Review of I Hate Luv Storys (2010) by Alexa D — 09 Nov 2018

I Hate Luv Storys is a classic Bollywood love story hidden behind modern Hollywood aspects. It does an excellent job of maintaining Bollywood film characteristics while also poking lighthearted fun at them. One of the most iconic aspects of I Hate Luv Storys is its several references to other classic Bollywood films. Right off the bat, we learn that our main character is named Simran and is engaged to Raj - just like the classic couple in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ). There are also several references in regard to the props on the movie set this film takes place on. A picture of the parents from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is hung by one of the main charactres, Jay, and at one point a drawn heart is crossed out like in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Similar to Veer-Zaara, Simran and Jay's love haunts them throughout parts of the film. We see a love that is so strong that our main characters cannot stop thinking about one another. For anyone who has seen several classic Bollywood films, I Hate Luv Storys becomes a very entertaining film to watch simply by trying to spot all of the references!

As Ashis Nandy states in "The Popular Hindi Film: Ideology and First Principles," Bollywood film successfully integrates Indian traditions and Western aspects. He states, "In a society where arranged marriage is still the ideal and also the most popular mode of negotiating a relationship between two families, Hindi films have created a new legitimacy for love-marriage..." As we see in I Hate Luv Storys, our two main characters, Jay and Simran, fall in love simply due to their feelings, not because their parents arranged it. We, the audience, know Jay and Simran are rightfully supposed to be together to fulfill the 'moral Bollywood world.' We are rooting for a couple that wants to be together and who met because of their predetermined fates. Even someone who is not the biggest fan of Bollywood film can appreciate a fated love story as these are also seen in some Hollywood movies.

Overall, I Hate Luv Storys is an entertaining, lighthearted movie that contains Bollywood film aspects while at the same time makes fun of them. I highly recommend this film to anyone who has not seen a Bollywood film since I Hate Luv Storys also has a modern feeling to it. The sets, costumes, and songs are well done and can be appreciated by anyone.