Love Aaj Kal (2020)

Love Aaj Kal (2020) is at its best when it does what Imtiaz Ali loves most: turn a messy, modern romance into a mirror held up to the heart, then tilt that mirror toward a bygone era to see what still rings true. The film hums with emotional ambition, crosscutting between today’s career-first anxieties and a more old-school love story that carries a wistful ache, and in those moments it finds scenes that feel genuinely lived-in rather than merely plotted. Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan bring a restless, contemporary energy to the push-pull of wanting love without losing yourself, while Randeep Hooda lends the flashback thread a grounded, quietly affecting weight. It’s not a perfectly even ride, and the strong language may be a turnoff for some, but if you’re open to a romance-drama that swings big and occasionally lands with real feeling, this one has rewards.

Love Aaj Kal (2020) is clearly trying to be a thoughtful, two-timeline romance about how ambition and fear of commitment repeat across generations, and Imtiaz Ali aims for that bittersweet, soul-searching vibe he’s known for. The problem is the storytelling often feels more tangled than intriguing, with a non-linear structure that can make the emotions land softly—or not at all—because you’re busy figuring out what the film wants you to feel. Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan have moments that work, and Randeep Hooda brings a steadier presence, but the relationships can come off as written-to-fit-a-theme rather than lived-in. If you want clean, swoony romance or sharp, coherent drama, this may test your patience; if you’re okay with a messy, talky love story and you’re watching for mood, music, and a few sincere beats, you’ll find some value.