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Just got back from Love Aaj Kal. It has its moments, but overall I was greatly disappointed: in particular, the dialogs/writing for the “modern” pair of Saif and Deepika was trying so hard that the effect was the opposite of the laid back confusion of the sort of romance that the film insists is characteristic of “this generation” — the strain showed (the romance, sadly, didn’t: this couple insisted it was unable to get over the other, but while they talked their — and my — asses off, the film didn’t SHOW it, except towards the very end. One was left mystified why Rishi Kapoor kept insisting Jai was in love with Meera, since no one else could see it; nor was there any support for Rishi’s assertion that Jai reminded him of him at that age). The first 10-15 minutes, in particular, featured dialogs that made me cringe, and definitely crossed the line into wannabeistan — mercifully things got better, and were (surprisingly) at their most natural in the “flashback” sequences: the story was hackneyed in those scenes, but Imtiaz Ali nevertheless manged to make them look fresh, and unaffected. [A special mention must be made of the Uttam Kumar posters that can be seen in the background when Saif shows up in Calcutta; the sort of thing VVC/Pradip Sarkar need to take note if they have any more Parineetas in mind.]
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I see them every year in Manali.
But recently a few have re-appeared in my town. 
Housefull ATTBB,
BOI claimed 43 cr for SIK and 45 cr for RNBDJ..Then they cgnaged it to 39 cr for SIK ...
Agreed that Akki movies have been below par stuff since some time but Karan should also first make better movies.
As ...
stop joking ihab.BOI said 43.77 crores for sik and 42 crores for rnbdj.Then they changed all the numbers.This was discussed ...
This year Akshay will give a reply to his distractors. While Karan's friends have started deserting his camp (Read Farha ...
Ihab
its ok.i did not find lakshya engaging enough.i liked it in parts.It was too slow and boring in second half. 
" Ihab,since you like Hrithik, would you like to elaborate on you watching Krrish 16 times in Theatres . "
Lol, ...
From being most common bird to their total disappearance from cities within a very short span of time (last 10-15 ...
what i comment about is my prerogative manoj - whether it disturbs you or not isnt my concern :-) 
Qalandar 4 August 2009
11:08:21 pm
will add that Deepika Padukone is definitely MUCH improved from her turn in Bachna Ae Haseenon, she really was a lot more natural than Saif here. I think people are picking on his age not because of the physicality per se, but because the film makes an issue of how he is “one of the young generation” — whereas, in the world of Ghajini, Munnabhai, Om Shanti Om, the age of the male protagonist isn’t an issue. Thus Saif seemed odd to me in that self-consciously “here’s how the youngsters today make out” bit at the outset, whereas he just didn’t in the flashback sequence. There it wasn’t just the beard, his age etc. was not an issue.
PS– Deepika is beautiful, but seems to be thinner in each passing film. I think she is too thin, although it might seem nitpicky to say this about anyone as good looking as her.
BTW, having seen the movie I do withdraw my objection to deepika not playing Harleen. As arkayne noted on satyamshot, rishi tells jai he reminds him of his youth, so there is a certain internal logic to it (although it remains implausible, because nothing Imtiaz Ali has shown us up to that point, actually up to almost the very end of the film, suggests anything in common between those two)…
rks 5 August 2009
08:48:44 am
‘Love Aaj Kal’ is just another love story
rks 5 August 2009
08:54:27 am
My thoughts matches your. I felt their was no emotional connect with audience except the climax which was cliched. I think everyone did their job decently, but story was very thin to begin with.
Gorilla 6 August 2009
01:04:46 am
Great passing thoughts Q. I too felt the same. But you know a good overall reviews does influence one’s final say. In your case, I do feel that you saved some adjectives when critiquing, didn’t you?
For example, my rating of KI became 2.5 instead of 3; while that of LAK became 3 instead of 2.5. I know one should not be influenced by external factors but sometimes one can’t help it because to make it look acceptable, we compromise and in the end regret. Those who are married or have GFs/BFs will agree to my last phrase.
rks 6 August 2009
01:29:59 am
“Those who are married or have GFs/BFs will agree to my last phrase.”
Qalandar 6 August 2009
03:36:21 pm
I paste below some other relevant comments I had made on the film on Satyamshot:
“… I must say I wasn’t inspired enough to write a full-fledged review. But will add that Deepika Padukone is definitely MUCH improved from her turn in Bachna Ae Haseenon, she really was a lot more natural than Saif here. I think people are picking on his age not because of the physicality per se, but because the film makes an issue of how he is “one of the young generation” — whereas, in the world of Ghajini, Munnabhai, Om Shanti Om, the age of the male protagonist isn’t an issue. Thus Saif seemed odd to me in that self-consciously “here’s how the youngsters today make out” bit at the outset, whereas he just didn’t in the flashback sequence. There it wasn’t just the beard, his age etc. was not an issue.
PS– Deepika is beautiful, but seems to be thinner in each passing film. I think she is too thin, although it might seem nitpicky to say this about anyone as good looking as her.”
“BTW, having seen the movie I do withdraw my objection to deepika not playing Harleen. As arkayne noted, rishi tells jai he reminds him of his youth, so there is a certain internal logic to it (although it remains implausible, because nothing Imtiaz Ali has shown us up to that point, actually up to almost the very end of the film, suggests anything in common between those two)…”
Responding to someone else who claimed the film’s flashback track was akin to the Raj/Simran kinda deal: “With all due respect, the flashback track in Love Aaj Kal was NOT imo the Raj/Simran type of deal. You seem to see the whole ambit of boy-girl romance in Hindi films as falling under the YRF/KJo rubric, but that simply is untrue. I don’t consider the sort of thing we see in “Run”, the sort of thing Amitabh reminisces about in Bunty aur Babli, as part of the Chopra/Johar-verse. Imtiaz Ali is not trying to recreate the YRF/Johar ethic in the flashback, he is hearkening to an older, more traditional cinematic model. [BTW, if you are right that the flashback sequence is just like YRF/Johar, then you should like the film less than you seem to -- because the film's contemporary track ALSO ends up where the flashback sequence did (right down to Saif getting beaten up); it ends with Saif doing what Rishi has been telling him to do the whole time, namely do what Rishi did and go to the woman and express his love (as in 1965, the contemporary woman apparently won't take the initiative). In other words, the purpose of the flashback sequence is as a preview of the fate of Jai and Meera: love "aaj kal" is a lot like love "puraane zamaane ka"; the film's message is thus rather conformist: if you think anything else, you are simply confused and not "really" in love. That is what Rishi tells Jai, and the film never challenges him on it; and the film ends up proving Jai "wrong" despite his earlier insistence that he's been in love many times -- and proving Rishi "right".]“
neelu 6 August 2009
06:21:42 pm
I would disagree with above – the flashback sequence was right out of DDLJ and even framed in Veer Zaara mode when Harleen tells Veer she is engaged (does the name not say it all)!
Bash 6 August 2009
08:47:59 pm
“I don’t consider the sort of thing we see in “Run”, the sort of thing Amitabh reminisces about in Bunty aur Babli, as part of the Chopra/Johar-verse.”
Can’t expect anything better from Q!
From the very fact that no one relates Veer-Harleen sequence (except you) to BnB and Run, its understandable that these haven’t captured the imagination of audience much in the way a DDLJ and Veer Zara have been.
Perception hits exists only for your favorites is it, Q? Imitiaz Ali has unmistakable YRF influence, clearly evident in ‘Jab We Met’ i.e though he makes a more realistic version with no nonsense dialogues, a more contemporary feel. Yet, the YRF influence cannot be denied.
People don’t want to see would not see it.
Qalandar 6 August 2009
11:22:04 pm
Bash: you are being grossly unfair. I have never been resistant to seeing YRF influence anywhere, I just disagree with you on that flashback sequence. In fact back in 2007 I said on NG that Jab We Met was a kind of re-do of Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge (see HERE, for instance). It would be nice to inform oneself before making such sweeping judgments and accusing others of bad faith. [As the rest of the comment pasted above makes clear, if we concede YRF influence on the flashback as well, then the film becomes even more conformist -- I was arguing against someone who was claiming that Love Aaj Kal was a very far cry from the world of YRF and Johar. So my point was only the flashback is different; now if I agree with you and Neelu then my point, that Love Aaj Kal might peddle an illusion of being non-conformist vis-a-vis YRF/Johar, but is actually along those lines, becomes even stronger].
When have I ever said anything about “perception hits” Bash?
neelu 6 August 2009
11:30:51 pm
Conformist or not, the DDLJ and VZ parallels in LAK are as clear as daylight. I am merely mentioning that, and not taking up an argument with some invisible person.