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.

“Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” has neither gravitas nor the charm to be worth remembering.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.  

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.