A New-Age Romance for Today’s Youth

RATING – ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 3/5*

Nadaaniyan Review Movie Talkies:

Nadaaniyan marks the debut of Ibrahim Ali Khan as well as director Shauna Gautam. Gautam assisted Karan Johar on Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which was a romance based on today’s generations versus their families’ old traditions. Nadaaniyan, too, is focused on today’s generation trying to find the true meaning of love amidst family issues.

Nadaaniyan Story:

The film follows a high-school girl, Pia (Khushi Kapoor), from a wealthy family, whose father, mother, and grandfather are not managing well in their familial relationships. She has two best friends who abandon her after suspecting that she is having an affair with the guy whom one of them loves. To escape this predicament, she fabricates a story claiming that she already has a boyfriend. Now, she must uphold her lie to maintain her friendships, so she hires Arjun Mehta (Ibrahim Ali Khan) to be her fake boyfriend for two weeks.

Nadaaniyan, as its title suggests, is about the immature decisions today’s youth make while navigating their relationships. Here, the couple faces class issues, with the girl coming from a wealthy family while the boy belongs to a slightly lower socioeconomic class. Nevertheless, they understand each other and make others accept them for who they are. With a couple of external challenges against their feelings and a small misunderstanding, they embark on a journey marked by longing, separation, and, of course, reconciliation.

You’ll encounter a plethora of urban-style dialogues and sets that will transport you to the upper-class society of Delhi. Referring to Noida as “Noydda” is seen as an insult; not being on social media is proof of someone’s non-existence. LOL, FU, WTF, and other such expressions yield plenty of humorous interpretations from Ms. Braganza. “Aur paas, aur paas,” “Abhi 2 minutes baki hai,” and many nostalgic moments are recreated to add fun value to the story.

The film has an engaging first half, but the second half is a bit slow. Things become overly dramatic in the last hour, which should have been wrapped up earlier. The music is situational but could have been better, while the technical support is decent. The film has been shot on a lavish scale, with the cinematographer giving it a “posh” look in every single frame.

Ibrahim Ali Khan debuts on a promising note. He possesses the looks, attitude, and style that enhance his persona. The dialogue delivery in fancy moments is fine, but he needs to work a little more on emotional scenes. Khushi Kapoor embodies an urban, rich, and beautiful Delhi girl, and with that certain attitude on her face, she somehow passes the time.

The supporting cast includes prominent names, all of whom provide decent support. Suniel Shetty plays a wealthy lawyer, Mahima Chaudhry portrays his wife and an interior decorator, Jugal Hansraj takes on the role of a doctor, and Dia Mirza plays his wife and also a teacher—these four experienced actors have done what was needed. The rest of the cast—mostly young faces—was okayish.

Nadaaniyan Movie Review:

Nadaaniyan is a challenging story to handle because it possesses urban appeal and does not cater much to the masses. Shauna Gautam still attempts to merge several dramatic moments, clichés, and nostalgic scenes from the past to make it entertaining. It’s a two-hour film and therefore doesn’t bore you at all. It has fresh vibes, with rich production design and fine visual appeal that should make it to your weekend list on Netflix. Overall, this new-age romance by Dharmatic Entertainment will find its audience, as it has enough content for the youth.