Movie Review: Love Aaj Kal (Bollywood)

Note: Plot NOT Revealed.

Directed by: Imtiaz Ali

Produced by: Saif Ali Khan & Dinesh Vijan (Illuminati Films)

Cast:

  • Saif Ali Khan as Jai Vardhan Sigh and the younger Veer Singh
  • Deepika Padukone as Meera Pundit
  • Giselle Monteiro as Harleen Kaur
  • Rishi Kapoor as old Veer Singh
  • Neetu Singh as old Harleen Kaur
  • Rahul Khanna as Vikram

Music Director: Pritam

The songs:

  • Twist – Neeraj Shridhar
  • Chor Bazaari – Neeraj Shridhar, Sunidhi Chauhan
  • Aahun Aahun – Saleem, Neeraj Shridhar
  • Ajj Din Chadheya – Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
  • Dooriyan – Mohit Chauhan
  • Thoda Thoda Pyar – Sunidhi Chauhan

We finally saw ‘Love Aaj Kal’ over the weekend. After waiting for days and days and days. So, we are done with this important milestone in the movie watching process. And to tell you, I am pleased. Mighty pleased with the outcome. Now I can die in peace.

However, I noticed that the world around me is right now divided into two parts. One, that loved this movie. Two, that did not love this love or rather didn’t find it appealling enough or not worth spending time on. Yes, I know that’s the case with most movies. Well, humans will be humans. And as all humans do, we can always find reasons to not like or to not love something. But we can more or less not find reasons to love something. And this is what love is all about. It doesn’t have reasons. Love just knows to love. Thats it. We just try to give it reasons at times to make it justified.

Well, coming back to the movie. Instead of getting lost in my jalebi talks. The movie is about love. LOVE. Period. Love, how it was in the era gone and love, how it is, in this era. The process through which love evolves may be different, but nevertheless the outcome is L.O.V.E. Not everyone may be able to associate themselves with the movie. But the people who do, the movie touches an altogether different chord.

Imtiaz Ali, the director has evolved quite a lot since his earlier films (Socha na Tha and Jab We Met). For better of course. Socha na tha was a subdued movie. Jab We Met on the other hand can be called loud. Love Aaj Kal is not totally subdued and certainly not loud. It doesn’t have the spunkiness of Jab We Met. But it has something undefinable which wrenches your heart and wants you to fall in love with love all over again. Here, let me not start the comparison game as it would be unfair to compare these three movies which are starkingly different inspite of having base line similarities. The similarities, being with the not-so-right person in order to realize love for the right person. And the Punjabi Culture, of course. Notice the way he has portrayed it. Trying to stick to authenticity as far as possible. Houses. Sitting posture of the the grandmothers in the song Thoda Thoda Pyar. Costumes. The Sikh beards and turbans look way more authentic and real in this movie than in any other.

The story line is crisp. The dialogues are cryptic. And an important essence of the movie. Most of them are very real and non-filmi. They touch you at moments even when you don’t expect them to.

Saif Ali Khan does to the movie what Kareena Kapoor did to Jab We Met. Equipped with a well defined character, he effortlessly slips into the role of Veer Singh as well as that of Jai. Even in scenes where he has to verbally communicate his happiness and at the same time portray his sadness through his facial experessions, he does that with great elan. Not many actors can achieve this.

Giselle Monteiro (a Brazilian model) plays Harleen Kaur, Saif’s (Veer Singh) love interest in the Kal part. It was quick a huge risk to take her in the role of a typical Punjabi Kudi from the 1965 era. And her real identity was kept under wraps even after the movie’s realease. It’s paying off now, no doubts about that. Her innocent face and the punjabi attire has made many a heart flutter and skip a beat. Don’t believe me? Check with the men around. Even though her waist doesn’t move in a typical Punjabi manner ala Jhatkas Matkas and even though her adas lack the Punjabi grace and naughtiness, she till has managed to find a permanent place in the hearts of many a men with her innocent looks.

Deepika Padukone looks lovely in the role of Meera.  She plays Saif’s (Jai) love interest in the Aaj part.

Now, we come to the sunshine element of the movie. Rishi Kapoor. The man lights up the screen the moment he walks in. He is the anchor of the story. He is a class apart. His look when he talks about His Love and of LOVE, is enough for women to go weak in their knees and want to fall in love with him and with love. Over and over again. Neetu Singh is there too in a guest appearance to add a double dose of sunshine.

Rahul Khanna is there too, albiet in an itsy-bitsy role. The lesser said the better. Doesn’t add much with his performance.

The music is already everywhere and everywhere. And loved too! Twist, Chor Bazaari, Aahun aahun, Dooriyan, Ajj Din Chadheya, Thoda Thoda Pyar, Main Kya Hoon have stuck a chord with almost everyone. Dooriyan song is treated very well in the movie. It’s played in bits and pieces during strategic scenes. Anyone who has ever been in love or out of love or somewhere near it will know what Dooriyan is all about. Each song has a different flavor to it and its very difficult to chose one over the other. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan creates magic with the eternal Ajj Din Chadheya. Chor Bazaari besides Twist has been another hot favorite with me ever since I first heard it.

Final word: Go and watch the movie. Don’t you miss it! And let me know how it was. And whether you liked it or not. But just go! Go! Go! Go!

Rating: 4/5

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~~~A copy of this review is also featured on BollywoodHungama.com~~~

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