Ranbir shines in a heartfelt but melodrama-undone unrequited love story.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critical reception for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is mixed-to-positive, with a majority of reviewers finding it a worthwhile watch despite notable reservations. Ranbir Kapoor's performance drew consistent praise across reviews, and several critics highlighted the film's mature, conversational approach to portraying unrequited love and modern relationships as a relative strength for Karan Johar. The most common criticism centers on a weak, overwrought final act, with multiple reviewers pointing to the last 15-30 minutes as tonally dissonant, clichéd, or a manipulative bid for melodrama that undermines the stronger first half.
8 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is by far Karan Johar's best film to date: mature, sure-handed and thoroughly entertaining. It employs the devices of mainstream Bollywood, but does so with an acute awareness of exactly where to draw the line so as not to stray into overt bubblegum territory.
Top critic
Film review ·
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is a film about tedha love -- crooked love, love that refuses to stay straight -- and about the unshared, pure potency of unrequited passion. It is a film about words long and sharp, elaborate and precise, and about the way we muck up and often manage to slip -- inadequately and without definition -- between them and between the lines.
Top critic
Film review ·
Despite the occasionally mawkish undertones and the blatant attempt at emotional manipulation in its final act, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil gives you a hero that makes you care. I suspect you'll be a slobbering mess at the end of the film, a puddle of tears when the lights come back on. Johar knows how to do that. It's a skill that's stayed with him even if his grammar has changed.
Film review ·
...a contemporary and a progressive take on relationships from the master story teller Karan Johar. It is a perfect Diwali entertainer which packages rich visuals, chartbuster music and an engrossing screenplay on a large canvas. At the Box-Office, the tremendous hype, combined with the festive period and an extended weekend will translate into amazing returns for the makers. In a nutshell, AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL has got 'S-U-P-E-R-H-I-T' written all over it.
Film review ·
On the downside, there's a bizarre twist in the last 15 minutes that could have been replaced with a scene or two of good conversation, but if you have an appetite for melodrama, you might just like it. That said, you usually come away from a Karan Johar movie dreaming of singing sweet tunes in the Alps; but ADHM makes you realize just how cold it is, up there. Go watch it for a relatable portrayal of modern-day relationships.
Film review ·
Despite its hits and misses, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is an experience worth having. Karan Johar peppers this love story with countless movie references, some his own, some of his mentors at Yash Raj and others of his idols from Hindi cinema. His homage driven treatment adds the right kind of spunk to the film. Barring the minor hiccups in the narrative, this film is easily one of the best efforts of his career. It's a film that makes you cry, makes you laugh and makes you fall in love.
Film review ·
Karan Johar is no heart surgeon. He isn't the most talented story-teller. But his story's got heart. And he's sincere about telling it. He reminds you of that friend who'd dabble in poetry and would recite some in a get-together. You wouldn't perhaps remember much of it the next day, but if you indulge him he could stop the evening from getting dull. Only difference is, Johar has enough money to get his poems published.
Film review ·
ADHM is all-good feel-good candy-floss and a nicely packaged new outing from Karan Johar but the big argument is why is Karan Johar still grappled with the temptations of repeating himself instead of forging a fresh path even after delivering the goods in MY NAME IS KHAN six years ago.
Film review ·
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is all about accepting 'I Friend You' over 'I Love You'. Trust me getting friend zoned never looked so good.
Film review ·
As much as its protagonists look for perfect words to articulate their findings on love, friendship, a space in between and beyond, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil simply reiterates the nature of its unpredictability through a twist I didn't foresee or like. Except that's what makes this feeling so darn precious and difficult to part with.
Film review ·
In his trademark style, KJo brings the curtains down in high spirits, promising 100 percent entertainment on your platter. It's time to gorge on the movie, spread love and light in the festive mood and celebrate Ae Dil Ki Diwali!
Film review ·
The film is sprinkled with actual conversations, something I find lacking in Hindi romantic films. The dialogue is snappy and you could miss out a witticism here and a good line there if you don't pay keen attention.
Film review ·
ADHM is conversational, intimate, complex and fierce in terms of its approach towards love. Ranbir Kapoor is a delight on screen while Anushka Sharma delivers her most nuanced performance.
Film review ·
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is one of Ranbir's honest performances where he gives you ample of reasons to love him. 'Ajeeb kahaani hai pyaar aur dosti ke rishtein ki...pyaar hamara hero, dosti hamari heroine' and the actor makes sure to give you lessons in both! This one is worth a watch.
Film review ·
Technically speaking, the film is an ace in all departments. There are flaws that are very miniscule in nature and can be totally ignored. With not very good movies currently playing, Mirzya is not a bad watch. Go for it!!!
Film review ·
By the time ADHM gets into a full-on Devdas mode, we are in no mood for tragedy. But what to do? Karan Johar won't let his characters enjoy their self-inflicted pain without a pay-off. These people love the good life and must pay a price for it.
Film review ·
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has some really nice moments, but they are few and suffer the curse of a weak second half. Nevertheless watch it for Ranbir and Karan's interpretation of love, loss and longing.
Film review ·
Kapoor steals the thunder from the two women. His anguish and his propensity to wail when he's dumped makes him immensely lovable. Reserve this for a one-time watch. What's not to love about a posh posse who are stupid and stubborn in love?
Film review ·
As a Diwali hamper, it is passable. You laugh at the jokes, you cry a little. The music is great. If you don't mind watching Rockstar marries Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and has a child named Fault in your stars in two-and-a-half hours, then you can watch Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. This Diwali, it is the less ridiculous of the two releases.
Film review ·
Kapoor plays a character that's rather familiar: a mash-up of roles, from the youth coming of age in Wake up Sid to the deviants in Rockstar and Tamasha. Sharma carries on in the same vein as her character from Dil Dhadakne Do. And by the time Johar throws in his final twist, he's turned his no-mance into a soppy story and is just squeezing for the last drop of melodrama.
Film review ·
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is at best a good watch for Ranbir Kapoor fan[girl]s who have been waiting to see the actor play the lover boy with a musical bent. That Ranbir is back and here he is even lip-syncing the songs with conviction.
Film review ·
Yes, the first half of the film is riveting for the most part when it is not being too (pop-) corny, repetitious or stretched in parts. But, while our hopes escalate as the second half begins, we find in it a shockingly disparate and disconnected narration from the first part. The last 25 to 30 minutes seem to go on for eons, and are frankly unbearable and hopelessly clichéd.
Film review ·
You enjoy the first half which is bubbly and frothy and Anushka Sharma's fun, feisty character steals your heart. Then the film becomes more of a 'mushkil' than a tale of 'dils'. Suffering from a case of 'One-sided love'?
Film review ·
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is a typical Dharma film as it has a bit of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, and Kal Ho Na Ho. The film stars good-looking actors, who are in prime form; has a musical score that'll be on your playlist for a while, and an unconventional love story that will touch your heart. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil isn't Karan Johar's best film but is good enough to keep you entertained for 2 hours 38 minutes.
Film review ·
An enjoyable ride derails in the finale, and you wonder when will we see a film where Ranbir Kapoor, for all his efforts, dammit, gets the girl. A lazy attempt at emotional manipulation apart, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil delivers on nearly all it promised.
Film review ·
The chemistry of all the couples is palpable, so is the hurt. Love comes in all shapes and sizes — sometimes it comes with violins, sometimes it shows you the middle finger. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is the latter, maybe that is why it feels so real.
Film review ·
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has a run-time of 158 minutes, but there's surprisingly little filler, and a better ratio of good to bad jokes than one might expect from a Johar film.
Film review ·
Bratty and Bubbly are best buddies. Bratty loves Bubbly. But Bubbly loves the Beyond-Borders-Bearded-Boy. Then Bratty falls in love with the Bold, Beautiful and Bachchan. And amid this quadrangle of Bratty, Bubbly, Bearded and Beautiful, we get three hours of heartbreak, unrequited love and a free trip to three gorgeous cities in Europe.
Film review ·
"Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" has neither gravitas nor the charm to be worth remembering.
Film review ·
The movie's self-conscious and almost apologetic sober approach, muted shades (the cinematography is by Anil Mehta), and grown-up acting persists all the way till the ridiculous pre-climax twist.
Film review ·
ADHM is the latest in the brand of cinema that isn't so much as plot driven as it is focused on characters, relationships and interactions. But all this is executed in a squarely Bollywood way. It's all about two individuals — Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) and Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) — thrown unexpectedly together and their journey through friendship/love.
From our readers
26 ratings · user score 4.8
I m go to watch Adhm with lots of excitment when we 22 friend enter in PVR only max 30 percent seat full. Film start film end kjo ne hum sab ka Adhm se bore kar ke baza diya band. Koi mar raha hai koi sucide kar raha hai bakwasssssssssss movie Music achha hai Kya uske liye chutiya karan johar album bana deta saale picture kyu banayi I give only 1 woh bhi music ko warna film mein kuch nahi Fawad sucide Ash dead Srk gay Flop first week mein hi 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, a much-awaited film by Karan Johar, falls in the genre of Romance. Similar to a dialogue in this film, it is about "Tedha Love" i.e. crooked love. The film is trying to project the imperfect love, one-sided love, unrequited love, people's different perceptions towards love, the pain and passion involved in love / heartbreaks, but somehow, the film succumbs more to the lust and the need, the screenplay is also shallow. The film contradicts its one of the dialogue: "Main kisi ki jarurat nahi, balki khwaish banna chahti hoon"; the protagonists are driven more by the need rather than love. Certainly, it is bound to have expectations out of a film when the ensemble cast viz. Ranbir, Anushka and Aishwarya are involved. Besides, the very concept of love is a delight to watch, but the shallowness of the film and the superficial handling of the plot makes the film soulless and heartless. The film is all about being superficial in love, filling one's void with casual relationships, quickly moving from one relationship to another, handling heartbreaks / failure in so-called love relationship with getting entangled in another relationship etc. The opening scene of the film is Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) being interviewed after his success as a singer. When Ayan is asked about his songs' lyrics pointing towards broken love, incomplete love, he quickly conveys that his love is complete (मेरा प्यार कामिल है) and his love can never die. The frames further move to the flash back. Ayan meets Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) in a disco floor in London, where both of them have come to get over the bad mood of fights with their respective lovers. Their meeting ends up in casual flirting to non-committal, guilt-free physical proximities. Both Ayan and Alizeh belong to rich families. Ayan is pursuing MBA, but wanting to be a singer, and Alizeh has registered herself in various courses like Yoga, Bollywood dance etc. She describes herself as Raita, who spreads everywhere. Both Ayan and Alizeh hit it off as friends. During a double date, their respective lovers Lisa (Lisa Haydon) and Dr. Faisal (Imraan Abbas) get caught up in a compromising position. Ayan and Alizeh go for Heart Break Holidays to Paris. Both Ayan and Alizeh's perception towards their relationship is different. For one, if it is love, for another, it is friendship. To add to this conflict, DJ Ali (Fawad Khan) enters into the scene. The first half is dull, starts picking up in the last 10 minutes of the film. Post-interval, the film gets some depth with poetess Saba's (Aishwarya) entry. But the film never tries to grow beyond the superficiality and the emotional vulnerability of the leads. Is that the only truth of the relationships in modern world? Certain scenes leave the audience confused. One such scene is that of the lead protagonist's claims of not being in love but just being a great friend, still, in a scene, the facial expressions conveyed that the person is in love, and this confusion is not cleared in the film. It is also strange that a serious situation is diluted with silly laughter scenes. By the time, one gets to absorb the depth of the scenes, it is diffused with laughter. What happens to Ayan and Alizeh's relationship? How does Ali and Saba become part of this plot ? Trailer shows that Ayan is romancing Saba, so how and when do they fall in love? How the special appearances by Alia and Shahrukh Khan become pivotal to the script? Was Ayan in love with Saba or with Alizeh or with both ? What about Alizeh, was she in love with Ayan ? As far as the cast and acting are concerned, they are good. Ranbir does bring out the vulnerable & restless Ayan very well. Anushka has projected the unapologetic and mad energy of Alizeh well. The character which brought depth to the film partially is Saba of Aishwarya, and she is looking absolutely gorgeous and stunning. She conveys a lot through her words and expressions. Fawad has a very brief role as DJ Ali, and he did not have much to do, but indeed very good. Lisa and Imraan are in brief roles, they are ok. The film does have references of Karan's previous films, Amitabh Bachchan's name, Yash Chopra's Chiffon Saree clad heroines, tributes to 80's songs. Probably Karan's vision was to make a film about unrequited love on a very lighter note, he did not want any of his characters to take themselves seriously, did not want to be preachy. To this extent, he is successful. High point of the film is its music by Pritam and songs Bulleya and the title track stand apart. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is shallow and superficial while conveying the story of unrequited love, one-sided love. The very important ingredient and crux of the film is 'Dil', which is absolutely missing from the film. "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" turns out to be 'Ye hai Mushkil' for a spectator.
Soon after the Uri attacks where 19 of our brave soldiers lost their lives, they were calls to cut off all ties with Pakistan on all platforms which included Bollywood as well. Well I am not going to dispute the stance that was called for, but many from the film industry including Karan Johar came forward stating that it was not right to deny Pakistani artists from performing in the country. Frankly speaking, I dont believe many of them actually mean it as their eye is only on the money they can garner from the Pakistani market & one of the easiest way to do it is to include stars from there in the movie. This is exactly what KJo did with Fawad Alam in his latest movie "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", the promos of which has caught the eye of the public. So was it the typical KJo movie with just glitz & glamour or was there more depth to it??? Based in London, Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) an aspiring singer & Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) meet up at a bar & try to make out but it turned up to be an absolute drab. However, they hit off famously to end up as close buddies in quick time after the break up with their respective partners. With time, Ayan started having feelings for her but Alizeh wasn't able to take their relation to the next level as she was still in love with Ali (Fawad Alam) who had broken her heart many years back. When she bumps into Ali in Paris, all those feelings gets rekindled which shatters Ayan. Will Alizeh ever able to reciprocate Ayan's unrequited love??? It's been a while since KJo has called the shots as his previous release was "Student of the Year" in 2012. From the outset, it has all the ingredients of a typical Johar movie such as the uber lifestyle of the protagonists, foreign locales & great music. What sets this movie apart is the pull it exerts on the heart cords which feels realistic & genuine, thanks to the terrific leads. Even the dialogues by Johar oscillated from being witty & stupid to sentimental & philosophical which added a lot to the overall impact of the movie. But where this movie falters is that it offers an undeniable sense of deja vu as it seems like a potpourri of "Tamasha" & "Rockstar". It also comes across way too much emotional & brooding which might not be to the liking of a segment of the audience. On the technical side, everything was top notch be it Pritam's music (almost all the tracks were awesome, "Channa Mereya" & "Bulleya" were my favourites) or Anil Mehta's exquisite visuals. Both the leads were absolutely brilliant, that it's hard to say who has aced it; though I have to say Anushka Sharma surprised me with her confidence & attention to nuances. I couldnt possibly imagine anyone else apart from her as Alizeh. Ranbir Kapoor credentials as a phenomenal actor is well established & this role just reiterated the fact that he is indeed the best of his generation, though he intends to mess up with his choice of movies. Aishwarya Rai has done a decent job but her segment with Ranbir was the weakest in the movie. Fawad Alam barely had much to do while Lisa Haydon was spot on as the bimbette. As for the cameos by SRK & Alia Bhatt, it barely had any impact. Verdict: KJo might had to bow down to the wishes of the MNS & even put up a message thanking soldiers (nothing more than a gimmick to be frank), but he will be laughing his way to the bank with the initial, It will have the multiplexes & overseas lapping it up, but single screens are unlikely to warm up to him. It should be a blockbuster in the long run as it's surely KJo's most intense movie to date & his lead pairs has just smashed it. In short, if you dont mind emotional drama then definitely go for it!!! Rating: 3/5 Regards...Ben
Confused movie. Didn't know what's going on. The first half was just full of hyperness. Everyone was running around. The two lead characters were going to mountains and here and there, recording videos, blah blah. Where was it all going? It was full of overacting and the characters looked so fake. Especially Ranbir, looked very half-hearted in the movie. With the same chant of broken heart and singer drag. With simple characters, and better acting, it could have been a whole different thing. Second half was bullshit anyway. Ranbir finds Aish. Vow, and she is also so desperate like him. He moves to Vienna, after 3 months, as if he knew she was ready to blow him off. Well she was actually. And suddenly Anushka comes in again, and their fake relation is exposed. Ranbir is still talking to Anushka like a kid and that he loves her. Well, dude, you just were in love with Aish? Is it some joke? Again, better direction or screenplay could have made the situation better. End was really bad. No point in talking about it. Overall, I feel if the script was written for middle class people, and if the characters were wisely chosen, the movie had some content. Fawad looked fantastic and very talented. Look at Ranbir in the scenes with Fawad. He looks amateur.
Has any of you gone through this ? You were madly in love with someone , had almost planned rest of your life with him/her. But unfortunately, you lose that person to someone else due to some reason. And you are no more the most important person in their life. Do you remember the first day after this happens? Do you remember how the morning msg which was earlier 'Baby wake up" has suddenly just turned into a "Hi"? Do you remember how the conversation which was earlier used to end with "love you :-*" suddenly started to end with a "bye". All of these sudden changes left you shattered. You tried everything to get their attention back. You wanted to hurt them for leaving you. You wanted a reaction, a reaction which will just confirm that it is still not over between you and that person still feels for you but just not admitting it because of some reasons. For this, you started dating another person. You started sharing your intimate pic with the new person on social media. Just for that 'one reaction' from your now ex. If you have gone through all of these, then this movie is just for you . It is very close to your heart. Probably the only difference could be that the love of our hero in this story was always one sided. But yes he was still feeling all these emotions. You will cry with him, laugh with him. finally, I want to end this post with few lines of my fav. song in this movie.( In fact, I want to recite these lines and record and attach it to this post; will do it surely if I get time) mehfil me teri hum naa rahe jo Gham toh nahi hai, gham toh nahi hai Qisse humare nazdeekiyon ke Kam to nahi hai, kam to nahi hai Kitni dafaa subah ko meri Tere aangan mein baithe maine shaam kiya Channa mereya mereya Channa mereya mereya Channa mereya mereya beliya
2nd half is a big disappointment
I loved the film.Very beautiful movie.First half is very entertaining.There are some beautiful moments in the first half.The chemistry between the lead couples are treat to watch.The second half has emotional value which touches my heart.This movieis all about friendship,heartbreak and is a very rare subject that haven't seen in previous Bollywood movies.Climax is so emotional.Ranbir is superb.what a comeback! Truly Amazing. He is perfect in every scene.Anushkasharma is done an excellent job.She is extraordinary.Aishwarya Rai bachchan is superb.She has small role.But she has done marvellous job.Fawad khan is also done an excellent job.Dialogues and music are excellent. Overall,an excellent movie with gr8 songs,outsanding perfomances,superb direction and beautiful dialogues.5 stars
With Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, it is evident that director Karan Johar aspired to make a film that stands testament to the power of love – especially that of the gut-wrenching, unrequited kind. What he does end up making, however, is a mushy, maudlin mess of a film that grates on the nerves – one that will probably be remembered as his most amateurish, imbecile production to date. Ranbir Kapoor plays Ayan, a guy who's helplessly smitten with Alizeh (Anushka Sharma in a stellar turn) but whose love remains mostly unreciprocated for reasons that vary over the course of the film. One of the biggest problems plaguing Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is that the film feels tonally inconsistent throughout its running time, constantly vacillating between juvenile comedy and melodramatic excess. The humour in this film is mostly meta and of the self-referential type, and this would not have been an issue if it didn't appear so forced and out of place. The film feels derivative more often then not – many portions are largely reminiscent of Imtiaz Ali's terrific Rockstar and the Shailene Woodley-starrer The Fault In Our Stars. This is a shame, considering the wealth of talent that Johar has at his disposal here. Ranbir Kapoor has the acting chops to pull off any role – any decently written one, that is. Ayan, however, remains a woefully sketched-out character, and one whose obsessive behaviour borders on the creepy. Johar's latest will inevitably go down as one of the most disappointing Hindi films of 2016 – a cracker that fizzles out without so much as a spark. Ae Dil, This Buzzkill.
After years of KANK, Karan Johar is back with another amazing, deliciously bitter film where relationships (and not romance) take the centre stage. Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, this is an effective film with a brilliant take and touch. It doesn't suggest the false, and tells the story of love with utmost sincerity, plus endearing charm. Yes, it is the most commercial, and mainstream Hindi film you will see this year- and also the most touching one. I'm going with 3.5 stars out of 5 for ADHM. Go with large aesthetic mind-frame and you will be happy.
Credits
Hindi films like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
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Wake Up Sid
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