or interesting to the modern viewer? Regrettably, no.
Though neither of the concurrent "storylines" are gripping, one must admit that the love story between Veer Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Harleen (Giselle Monteiro) is infinitely more interesting than the one between Jai and Meera. Why? Perhaps it's because Veer and Harleen are infinitely more sympathetic than their shallow modern counterparts. Or perhaps it's because in their world, things actually happen. Like events. And experiences.
The other problem is that the casting is rather off. Serving as both lead and producer, Saif Ali Khan comes across as a bit too old for the role of Jai. Though Saif is undoubtedly a fine actor with terrific comic timing, he isn't presented as well as he ought to be here. He suffers the same issue Aamir Khan had in "Fanaa" wherein he came off as haggard and bloated next to the litheness of the heroine. He isn't hindered by such constraints as Veer because Veer is more dimensional and has that beard and turban to hide behind. It's a shame to be forced to evaluate an actor's performance at such a superficial level, but the writer has given us little else to consider.
Which brings us to the film's other main pitfall: Deepika Padukone. Ms. Padukone rightly has her legions of admirers smitten by her perfect cheek bones and her perfect hair. Unfortunately, her physical charms are not enough to counter her glaring limitations as an actress. The role requires someone of a natural wit and charm to play with the hero's jocular declarations on modern love (in essence he needs a foil whom he will both find attractive and maddening, a la Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in their best work). Deepika, having none of the natural wit, acidic humor, or comic timing of Kajol, Juhi Chawla or Kareena Kapoor, comes off as a one-dimensional mannequin who operates in two modes: smilingly nice and frustratingly nervous. She needs major work on her dialogue delivery and she ought to familiarize herself with something called voice modulation. Her thick Indian accent jars embarrassingly against her supposed British upbringing.
The supporting cast is arguably the strongest element of the film: Rishi Kapoor is as natural as ever, giving the elder Veer Singh all the romantic gusto and melancholy one expects from an old fashioned romantic. Neetu Singh shows up at the end of the film as an older Harleen, though the cameo lasts literally 90 seconds. The younger Harleen, played by Brazillian model Giselle Monteiro, is convincing as an emotionally fractured Punjabi damsel: Monteiro hits exactly the right note with her furtive glances and cowed body language. In many ways, she steals the film from the Bollywood stalwarts by actually inhabiting the character she's given to play (novel, isn't it?). Admittedly, she lacks the dancing ability needed to pull off the boisterous "Thoda Thoda Pyar." It must be nearly impossible for non-Indian actresses to attempt to enact all the "nakhras" and "adaayein" associated with India's legendary screen mavens like Rekha and Sridevi.
In the end, "Love Aaj Kal" will probably make tons of money and maybe even inspire a few copycats. What it won't do is instruct or dramatize the trials and trivialities of modern love stories.
But then it doesn't pretend to be either. So imagine my delight when in the midst of that swell of mediocrity came Imtiaz Ali's delightfully charming (and similarly charmingly delightful) 2007 feature "Jab We Met". His second directorial feature combined all the ingredients of popular cinema: a rigid-boy-meets-garrulous-girl love story full of comedy, song, dance and even (dare I say it?) intellect. Whatever was going on on the sets of "Jab We Met" clearly worked -- the story (while not entirely original) seemed fresh and interesting, compounded by the sincere turn put in by Shahid Kapur and the dizzyingly enthusiastic and big-hearted performance of Kareena Kapoor. Clearly, a major new talent had arrived.
If only. His follow-up to the sparkling "Jab We Met" is a disappointingly stale "Love Aaj Kal". The main gripe one has with the film is that (unlike "Jab We Met") there is no story. None. There is no proper plot, nothing that feels like a sequence of events. In fact, at the end of the film, one has to really stretch to come up with anything that actually "happens". I guess Meera (Deepika Padukone) got married. That counts . . . barely.
The problem is that Ali seems to have been seduced by the all-show-but-no-substance writing formula of Aditya Chopra-Karan Johar-Sanjay Bhansalli that made films like the emotionally dead weight "Mohabbatein", "Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham", and even the oh-so-heinous "Devdas" commercial successes. It's a shame, as one expected Ali to come up with something both entertaining and thoughtful.
So what went wrong? It seems that Ali was acting more as observer than as story-teller. The main sequences of "Love Aaj Kal" are the director's musings on the modern interplay of the sexes, a sort of deduction of contemporary romantic and sexual behavior that elicits remarkably little insight. Yes, the main characters Jai (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera throw a break-up party once they realize their relationship has run its course. Is it unusual for a Hindi film? Yes, undoubtedly. Is it especially revealing or interesting to the modern viewer? Regrettably, no.
Though neither of the concurrent "storylines" are gripping, one must admit that the love story between Veer Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Harleen (Giselle Monteiro) is infinitely more interesting than the one between Jai and Meera. Why? Perhaps it's because Veer and Harleen are infinitely more sympathetic than their shallow modern counterparts. Or perhaps it's because in their world, things actually happen. Like events. And experiences.
The other problem is that the casting is rather off. Serving as both lead and producer, Saif Ali Khan comes across as a bit too old for the role of Jai. Though Saif is undoubtedly a fine actor with terrific comic timing, he isn't presented as well as he ought to be here. He suffers the same issue Aamir Khan had in "Fanaa" wherein he came off as haggard and bloated next to the litheness of the heroine. He isn't hindered by such constraints as Veer because Veer is more dimensional and has that beard and turban to hide behind. It's a shame to be forced to evaluate an actor's performance at such a superficial level, but the writer has given us little else to consider.
Which brings us to the film's other main pitfall: Deepika Padukone. Ms. Padukone rightly has her legions of admirers smitten by her perfect cheek bones and her perfect hair. Unfortunately, her physical charms are not enough to counter her glaring limitations as an actress. The role requires someone of a natural wit and charm to play with the hero's jocular declarations on modern love (in essence he needs a foil whom he will both find attractive and maddening, a la Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in their best work). Deepika, having none of the natural wit, acidic humor, or comic timing of Kajol, Juhi Chawla or Kareena Kapoor, comes off as a one-dimensional mannequin who operates in two modes: smilingly nice and frustratingly nervous. She needs major work on her dialogue delivery and she ought to familiarize herself with something called voice modulation. Her thick Indian accent jars embarrassingly against her supposed British upbringing.
The supporting cast is arguably the strongest element of the film: Rishi Kapoor is as natural as ever, giving the elder Veer Singh all the romantic gusto and melancholy one expects from an old fashioned romantic. Neetu Singh shows up at the end of the film as an older Harleen, though the cameo lasts literally 90 seconds. The younger Harleen, played by Brazillian model Giselle Monteiro, is convincing as an emotionally fractured Punjabi damsel: Monteiro hits exactly the right note with her furtive glances and cowed body language. In many ways, she steals the film from the Bollywood stalwarts by actually inhabiting the character she's given to play (novel, isn't it?). Admittedly, she lacks the dancing ability needed to pull off the boisterous "Thoda Thoda Pyar." It must be nearly impossible for non-Indian actresses to attempt to enact all the "nakhras" and "adaayein" associated with India's legendary screen mavens like Rekha and Sridevi.
In the end, "Love Aaj Kal" will probably make tons of money and maybe even inspire a few copycats. What it won't do is instruct or dramatize the trials and trivialities of modern love stories.
Imtiaz Ali has made 3 films now - Socha Na Tha, Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal - he seems to be getting better and better with each film.He seems to be becoming a better director as well as writer with each film.
It is very rare to find Hindi films where people talk like people - with conversations having logical conclusions and transitions. This whole film is built on people having conversations and learning about each other and figuring themselves out through these conversations. I remember Siskel & Ebert lamenting on their show that in the movies, people mention that they have professions and yet never seem to be working at their so called job - but in this film, they do. The script - oh the script! Very smart, no dumbing down, no manipulative melodrama. I recently saw (500) Days of Summer and thematically and in tone these two are similar.
Also technically, Ali seems to have grown tremendously as a director - he is very good here in terms of shooting on location without getting unnecessarily enamoured or indulgent.
This movie has three performances really - Saif, Deepika and Rishi Kapoor. All have done tremendous justice to their characters; they are also very fortunate that the script provided them with 3-dimensional characters. A special mention for the young Brazilian lady who plays Harleen Kaur in the movie - she is so breathtakingly beautiful and very convincingly Indian.
The only blemish for me was Pritam's music and the song placement of that twist song. Pritam was so brilliant in Jab We Met that he actually accentuated the viewing pleasure of that film - but here, his music - though not bad - seems to distract from it.
As good as this film is, something tells me that Imtiaz Ali is just getting started and that he is a lot more gutsy and genuinely hatke than we have seen so far. And that is a wonderfully scary thought.
It is very rare to find Hindi films where people talk like people - with conversations having logical conclusions and transitions. This whole film is built on people having conversations and learning about each other and figuring themselves out through these conversations. I remember Siskel & Ebert lamenting on their show that in the movies, people mention that they have professions and yet never seem to be working at their so called job - but in this film, they do. The script - oh the script! Very smart, no dumbing down, no manipulative melodrama. I recently saw (500) Days of Summer and thematically and in tone these two are similar.
Also technically, Ali seems to have grown tremendously as a director - he is very good here in terms of shooting on location without getting unnecessarily enamoured or indulgent.
This movie has three performances really - Saif, Deepika and Rishi Kapoor. All have done tremendous justice to their characters; they are also very fortunate that the script provided them with 3-dimensional characters. A special mention for the young Brazilian lady who plays Harleen Kaur in the movie - she is so breathtakingly beautiful and very convincingly Indian.
The only blemish for me was Pritam's music and the song placement of that twist song. Pritam was so brilliant in Jab We Met that he actually accentuated the viewing pleasure of that film - but here, his music - though not bad - seems to distract from it.
As good as this film is, something tells me that Imtiaz Ali is just getting started and that he is a lot more gutsy and genuinely hatke than we have seen so far. And that is a wonderfully scary thought.
- karankshah
- Aug 13, 2009
- Permalink
Love aaj kal is a story of a 'practical couple' who mutually decide to break up due to their career ambitions. In an amicable break up they throw a party to celebrate their separation. However they keep in touch and eventually realise they cannot let go of the other person. Simultaneously running is the story of a much previous generation and their love story. In this case, love came first, then came ambition. The contrasting notions of love between the two generations reminds us what we are missing out in this quest of proffessionalism and individuality. On the whole it is a very funny movie with even the serious scenes making you laugh. My friends and I fell in love with the 1965 love story of Veer and Harleen. Imtiaz Ali directed the yesteryears in a superbly manner and Saif Ali Khan looked, acted and completely became a very attractive younger version of Rishi Kapoor. It was the best romance I have seen in years. Harleen played by a new comer, (whose real name is missing from every website for some reason) takes you back to the innocent days where girls had a straight parting and a long braid and wore full sleeved simple clothes. I absolutely loved her, and she looked like a million dollars in her simple attire. On the other hand, Saif Ali Khan as a young hip Jai was someone we have seen before in Hum Tum, Kal ho na ho and Salaam Namaste. However because the man never ages he looks good doing it! Deepika Padukone looked like a giant in most of the scenes. Moreover her make-up was average. Her strong Hindi accent is a little putting off because she ruins funny dialogues with it. If I had to change one thing about this movie, it would be Deepika Padukone. She seemed too young and awkward. However with such a good script, great songs and direction everyones flaws are well hidden and what you come back home is wanting a little more of each of the love stories because you want to know "what happened next??!!??!?!"