Revisting 'Love Aaj Kal' before 'Love Aaj Kal': A love story about 'Mango' People.

In one of the scenes of the film, character Veer (Rishi Kapoor) says to Jai, "Pyaar ik waar hi honda h , raaje.." and the protagonist Jai (Saif Ali Khan) replies, "Mujhe kum se kum 15 baar ho chuka hai paaji.. This one scene says everything about Love Aaj Kal, the title can be differentiated into two meanings Love Nowadays and Love now and then; both fit well with the plotline of the film.

The film that showcased the difference between two generations and their different approaches towards love in the two hours.

Imitiaz Ali is the master of portraying love story in a pragmatic way. It is so ironical that love can never be rational and it always happens through emotion but when those emotions contradict with human beings practicality then the story becomes real. This is exactly what Imitiaz does with his films and characters.

Love Aaj Kal was made soon after Imitiaz Ali's highly successful Jab We met and with fresh pair audiences expectations were high. And it surpassed everyone's expectation and churned out to be a success.

But the film still holds relevance to this point when love has become more materialistic and self-centered.

Here, in this film too both characters are in a relationship which is not serious and quiet normally breaks up with quite funny explanation given by Veer to Meera (Deepika Padukone).

Ye Heer-Ranja, janam-janam ka saath-type wale log ye sirf kahaniyon mein hote hai, do jism ek jaan-type log, ye sab kya hai? Ye baatein humesha se logo ko confuse karti aayi hai." And tells that we aren't them we are Aam Janta (Common people) with giving a colloquial term 'Mango' people.

Both part their ways and then soon realizes they have some kind of connections which is established through two scenes one during Meera's marriage and when Jai tries to get back Meera's photo from the goons.

The story is quite predictable but her what Imitiaz Ali's magic of writing gives a twist. The story is juxtaposed with Veer's flashback. Veer is a middle-aged man who tries to explain Jai about true love with his story. 

The parallels drawn between the two starkly different worlds, of Rishi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, kept the audience gripped through the film. In one scene, Meera asks Jai to leave her as she is about to get married and his presence doesn't help her get over him. This scene is juxtaposed alongside a flashback from Rishi's life, where Giselle tells him that she is engaged.

The film should also be appreciated for its editing done by Aarti Bajaj and Imitiaz himself because the film every time jumps back-forth from flashback to reality and it doesn't annoy the audience.

Both the leads have their ambition and dreams but realize they are still incomplete.

The song Main Kya Hoon sung by KK and composed by Pritam beautifully shows the inner struggle of Jai and the song gets a complete arc. At the start of the song, Jai is happy living his life but soon he realizes he is not happy.

The movie is also special for its brilliant soundtrack. This was the time when Bollywood was producing original tracks and Imitiaz Ali is the last filmmaker who had successful soundtracks in all his films.

This film is a hope of humanity that meaning of love will be updated generation by generation but the core remains the same, i.e. unconditional love.