Review of Love Aaj Kal (2009) by Tiffany B — 15 Nov 2018

Love Aaj Kal is a romantic comedy that tells the story of a long-term couple, Jai and Meera, who decide to end their relationship due to their ambitious career interests in India and San Francisco. Veer, Jai's elder friend, enravels his story of how he and his wife, Harleen, went through trial after trial of their love, but he never gave up. He tells Jai that true love only comes once, and it is impossible to replace. Jai claims that they are from different generations, and that a "one true love" may have been true in the past, but now, it is easy to move on and find someone new.

The film plays on Jai's and Veer's personal love stories, emphasizing that no matter if the generation traditional or modern, a true love never dies. For example, just as Veer was brutally beaten by Harleen's father and family for asking for her hand in marriage, Jai was brutally beaten by muggers for refusing to give a photo of Meera to them. Despite Jai achieving his dreams of starting his company in San Francisco, he eventually realizes there is an emptiness in his life, and he resents San Francisco and life. Jai's view of "quickly moving on to the next" with contemporary love was ultimately proven wrong; he realizes that no woman or experience can compare to Meera.

This movie is somewhat similar to DDLJ, which shows that true love will win against all odds. Just as Simran and Raj ended up together despite strong patriarchal disapproval, Jai and Meera reunite despite distance, busy careers, and other potential love interests. This film did an exceptional job on hilighting the principle Bollywood message that even in a modern, high-paced society where "love" may seem to be replaceable, the moral universe will always deem true love above anything else.