How far we can hide and betray the love we have? How far it will take to identify the real love? Does this love set us free or make us as a prisoner? Love Aj Kal is the story of two young lovers who decide to break for practical reasons to make them free but only found out later that itimprisoned them for ever.
Jai (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera (Deepika Padukone) are staying in London and are friends, who like one another’s company. Still they don’t know the kind of relationship they keep until others started addressing them as boyfriend – girlfriend. Meera is an artist and want to pursue her career in India, where Jai’s ambition is to get an appointment in a US company. Knowing that both people’s ambitions are different they decide to celebrate their break up.
From the moment of separation love knows its pain and the youngstersare now feels the heat. Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor) finds the young Jai’s story similar to his own and sooner two stories are interwoven.
The director, Imtiaz Ali deserves applause for a good mixing of past and present in a neat and affective way. Brilliant! The director succeeds in using the cast well. The scenic beauty is maintained and few of the emotional moments handled well. However, the movie and the director failed in selecting a story which appeals and a screen play which convince. What hurts the film more was the extension of climax. In all logic, the climax should have been abit earlier. As the story stands, when the heroine cries, the audience laughs. The film had some memorable moments, especially between the leading pair and few with the past couples. There are some forgettable moments too.
The characters missed logic support for their decisions. Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met had many Eloping and this time it is the season of break ups. The first break up was prematured though understandable. Their disclosures after the break up simply compensate. However, the reason for the second break up was simply not there. The third break up made me laugh all out, thinking about the status of the poor guy, yes there is a scapegoat. Also it is unclear the Laila Majnu of the past what they were doing in Calcutta, especially the hero who traveled all the wayfrom Punjab to Calcutta to wait outside.
The best part of the movie is none other than Deepika Padukone. I didn’t expect her to perform this beautifully. She emotes well and it is a pleasant pleasant surprise!! Yes, Deepika simply rocks! Looks like there will be queue to be theheroine of an Imtiaz Ali movie where Kareena got a good role in Jab We Met as well. Saif Ali Khan did both the roles convincingly. He handled the lack of concentration partvery well (though that was unwanted in the story). RishiKapoor was good. Giselle Monteiro did a commendable job as Harleen Kaur, the lover girl ofthe past. Her expressions rightly suitthe character.
Cinematography of the movie was very good. Let it be capturing the scenic beauty, moving to the past or going out or inside a corridor, the cinematographer gives the feel light, feel good images. Music was very good but choreography was a combo of good, very good, average and excellent. Editing was ok.
Overall, the movie is technically well made with some good emotional moments. However, we have to wait for the audience reaction to see if the adventurous ‘angle’ taken by the director is in the liking of the masses. The movie is watchable for cast performance(Deepika in particular), some excellent moments, Good songs and nice cinematography. The movie is watchable, if one go with less expectation where the movie fall short of excellence.