Movie Review : Love Aaj Kal 2

Rating : 2.8/5
Genre : Romance
Year : 2020
Running time : 2 hours 22 minutes
Director : Imtiaz Ali
Cast : Sara Ali Khan, Kartik Aaryan, Randeep Hooda, Aarushi Sharma
Kid rating : PG

Imtiaz Ali’s reputation precedes him – he’s given us cult romances like the lovely Jab We Met and the understated Socha Na Tha. His game seems to be slipping though, because Love Aaj Kal 2 is not a patch on the original Love Aaj Kal. The storyline is similar with two love tales unfolding, and this film also tries to answer some pyaar-wale questions. However, it has not the sheen or the oomph of the original – everything is so . . . inept.

So there’s Zoe (Khan) and Veer (Aaryan) a modern young couple who hang out together but can’t commit. And there’s Raghu (Aaryan/Hooda) and Leena (Sharma), an older couple with their own issues. We see the Zoe-Veer messy tale unfold in real time. Raghu narrates his sad kahaani – ergo flashback – to Zoe when she comes by his cafe, in the hope that Zoe and Veer can right their situation before it is too late. But will they?

Veer is a nerd and Zoe’s a go-getter, type-A event-planner, and there’s real chemistry between the two. On a purely descriptive level, Kartik and Sara fit the bill though neither are very good actors; I kept thinking what this film could have been with maybe a Ranbir or an Alia. Director Ali tries too hard to be with it – the first half of the film felt superficial with its frenetic club-hopping, social media, co-working spaces and one-night stands. Underneath it all though we are still regular people, but LAK didn’t deem it fit to show us that side of its characters.

Ali’s films are generally dialog-heavy and Love Aaj Kal is no different. I did find the screenplay lacking, and the flow, especially in the first half, choppy and it has to be said – boring. My husband in the next seat dozed off. But the biggest problem is the lack of character development. Veer and Zoe are flat – we know about them, but who are they really? And why should we feel for them or get invested in their lives?

The second half got better because it got down to the nitty-gritty, anguish-inducing choices. There are some scenes which could have redeemed the film but it was too little too late. LAK also suffers on the musical front. Where the original had gorgeous songs, nothing stands out here except maybe Shayad.

It feels like a real comedown from Deepika and Saif to Sara and Karthik. Are they the future of Bollywood? The thought is dispiriting.

Love Aaj Kal 2 is sadly, for us the viewers, a big disappointment. A strict one-time watch, if that!

Kidwise: Some love-making and lip-locks.