Love Aaj Kal (2020)

 ●  Hindi ● 2 hrs 21 mins

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LOVE AAJ KAL is the story that tackles the ever-changing dynamic of being in and finding love. Veer and Zoe are based in Delhi and they meet one night at a nightclub. Veer realises that Zoe is special to him. He finds out that she works from a co-working space and lands up there. Meanwhile, Raj the owner of the co-working space, witnesses their love blossoming. Zoe shares with Raj that she is interested in only a casual relationship. Raj tells her his own story. This is a time when he was Raghu and a school kid in Udaipur. He was in love with Leena and one day they get caught. Her family moves her to Delhi and Raghu follows her. Zoe is enchanted by Raj's story and decides to give love a chance and rejects a job offer from Dubai to be with Veer. Two factors challange her decision and they are Raj's revalation that Raghu broke up with Leena and choose to be a playboy; and her mother’s constant reminder that she shouldn’t sacrifice her career for love.

Cast: Aarushi Sharma, Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan

Crew: Imtiaz Ali (Director), Amit Roy (Director of Photography), Pritam Chakraborty (Music Director)

Rating: U/A (India), M (Australia), 18TC (United Arab Emirates), 12A (United Kingdom)

Genres: Romance, Drama

Release Dates: 14 Feb 2020 (India), 14 Feb 2020 (Malaysia), 13 Feb 2020 (Singapore), 14 Feb 2020 (United Arab Emirates), 14 Feb 2020 (United States)

Hindi Name: लव आज कल

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An Imtiaz Ali film is awaited with bated breath. When you have films like ROCKSTAR (2011), JAB WE MET (2007) and HIGHWAY (2014) to your credit, every step you take, every move you make comes under a microscopic view. Obviously, the expectations from Love Aaj Kal are colossal. Given a title like Love Aaj Kal, the film ought to evoke strong feelings, principally towards the second hour. But the emotional moments fail to evoke any emotion. In fact, your heart doesn't pine for the lovers and that is why Love Aaj Kal fails to create any effect.

Without an iota of doubt, you are hypnotized by the initial scenes in Love Aaj Kal, but unfortunately, it's not the screenplay that magnetizes you. The chemistry between Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan is piping hot and makes you speechless. Surely, Love Aaj Kal is not an easy film to write and execute. Like its predecessor, it has two stories set in different eras, run parallel, but have a similar end. Sadly, the script is riddled with cliches and flaws, which makes Love Aaj Kal a mundane love story that talks of love and heartache. Director Imtiaz Ali is known for his imaginative and inventive take on love stories, but the problem with Love Aaj Kal is that it starts off most impressively, has some terrific moments in between, but the writing gets so erratic and incoherent as it heads towards the conclusion that you wonder, am I really watching an Imtiaz Ali film?

With a capable raconteur like Imtiaz Ali at the helm, one expects Love Aaj Kal to be notches above the stuff we've been subjected to in the past. But the film falters after an impressive start, after you are introduced to the pivotal characters in the story. The writing (Imtiaz Ali) gets erratic as you delve deeper and deeper. The second half is stretched without valid reason and that makes Love Aaj Kal a tedious watch. Imtiaz Ali fails to outshine his previous works. Sure, he explores the emotional depths with immense compassion and also draws bravura performances from the central characters. But every film depends on a watertight screenplay and Love Aaj Kal stumbles and fumbles in this department.

In a nutshell, Love Aaj Kal suffers from a plot that appears confusing and is convoluted for an avid cinemagoer. Imtiaz Ali's direction fails to complement the screenplay and vice versa. The movie is not a regular run of the mill flick and the proceedings are clearly aimed at the classes rather than the masses. Also, music has always been a mainstay in all of Imtiaz Ali's films. But, sadly, in Love Aaj Kal, it is otherwise. Despite Pritam at the helm of things, the music, sadly, is plain ordinary and does not help in lifting the proceedings. Amit Roy's cinematography is top-notch. Every frame is picture-perfect, a painting on celluloid. Dialogue (Imtiaz Ali) deserve special mention. They are straight out of life. If any film stands on a weak foundation (writing), even 1.30 hours seem never-ending. The lethargic pacing and uneven editing (Aarti Bajaj) also mar the overall impact. The film could have been better had the editing been watertight.

Kartik Aaryan carries the most difficult parts with remarkable ease. Sure, we've seen him as the cool, urban guy in several films, but this one's the most demanding role and he glides into the character effortlessly. Sara Ali Khan looks ethereal. More importantly, she acts very, very well. This should be the turning point in her career. Randeep Hooda puts his heart and mind into every project he chooses to perform in. He is a stunner. Arushi Sharma does well in a small, but significant role.

To sum up, Love Aaj Kal is too confusing a film to be understood and enjoyed by the general public. It does not live up to the confidence and expectations from the otherwise very skilled and accomplished film-maker Imtiaz Ali. Once the initial euphoria settles down, it'll be difficult for the film to sustain. A KING-SIZED DISAPPOINTMENT! Imtiaz Ali's streak of flops continues!

0
as Leena
as Veer / Raghu
as Zoe
as Sander Jennings
Supporting Actor
as Sajan Kanwar

Direction

Director
Director's Assistant
First Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director

Production

Executive Producer
Associate Producer
Production Executive

Writers

Story Writer
Screenplay Writer
Script Supervisor

Camera and Electrical

Director of Photography

Music

Music Director
Lyricist
Background Music

Sound

Sound Designer

Art

Production Designer

Casting

Casting Director
Casting Associate
Casting Assistant
Extras Casting

Choreography

Choreographer

Costume and Wardrobe

Editorial

Editor

Makeup and Hair

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Marketing and Public Relations

Marketing Head
Public Relations Officer
Public Relations Agency
Marketing Agency
Marketing Coordinator
Title Designer
Social Media Manager

Post Production

Colorist
Post Production Facility

Visual Effects

Visual Effects Producer
Visual Effects Supervisor
Visual Effects Studio
Film Type:
Feature
Language:
Hindi
Colour Info:
Color
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
2.39:1 (Scope)
Stereoscopy:
No
Archival Source:
QubeVault