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Imtiaz Ali was the man behind that very endearing movie - Jab We Met which has become a cult of epic proportions amongst Hindi movie lovers. While Jab We Met was essentially about love effecting and changing two people for the better, Love Aaj Kal takes an altogether different route. It's not the typical boy-meets-girl story. It's what the boy-and-girl-do-when-they-think-that-it's-not-going-to-work-out story.

So what is love? They say Love is happiness, it is bliss, it is life transforming, it is passion, it is pain, and often it is disappointment. Simply put love is so many things put together yet it is inexplicable. Nothing evokes more powerful emotions than love. 'Love Aaj Kal' tries to look at the dynamics of love as it happens and exists today vis-a-vis the love which actually happened and existed ages ago and the kind which exists today only in romantic novels and implausible movie plots.

Does the notion of love which talks about the existence of soul mates, thunderbolt at first sight and loving and living with each other for many lives hold true for this generation where any and everything is ready-made/instant? Is there anything known as true love? Do distances matter in relationships? Does love happen only once in a lifetime? Or can you love someone again with the same amount of intensity? Love Aaj Kal seeks and manages to answer these questions, not in a very emphatic manner though. The ingredient of cheesiness is used to the minimum and the film is devoid of over sappiness and works mostly at a practical level.

Jai Vardhan (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera Pandit (Deepika Padukone) are the in-love-but-ambitious-couple who live in London. Meera has to go to Delhi, India to pursue her career in arts while Jai has always dreamt of settling in the city of the Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco. There ways are meant to part and part is what they amicably do. It's here that the "we-move-on-quickly-with-no-hang-ups" quality of today's youth is shown. The coolio treatment follows whereby the couple throw a "Break Up Party", part ways and encourage each other to find new people and get over each other! But do they really manage to do that? It is at this point that the story is interwoven and stirred gently with another story which takes place some decades ago. It's here where the contrast is beautifully shown – of how Gen-X has stopped being patient, of how it has stopped hoping and believing and of how it has adopted a practical (perhaps rightfully) approach to life and relationships.

Saif Ali Khan has truly grown as an actor. From the quirky guy in Dil Chahta Hai and Kal Ho Naa Ho to the intense and villainous Langda Tyagi in Omkaara, Saif has truly matured as an actor and this maturity clearly reflects in his portrayal of the character Jai Vardhan, a very real and relatable character who experiences a range of emotions throughout the story. It is Saif who carries the entire movie on his shoulders. The high point of his performance comes during the scenes when his character is dismayed, wondering what is amiss in his life even though he has achieved his dream of settling in SF. Deepika as the lead actress is a bit of a letdown as she seems to continue in the same mould as her characters in Bachna Ae Haseeno & CC2C by pretty much the same standard looks and expressions. Rishi Kapoor in a pivotal role is endearing but it's the sort of role which has become a cliché for him (Read Hum Tum, Fanaa, Luck By Chance etc.). The role doesn't stretch Rishi Kapoor at all as you'd imagine that a seasoned actor like him would turn up on the sets and get it right in the first take itself.

The film takes place at four places – UK, Delhi, Kolkota and San Francisco which makes it an ideal platform for creative and visual excellence in cinematography. Since the film has two stories one of which takes place presumably in the 1950s, the cinematographer does a good job by getting the look and feel of the by-lanes of Delhi and Kolkota during this period right. As a Delhite it is heartening to see that this for long ignored city is now on the radar of major film makers. India Gate, Qutub Minar, the wide open tree lined roads, Dilli Haat, the Gurgaon high rises and the Delhi Metro are all captured brilliantly by the camera.

Music was a high point of Imtiaz Ali's last film - Jab We Met and while the soundtrack doesn't match the brilliance of that movie it does have some tracks which truly sparkle on screen. "Ye Dooriyan" sung by Mohit Chauhan is easily the best song on the soundtrack, though the song could have been strategically better placed in the storyline. Nevertheless 'Ye Dooriyan' is the quintessential track to be played on a winter night remembering each and every dear one's absence from your life. 'Main Kya Hoon' sung by KK is the song which is most perfectly executed in the storyline. 'Chor Bazaari' is peppy, 'Aj Din Chadhiya' is earthy, 'Twist' leaves a lot more to be desired while 'Aaahun Aahun' at the end is no 'Mauja Hi Mauja'.

Overall, Love Aaj Kal is not a letdown. It's fun and understated. At a runtime of 130 minutes, the film is crisp by Hindi Cinema standards. Don't expect the film to overwhelm you like Jab We Met. Love Aaj Kal is like that cup of tea with just the right amount of sugar. But still you might wonder why the sugar was too less/more.

If one was to ask an avid Hindi film lover about the most awaited movies of 2009, he would say My Name is Khan, 3 Idiots and Delhi 6! Yes, when a director has a film like Rand De Basanti on his back the expectations are huge. So does Delhi 6 live up to these expectations? Yes, in more ways than one. But there is a catch. Delhi 6 is a gem covered with mud and one really has to look through to see the inherent goodness and soul of this film, something which most people wouldn't be able to.

Comparisons are inevitable to two films – Swades and Rang De Basanti. Delhi 6 and Swades have the similar storyline of the protagonist returning to their country of origin and rediscovering themselves, In Swades, the lead character Mohan Bhargav played by Shahrukh Khan had a very active presence throughout the movie but in Delhi 6, Roshan played by Abhishek Bachchan has a role which requires him to be passive for the most part.

Roshan Mehra arrives in India from New York with his ailing grandmother and is immediately enthralled by the place and the people of Delhi 6. He is a mere spectator to what's happening around him. In fact it wouldn't be wrong to say his character doesn't arouse the same amount of interest as the other characters of the movie. The director slowly and steadily weaves the story in the first half of the film by keeping it very character centric and that is made possible by some super extraordinary performances by the ensemble cast which includes the likes of Rishi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Pawan Malhotra, Om Puri, Prem Chopra, Divya Dutta, Vijay Raaz and Atul Kulkarni. The aim is to put the viewer in those very by lanes of the walled city and experience firsthand the lives, culture, values and traditions of the people of this charming place. Rakesh successfully establishes and puts on screen the bonhomie that exists between the characters. It goes to his credit when half way into the movie the viewer doesn't have an idea as to where the film is headed.

A very important character of the story is of Sonam Kapoor who plays Bittu a middle class girl with high aspirations. She is like the pigeon with tied wings. It's primarily a role which requires her to do two things – look cute and have a childish innocence. She is a girl desperate to break out of the shackles of conservatism but lacks the courage to stand up to her conservative parents. It is Abhishek who tries to establish that courage in her and over the course of the film a subtle romance between the two blooms. This romantic track between the two characters is again handled well by the director and is not given too much or too less attention.

Just like Rang De Basanti had the parallel Bhagat Singh story going with the main story we have the famous Ram Lila of Lal Quila running parallel to the storyline with each part symbolizing what's happening in the movie. But what drives the plot forward is the 'Kala Bandar' or the Monkey Man, a real life episode which created a fear psychosis in the Delhites in 2001 but was later declared as a figment of imagination by the Delhi Police. The Kala Bandar has an anecdotal presence in the first half of the movie but the way the director uses the 'Kala Bandar' and changes the gear of the movie is a stroke of genius! The 'Kala Bandar' symbolizes the triviality and the spark which destroys the fragile bonhomie that exists between the people. What follows is unanticipated, unsettling and shocking.

The film makes a superb comment on the social fabric of the Indian Urban Society. It mocks the caste system, conservatism, the autocratic power of the public servants, the communal tension where all it takes is a spark to set off the fire. It's an in your face commentary which almost makes one feel ashamed being part of that very society. It dares to show the mirror to your face and that is not what most people like – being told they are dirty! And that is the biggest achievement of this film.

It is a movie where you can say that the seasoned supporting actors have out shined the lead actors. Sonam has a very endearing screen presence and plays her part well, though it's not the sort of role which fully exploits her acting skills, yet she shows tremendous potential which many did not see in Saawariya. It is tough to criticize Abhishek as his character is written in a way that leaves you asking for more but it is a suave performance nevertheless.

The art direction and cinematography are excellent. Attention has been paid to detail. The lanes of Chandni Chowk are characterized by what the protagonist; Abhishek Bachchan rightly calls when he comes from the US – organized chaos. It is a fascinating world and captured brilliantly by the camera. The highlight is that dream scene where the makers show what Chandni Chowk would look like on a Times Square! Much has already been said about the music in the past few days. Masakali is endearing, Dil Gira Gafatan and Rehna Tu are ballads, Dilli 6 is an anthem and Arziyan is divine! A.R. Rehman has again outdone himself! 'Delhi 6' is bigger than its supposed minor or major glitches. It is a film made with the noblest of intentions. Watch this film with some patience, flexibility and leave the skepticism at home.