LOVE AAJ: Jai and Meera is a modern-day couple in London. They are very happy together but do not believe in tying each other down. So when life pulls them in different directions, they decide to go with the flow. “These Heer-Ranjha, Romeo-Juliet type janam janam ka saath type couples exist only in story books”, Jai says. In the real life, we have to be practical. London, San Francisco, Delhi - 2009. LOVE KAL: Veer Singh is struck by the thunderbolt when he sees Harleen for the first time. Soon after, he stands under a tree and swears that “is janam mein aur har janam mein… yehi meri votti banegi – Harleen Kaur.” He travels a thousand kilometres by train to stand under her balcony only to have a glimpse of her face. And yet not speak a word with her. Delhi, Calcutta - 1965. LOVE AAJ KAL: Veer does not understand how Jai can treat matters of the heart without passion, like a financial transaction. Jai does not understand how Veer Singh could have been so naïve and silly about Harleen in the days of his youth. But as both stories unfold, we realize that the process of relationship might be different in different eras, but the experience of being in love remains the same. So there is the frolic and despair of modern living. The liberation and confusion. And there is the past – the times of innocence and compulsion. And there is distance, and the fondness that increases with distance. Gaps widen between two people, but bridges keep growing too.

Love Aaj Kal stars Bollywood A-Listers Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in an off-beat romantic comedy about the journey of four people split over two generations. The story follows Jai and Meera's journey of breaking up, making up, breaking up and inevitably making up again while intertwined with these events, Rishi Kapoor narrates his own love story giving Jai hope and making him realise just how much he loves Meera. The story unfolds to show the differences in the expressing of love for both generations and how love has always encountered problems regardless of what generation you have loved in.

With a neat script, bankable star cast and award-winning director, Love Aaj Kal had everything to make a perfect film, however due to loops in the story, questionable choreography and dodgy acting skills from some members of the cast the film fails to leave a mark for some viewers. Personally I felt that the film should have focussed more on the elder generations story as this is where all the charm in the film lay. Harleen and Jai's story displays simplicity, subtlety and pure love to audiences of today who are caught up in Jai and Meera's situation themselves. Due to a lack of equal weighting for both stories, I felt as though Harleen and Jai's story had been neglected or else not thought out thoroughly in the pre-production stages of the film which led to me feeling as though I wanted to see more of what happens in their lives.

Another factor which highly disappointed me was the choreography of the film as the soundtrack of the film gave a more than perfect opportunity to really create some signature steps that could stay with the film forever, much like Bosco-Caeser did with Ali's last film Jab we Met. However, when leaving the cinema I felt as though the songs were wasted in the film and apart from Thoda Thoda Pyaar, where Saroj Khan had been roped in as a guest Choreographer, the film did not do justice to Pritam's sensational compositions nor the singer's vocals on the track. My biggest complaint lies with the track Ajj Din Chaddheya as Pritam went to a lot of expense to record legendary vocalist Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice for the track and half the track was missing from the film. Whether this was due to a lack of footage or down to Ali's personal choice I feel as though a lot more could have been done to leave a memorable picturisation of the track.

Enough of all the negatives now, let's focus on some of the more enjoyable parts of the film.

It is mainly the performances the lift the film up from being an average 'time pass' flick to a compelling entertainer. Saif Ali Khan shines through in his double role of Veer Singh and Jai Vardhan Singh, playing both roles effortlessly and showing just how much he has grown in his ability to give a convincing performance since the days of Yeh Dillagi and Main Khiladi Tu Anari. The character of Jai displays traits of many of his previous screen personas from films like Dil Chahta Hai, Kal Ho Na Ho, Salaam Namaste and Hum Tum. All of these films have given Saif an opportunity to prove that his comic timing is unquestionable and that is where his niche lies. However, the character of Jai Singh, from the older generation, really takes Saif's acting skills to another level portraying a traditional Punjabi man living in the sixties so realistically. His look seemed believable as did his pronunciation of Punjabi phrases making him a definite contender for all the Best Actor awards when the award season begins in January. Deepkia, on the other hands, seems to look lost in the film with an inability to clearly show emotion without the use of speech. This is one thing that newcomer Giselle Monteiro, who plays Harleen Kaur, does effortlessly. With only two scenes of dialogue in the entire film, Giselle uses her facial expressions to make audiences feel as though they know exactly how she is feeling. I think Giselle will have a long run in the Indian film industry if this performance is anything to go by, and despite her communication problems and simplistic look, her acting ablities will carry her forward to produce appreciated performances in future projects. Rishi Kapoor is as usual fantastic, this time with the help of an amazingly crafted script which gives him the opportunity to speak the audience's thoughts while watching the film.

Overall I feel the film is a good entertainer with some enjoyable moments of comedy, romance and drama, however the film does not give you the same buzz you receive after watching Imtiaz Ali's last film, Jab We Met. The film has proved to be a solid hit and I'd recommend you to go watch this one in the cinema as the cinematography is definitely one to be appreciated on the big screen.

***1/2

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