Plot
The
film
begins
with
Zoey
(Sara
Ali
Khan)
and
Veer
(Kartik
Aaryan)
hitting
it
off in
a
nightclub.
They
almost
hook
up,
only
for
Veer
to
pull
back
as
he
is
convinced
that
Zoey
is
the
woman
of
his
dreams.
On
the
other
hand,
she
is
averse
to
commitment
and
wants
to
focus
on
her
career.
However,
Zoey
is
made
to
question
her
choices
when
she
comes
across
a
cafe-owner
Raj
(Randeep
Hooda)'s
love
story
from
the
90s.
Through
flashback
scenes,
we
witness
a
teenage
Raj
aka
Raghu
(also
played
by
Kartik
Aaryan)'s
budding
romance
with
Leena
(Aarushi
Sharma).
When
the
narrative
shifts
to
the
present,
Zoey
is
caught
in
the
dilemma
of
choosing
between
love
and
career.
On
the
other
hand,
Veer
is
adamant
as
he
tells
her,
"Compromise,
relationship
kissi
ke
saath
bhi
kar
lunga
lekin
tumhare
saath
nahi
karunga..." Will
Zoey-Veer's
love
story
stand
the
test
of
time?
Direction
Imtiaz
Ali's
2020
film
Love
Aaj
Kal
derives
heavily
from
his
2009
flick
by
the
same
name
which
starred
Saif
Ali
Khan
and
Deepika
Padukone.
This
time
too, his
two
love
stories
in
the
film
are
separated
by
time,
but
connected
by
love.
Unfortunately,
the
director
fails
to
have
a
tight
grip
over
his
story-telling.
While
the
1990s
portion
featuring
Kartik
Aaryan
and
Aarushi
Sharma
gives
you
butterflies
in
some
well-executed
scenes,
the
millennial
love
story
featuring
Aaryan
and
Sara
Ali
Khan
turns
out
to
be
a
messy
affair.
The
characters
needed
to
have
more
depth
and
better
characterization
to
resonate
with
the
audience.
For
example,
one
simply
fails
to
understand
the
reason
behind
Veer's
socially-awkward
nature.
Further,
the
relationship
crisis
and
the
point
of
conflict
barely
hit
the
right
spot.
The
Imtiaz
Ali
staple
of
Rumi
connection,
graffiti
and
some
beautiful
moments
make
their
presence
felt
in
Love
Aaj
Kal.
Sadly,
the
film
in
totality,
fails
to
tug
at
your
heartstrings.
Performances
Kartik
Aaryan
as
Raghu
impresses
in
parts
and
pieces.
His
transition
from
a
young
lover
to
a
philandering
shows
some
spark.
However,
when
it
comes
to
playing
the
modern-day
lover
Veer,
the
actor
struggles
to
find
his
hold.
In
the
intense
sequences,
Kartik
tries
to
pull
off
a
Ranbir
Kapoor
but,
falls
flat
on
his
face.
Sara
Ali
Khan,
who
was
promising
in
Kedarnath
and
Simmba,
plays
a
major
spoilsport
with
her
hamming
and
over-the-top
expressions.
Even
in
the
emotionally-charged
scenes,
the
actress
fails
to
make
you
feel
for
your
character
Zoey.
Debutante
Aarushi
Sharma
has
a
good
screen
presence
and
plays
her
coy
part
well.
When
it
comes
to
the
acting
prowess,
Randeep
Hooda
is
the
saving
grace
of
the
film.
Donning
a
handlebar
moustache
and
crisp
linen
shirts,
the actor
is
an
underrated
gem who
gives
you plenty
of moments
to
rejoice.
Technical
Aspects
Amit
Roy's
cinematography
is
nothing
out-of-the-box.
Aarti
Bajaj's
editing
goes
well
with
the
film
though
things
could
have
been
a
lot
more
crispier
in
the
second
half.
Music
'Haan
Main
Galat'
which
appears
during
the
rolling
of
end
credits,
makes
for
a
groovy
number.
Arijit
Singh's
vocals
in
'Shayad'
is
soothing
to
ears.
'Rahogi
Meri'
has
been
beautifully
picturized
and
leave
a
mark.
'Mehrama'
also
makes
for a
good
listen.
Verdict
Imtiaz
Ali,
who
redefined
love
with
films
like
Socha
Na
Thha,
Jab
We
Met,
Rockstar,
Tamasha
in
the
past,
barely
makes
you
root
for
the
lead
pair's
romance
in
Kartik
Aaryan-Sara
Ali
Khan's
Love
Aaj
Kal.
After
two
successive
disappointing
fares in
the
form
of Jab
Harry
Met
Sejal
and
his
latest
outing,
all one
feels
like
telling
the
filmmaker
is,
'Aana
toh
poori
tarah
aana,
ya
toh
aana
hi
mat.'
We
give
2.5
stars
out
of
5
for
Kartik
Aaryan-Sara
Ali
Khan's
Love
Aaj
Kal.