160. Love Aaj Kal 2020; movie review

LOVE AAJ KAL 2020
Cert 12A
141 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate sex references

Gosh, the update of Love Aaj Kal is hard work.
It was released in cinemas on St Valentine's Day with the presumed intent of luring romantics.
But what did they get for their money? Two drawn-out parallel stories about young people dithering over what they want out of life.
The main character, Zoe (Sara Ali Khan), is conflicted by her modern upbringing in which career comes before love' and the possibility of a traditional relationship.
But even when the latter is in her grasp, she isn't sure it is right.
That is probably because the fellow she falls for is naive and a bit of a doormat. Ok, I might be being unfair but I couldn't see the lure of Kartik Aaryan's Veer - especially for a go-getter such as Zoe.
Zoe's business preoccupies her mind so much that she only has time for brief relationships and letting her hair down in bars and nightclubs.
Initially, she thinks that Veer fits within her regular pattern of love 'em and leave 'em until she realises that a one-night stand is not for him.
While she thinks about potential commitment, she listens to the love story of her local cafe owner (Randeep Hooda).
Khan reminded me of Miley Cyrus, not only in her looks but the way in which she acts - continually trying to shock to try to prove herself but her apparent self-confidence being regularly pricked.
Indeed, I wonder what her dad Saif makes of the low-cut tops, mini shorts and skirts and the regularly falling into bed demanded in this role.
I digress. The problem is that Zoe is irritating and her boyfriend is too difficult to read so I struggled to empathise with either.
And then there is Hooda's cafe owner who seems to be well adjusted until he reveals a central element of his background story.
Imtiaz Ali's film is a tale of people who don't know what they want and even when they do, mess it up.
Meanwhile, swearing and short skirts comprise its blatant attempt to be contemporary.
It's a jumble and I was left wondering at which target audience it is aimed and why he felt the need to rekindle an old title.

Reasons to watch: Modern meets traditional romance
Reasons to avoid: Doesn't seem to know its target audience

Laughs: One
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 4.5/10

Did you know? Co-stars Kartik Aaryan and Arushi Sharma are both engineers turned actors.

The final word. Imtiaz Ali: " I’d like to shout it from the rooftops, it’s not a sequel!" The Hindu

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