Movie Review “Love Aaj Kal”
Genre: Romance, Love story
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Producer: Saif Ali Khan, Dinesh Vijan
Banner: Eros Entertainment, Illuminati Films
Language: Hindi
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Star Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor, Rahul Khanna, Vir Das, Raj Zutshi, and others
Release Date: 31st July 2009
‘Love Aaj Kal’ is the latest movie directed by Imtiaz Ali who is lately my favorite director. His Last two movies ‘Socha Na Tha’ and ‘Jab We Met’ listed in my ‘Must Watch Movies before you die…’ list. So I had to watch this movie. I was really eager to watch what Imtiaz comes up with this time.
As the title of the movie suggests movie describes the love story of last generation and today’s generation. The movie starts in London. Jai played by Saif Ali Khan and Meera played by Deepika Padukone met in pub and instantly clicked with each other. They become couple when their friends pint it out to them. But their relationship had to end as they both have to move to different countries, Jai to America and Meera to India for their respective career. As they both don’t want any commitment or maintain long distance relationship. They break-up with each other as any practical couple. They even celebrate their break-up with a break-up party. So they move on with their life. But there is uncompromising love developed between them which they both didn’t realize or rather don’t want to admit because they don’t think it is practical and outdated. So how will their love story be sorted out? Will their love be buried in their hearts forever? So there comes London Restaurateur Veer Singh played by Rishi Kapoor, and by saif ali khan as young Veer Singh. Veer Singh’s love story in 60’s is shown as answer to resolve the love story of Jai and Meera.
The movie is turned out to be a good entertaining movie but this movie was carrying lot of expectation because it was “Jab We Met” fame Imtiaz Ali’s movie. It is not close to ‘Jab we Met’ in any sense but for me it also failed to create the magic of ‘Socha Na Tha’. But still as an individual movie it is a good movie to watch. Imtiaz Ali again gone with his successful formula in this film of unrealized love between Hero and Heroine, which they realized at the end of the movie through many situations. But movie is really slow and sluggish in the first half for my liking. And I felt like almost nothing happened in the first half. I mean story told in first half could have been told in 15 minutes rather than one hour it took. We don’t get to know the characters that well as we did in ‘Jab We met ’. We still remember Geet and Aaditya of ‘Jab We met’; but I doubt that will be true for Jai and Meera.
As for performances Saif Ali Khan brilliantly as expected from him, Deepika did commendable job. Technically film is outstanding, good editing, good cinematography, very good music and background music. Screenplay could have been better considering it is Imtiaz Ali’s forte. If I have to rate the movie I’ll give it 6 out of 10.