I don’t know if it was because I was Bollywood starved from the last six months or if it was because the movie was really good, the fact remains that I immensely enjoyed the movie.
The Aaj and Kal of it (no spoilers)
Jai(Saif Ali Khan) and Meera(Deepika Padukone) are a modern day couple living in London who believe in the philosophy of take-life-as-it-comes and do not believe in tying each other down just because they are in a relationship. They know that their real preference is their careers and thus end up breaking their relationship with a break-up party when Meera decides to move to India to work.
Veer Singh(Saif Ali Khan) falls for Harleen(Simran) the moment he sets his eyes on her. It was love at first sight. Harleen liked Veer but was too shy to respond. That does not defer Veer from following her on his bicycle while she travels to college on a rikshaw and let Harleen know that he was madly in love with her. One day, Harleen shifts to Calcutta with her family.
The story of Jai and Meera is set in the present time while that of Veer and Harleen is set in 1965. There is a connection between the two stories but you better watch the movie to know that.
The differences or no differences
The underlying theme of the movie is that no matter how much the times must have changed and how differently we might look at love, the feeling is still the same. You will still end up in a whirlpool when it happens. It will still turn your world upside down. The story of Jai and Meera is completely different from Veer and Harleen. Jai and Meera are in love with each other without realizing it. Meera knows that if she asks, Jai won’t say no but then one day he will feel guilty that he let go his dreams and career. Jai is completely confused. Veer on the other hand had made up his mind that he is going to marry Harleen. The only question is how?
As the movie proceeds, the scenes shift from the past to the present and vice versa and you can see the stark
differences and the similarities. The switch between the two stories is done brilliantly. You realize that how different and then how similar the two stories are.
The Performances and the Wasted Role
Saif Ali Khan and Deepika are good in their respective roles. Saif has played the confused modern day man in many movies earlier(Dil Chahta hai, Hum Tum, Salaam Namaste), so this was nothing new for him except for the role of Veer Singh. Although his Punjabi was not perfect but he did the role of a madly in love Sikh man, who starts working in a ‘phactory’ so that he can marry Harleen and who travels to Calcutta just to look at her once, quite well. Simran(Harleen) was also good in her role of a meek Punjabi girl. She left an impression even though she hardly had any dialogues in the movie. Rishi Kapoor had a very good role(can’t reveal more about his role right now. 
). Rahul Khanna was wasted. I am not sure why he took the role.
Music and everything else
‘Chor Bazaari’ is already up on the charts. I personally liked ‘Ye dooriyaan’ a lot. The songs are a nice mix of soft romantic and dhinchak dhinchak songs. Thankfully, most of the songs blended well in the movie and were not like a su su break song. Even the ‘Main kya hoon’ which started off as one ended up being quite well done. You will know why when you see the movie.
Dialogues are the plus point of the movie. Some very well written scenes like the one in which Saif asks Rishi Kapoor about how couples did not had sex before marriage in the past and Rishi Kapoor retorts back – ‘Jaanwar nahi the hum!’.
And, yes, thankfully, the movie had a story!
Finally and Eventually
Imtiaz Ali surely does not disappoint. I am in two minds and I know I should not compare, but was the movie was good as Jab We Met? I think yes it was. It had its moments.
Rating – 4/5
Director – Imtiaz Ali
Official Website – http://loveaajkal-illuminatifilms.erosentertainment.com/
Oh we know who Rishi Kapoor is
courtesy: Indiantimes review. Yours is the first review that’s positive. Read a lot of tweets abusing this movie. I think I’ll wait for the DVD to come out. 
Haha! I knew someone will be giving away the story.
I tried hard not to!
I don’t think there is anything wrong in the movie. If you see the kind of movies that have come out this year, this one is pretty decent. Par kuch to log kahenge.
After quite some time, a good bolly movie! Will definitely watch it, but it is really hard to see the connection between the two situations that you describe. And sometimes, I feel that I too should have lived back in the 60s or 70s!!
Everything, including the movies seem to be much better back then.
Destination Infinity
..and the people who lived then cursed their time and wanted to be in 40s-50s.
Everyone hates present and loves ‘old is gold’.
Yeah! After a long time.
As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. 
Well, see the movie and you will know the connection.
And you must have lived in that era. In your previous birth.
Yeah, I agree to that. Thankfully, I am not living living in an are that would come after 75 years! That’s positive way of looking at it! But I might, in my next birth :-p
Destination Infinity
I heard a lot of positive review of this movie and then I finally listened to all the songs. Out of all I LOVED ‘aaj din chadya tere rang varga’ the most.
I might catch it in couple of weeks. New movies don’t come to the village we live in.
I still have to listen to all the songs properly. I have heard a few of them once before going to the movie. I think they are the kind of songs which will grow on you after you watch the movie.
Oho! Amrika main bhi village?
Yes,I saw the movie yesterday.It is very well directed and thestiory presentation is good ,thanks to Imtiaz Ali.Music is good.Rishi Kapoor takes the cake.Suddenly,the older lot of actors are getting very meaningful roles.
On the whole…..L A K is a good movie
Thanks for agreeing.
I know the movie is getting mixed reviews. Some people are completely trashing it. I personally feel that it is not bad at all, specially after what the audience has gone through this year.
I found the movie kind of OK. I felt it isn’t even as good as Socha Na Tha but that doesn’t take away the fact that it has it’s moments and is entertaining. My problem with the movie was that i felt it was slow at places. And yes i totally agree Rahul Khanna is totally wasted. He hardly has any lines
as he hardly comes in any movies i was excited to see him. But bugger! He was royally wasted.
Yes, some of the scenes and dialogues were really good. It was an entertaining movie overall I guess.
Njoyed the movie – cool
4/5 if it is, me got 2 check this out!
Its as gud as JWM – that ws like laughter tonic to me – have seen it in bits n parts so many times!
N yeah .. I liked ur review .. will read ur reviews b4 am gonna watch any movie nw
Haha! Don’t beat me up if you don’t like the movie.
Well, decide for yourself if it is as good as JWM.
And you haven’t seen that movie completely? 
Completely once .. that crying face in the second half is boring
I like the chatterbox
wah kya analysis hai woh bhi titles ke saath! I have a feeling that this movie would be good. Saif actually has done a lot of good movies starting from DCH. Though his role might be similar at least the stories were different. Deepika I find is the chirpy gal in every movie and somehow she just cannot make her eyes any smaller even if the scene required it.
And even her hands. They just hang and reach the ground.
Yup! Would have given Dev Anand a run for his money
Wonder why people find her so fascinating!
Well, she is beautiful and she acts fine, I think. I don’t know why but people have a problem with her acting skills too. She is just 2 years old in the industry!
You hailed the movie, and QuirkyIndia threshed it http://is.gd/1YKcO Now am confused whether to watch it or not =/
Yeah! I know! The movie is getting mixed reviews.
I wanted to see this movie just because of Imtiaz Ali and I am going to watch it for sure now
Now my expectations became high after seeing your rating
Don’t have too high expectations.
Remember, this is my personal rating. Doesn’t mean you will like the movie. 
The songs are very good and have been playing on my creative zen non-stop for almost a month now. Though no plans of watching the movie at the theatres. $10 on a movie these days seems too much for me
Btw, am not sure if iam the only person around, but i found Socha na tha (Imtiaz ali’s first movie) better than Jab we met.
Yes. The songs are very good.
Just 10$? I give 10 pounds for a movie here.
No!!! I think JWM was much better, but then to each his own.
this movie is getting mixed reviews! But..but.. all the bloggers who wrote reviews of Love aaj kal didnt mention rahul khanna is there!! Now its a worth a shot even he has 5 mins!
Rahul Khanna only 5 mins.
Haha! I had no idea he could be used as a bait!
hmmm I have stopped going to movies .. I watch most of them online
But some movies are to be seen at the big screen. You can never get the thrill at home. What say you?
I havnt read any reviews yet, not even yours. All I know is that, its been getting good reviews (except from Raja Sen of rediff). Will catch it this weekend and come back here to comment !!!
It is getting some very mixed reviews. Hope you like it.
LAK about a modern day relationship.
Thanks for the review Amit. Will watch it on Sunday
Great! Let me know how it was.
I am confused now …
I have read many negative reviews until now , warning everyone not to watch this movie ….
But now I think I need to watch it for myself …. thnx for the review …
…
Mixed reviews. Yeah, I know.
I loved the older scenes, the smoke, mist, the streets, the shops and ofcourse the two characters much more
I was happy that they have not made either of the times look bad… I thoroughly enjoyed the movie too 
Yes, the old love story was very well done.
I am glad that someone liked it.
hmmm…all my friends are saying its a really pathetic movie…while some are saying that it is all a feel good factor movie. and I really don’t want to come out of the theatre feeling all sucked up…so I am still contemplating if I should or shouldn’t go for it.
Toss a coin.
Iam impressed that you liked your bhabhi’s movie..you have a good taste
“Some very well written scenes like the one in which Saif asks Rishi Kapoor about how couples did not had sex before marriage in the past and Rishi Kapoor retorts back – ‘Jaanwar nahi the hum!’. ”
It’s interesting to note that this reminded me of a scene in that old hindi film kabhi kabhi, where very young Rishi Kapoor, while talking to his mother Rakhi, ridicules the old ‘system’ of love where couples spent months just eyeing each other and by the time they wanna say something to each other, girl’s marriage is fixed. Isnt it funny that the same Rishi kapoor is now talking something completely opposite? lol. I guess each generation romanticizes the earlier times.
Haha! Ye to waqt hi batayega ki wo kiski bhabhi hai!
I had no idea.
Well, this is funny.
And don’t we always talk about the Doordarshan era too?
Dev, that’s exactly I mentioned in my earlier comment. People always go oh! earlier it was good and now it is bad or vice versa. The thing is world changes, we change..all the time. No time/era is that good or bad.
BTW Woh meri bhabhi hai! now khush. Ha..ha..ha..
“BTW Woh meri bhabhi hai!”
Solilo, you are such a darling!
yeh bhabhi talk?
yahaan kya ho raha hai? 
dont know about prospective hubbies but she sure is finding a lot of devars
Nice review Amit. I too enjoyed the movie a lot but was a little surprised to know that you enjoyed it too, knowing your taste for serious movies! yes, you are definitely bollywood starved!
Or maybe this movie is really good! At times I am not sure myself because I tend to enjoy light movies. But I enjoyed this one more than jab we met and I think its perhaps because I like saif and also the different treatment of the movie. The going back into the past kind of thing.
I am fine with light movies. Last year I was not able to stand Ghajini and RNBDJ at all. I think this movie is more in the Hum Tum, Kal ho na ho category.
I too liked the parts in the older movie and how both the stories were blend together. It was definitely not a bad movie.
Now I really need to see this film. i’ve been hearing a lot of positive reports abt it… and some mixed reactions as well.
can u believe i still didnt get around to watching ‘new york’? HAVE to watch this one atleast!!
will be back and comment with my own review and compare with urs then!
Even I haven’t seen New York.
Heard that it was a decent movie.
Yeah. See the movie for yourself and see if you like it.
Aaj Kal review is everywhere! yet i haven’t watched it. Gotta check it out soon.
Haha! Let me know how it was.
Hmmm.. this is the first review am reading for this movie but my frndz bck in India hve all recommended .
BTW,whr did u watch it? online??!!!
I really miss watching bolly flicks on big screen..:(
I don’t like watching movies online at all.
Theatres near my place play Bollywood movies.
I loved the Old Story..Deepika was bad…really bad..loved the new girl..and yes Saif rocked as Surd…though he speaks tooti footi punju..
Love Yeh Dooriyan and Main Kya Hoon..I agree the song has been beautifully pictirised and one can see Saif’s transformation thru this song..
Hmmm…I think she is another Aishwarya in the making. I like her but don’t know why everyone else dislike her.
I don’t know if I am abnormal, but I feel they have made a mockery of almost everything in a single movie! But an audience like us, deserves it.
Destination Infinity
I hope you understand that this is your ‘individual’ opinion and does not necessarily mean that the movie is bad.
That’s correct. An audience like me deserves it!! LOL
But now since I am out of the hangover, I think the movie is different for the sake of being different!! The flashbacks, though repeated, were quite appropriate. I need to see the first movie – Socha Nahi Tha. But while we are on the subject, I think the second movie Jab we met was quite good – the hero in that movie, just like saif, acted very well. Kareena was so immersed in her role that even her overacting seemed quite normal. I am wondering if Kajol would have done it better. She is a more mature actress. Again my personal opinion.
Destination Infinity
I think we have seen a lot of crap movies this year. This movie was a welcome change.
I am not sure about Kajol playing the role. I hate it when established middle aged actors play college pass outs.
Your review makes me want to watch it.. I had read a lot of mixed reviews.. Sure sounds interesting.. Some of the songs I catch on NDTV seems quite catchy..
Yes, it must be playing at your place too.
Its good timepass.
Very nice review! I am keen to watch this movie now, more than ever
Thanks Kiran.
hey amit! feels good to be back!
i dropped in my reply here for your comment on the recent post for a reason. i dont know how to put this but the nitin in that story is me and niyati is one of my classmate. life has been a roller coaster ride in these months for me. for the first time in my life i felt i had lost all my confidence and was feeling so helpless to the extent that i could have possibly pushed myself into depression. such is the the admission process . it works havoc . but i just pray to god that what happened with me doesnt happen with anybody else again. i didnt want to reveal the real identity of nitin on my own blog. but with my regular readers i just could not hide the fact. this was the reason for my break from blogging. but i guess i have thrown it all out in form of my anger, emotions which were all bottled up for these past 2 months in form of that post. all’s well now. i am just on the road to win back my confidence
Been there done that.
Maybe you are supposed to follow another better path.
Believe me, I was in a worse situation than yours. I even gave committing suicide a thought. There was nothing left for me to do. All my hardwork was washed away and one of my very close friend who never studied for the exam passed with very good marks.
But, then the part of my life which started after that was the best part of my life. I met the most amazing people and I went to the most amazing places.
So, don’t be disheartened. Everything happens for a reason.
I got bored in the first 3 minutes and stopped watching this
Hahaha!
I havent seen it yet ..plan to catch it in a few days:)
)
have been reading really, really mixed reviews everywhere..
but your review makes me want to watch it
(I was going to anyway
I LOVE the songs
specially Aaj din chadya:)
I am looking forward to watching the sepia tinted part
(just read all the comments and they make me look forward to the old era more)
Good! I hope you have seen it by now!
Songs are really good. All of them.
Hey Amit,
I loved the songs… all the songs…
You know what, reading your review makes me feel guilty for thrashing the movie on my blog…. 4/5 too much I say for LAK. And JWM is a better movie any day… the rest is the same, deepika’s acting, did you say she can act!! disagree totally,
and the 50s was really captured well, and I think there was nothing left to see once LAK went to the Americas
that is a good tidy review…
cya
Ash
Yes, all the songs were very good.
I can understand. Many people didn’t like the movie, so its all right!
I think Deepika is turning into another Aishwarya.
Somehow, I didn’t like the movie much at all, probably because I had way too many expectations. And in all fairness, you can’t even begin to compare it with jab we met! I agree that rahul khanna was wasted, and I thought saif and deepika had no chemistry either. Plus the movie was rather typical and not exceptionally funny. I just expected more after being bollywood-starved for so long!
4/5? No fair!
I had expectations too but I knew that this was no DDLJ.
Well, my appetite was fully satisfied.
Interesting. I like the way you have kept the suspense for the movie. I still haven’t seen it BUT will HOPEFULLY go some time this week (Got more exams starting in 2 weeks.
). And your review illustrates that it is a movie worth seeing. 
I had to. If I tell it, then its like telling that Kajol murdered everyone in Gupt!
we had a screening of this one last weekend..i got mixed up with dates..and missed..sigh..
now i will have to wait for the vcd version…sigh..
Why? They are not showing it on a regular theater near your house?
Hi i read your post its very nice and wonderful…
so i add u in my bolg list and can u add me in your blog list…
For me it was a complete let down
Even though the songs are decent and the direction so-so
the movie was a big let down … why ?
Because it was too much of a formula movie, based on johar and jwm formula – and targeted at a mass moreso nri audience and there was nothing new in it
good story and good music
i love you siaf ali khan and deepika padukone
I watched LAK and I think it was wonderful! I completely agree with this review. Why doesn’t anyone like it?? It seems to me there aren’t enough movie with happy endings that still dig into the perils of living in your head. It seems we are usually stuck with tragedy (living in your head) or imaginary (the past, some other planet, etc.). I thought this was a good portrait of the clichéd romantic struggles of 2 generations and their movies.
Thanks happymoontime. I am glad that you liked the movie.