Launching a star kid is perhaps one of the riskiest decisions for a Hindi film production company today, as an elaborate and spontaneous process of ‘calling out’ begins immediately on social media. Dharma Productions, having survived a few major hurdles, has done just that with ‘Nadaaniyan’—pairing Ibrahim Ali Khan, son of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, opposite Khushi Kapoor in a neon-sprinkled, heightened candy-floss romantic dramedy.
Unlike the hero of the film, this story gets a passing grade but falls well short of distinction. This is a Gen Z romance with dull comedy and shallow characters peppered throughout a paper-thin plot.
A heiress caught between legacy and loneliness
‘Nadaaniyan’ opens with a harried heroine—Khushi Kapoor as Pia Jaisingh—who has to fake having a boyfriend. Her backstory, despite her 3 lakh-plus follower count on Instagram, is elaborate and complicated from a Gen Z point of view. Things at home between her parents (Mahima Chaudhary and Suniel Shetty) are strained. As the daughter of an ultra-wealthy clan whose primary business seems to be law (details like these are left to the imagination), she faces regular taunts from her paternal grandfather.
In their glossy, designer-led world, a girl cannot inherit the family business—law. The family seemingly wanted a son. Her mother suffers silently through taunts while hoping for a royal match for her beautiful but unfocused daughter.
A fake romance in a hyper-stylized world
Pia has found comfort in two girlfriends and her school—the most expensive and, apparently, the best one in India. This school has no uniforms and a caricaturish principal (Archana Puran Singh) who keeps misinterpreting acronyms like LOL or WTF. One has to assume that this technicolour, AI-painted reality is located in the islands of Gurgaon, which tend to sink in rains but boast a multitude of overpriced, ultra-rich gated communities.
To save her friendships and ward off the attentions of a pushy young man in her class, she invents a fake boyfriend—a role she must hurriedly fill. By chance, she notices Arjun, the smart, six-pack-abs-blessed debate team captain—a middle-class boy from Noida (apparently a poor neighbourhood)—to act as her boyfriend. Both shake on a deal: she will pay him a weekly fee of ₹2,500 to become her boyfriend, a big reveal she plans for her birthday. Until then, teaser selfies on her Instagram account send her schoolmates into a tizzy.
Undone by a weak script
Things get complicated when their charade of being in love leads to genuine feelings creeping in. This isn’t the only glaring hole in this wafer-thin plot, which is tied together with convenient twists and easy resolutions. Ishita Moitra has co-written the screenplay of this film with Jehan Handa and Riva Razdan Kapoor. Ghosts of ‘Call Me Bae’ and ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’ loom over the art and cinematography of this film. But at least, in their case, the protagonists' conflicts were convincing.
Here, even though Pia and Arjun share a spontaneous ease onscreen and their anxieties align with Gen Z issues, the story is a massive letdown. The dialogues are incredibly flat—one wonders if much of it was written on set or simply ad-libbed.
The class divide in the film, though frequently mentioned, feels forced. Arjun is the son of a successful doctor and a teacher—his mother (Dia Mirza) even teaches at his school. Their socio-economic status is upper-middle-class or affluent. Beyond a confrontation scene toward the end—where Ibrahim briefly shows a flicker of Saif and Amrita’s colossal talent—the film fails to address a single genuine emotion or dramatic point.
Each friendship feels superficial, and those that require depth are explained through straight-out monologues. The characters never fully emerge, despite the cast having experienced actors as parents. Suniel Shetty, as Pia’s father, oscillates between being an intelligent, reasonable man and an insensitive, uncaring husband. Apart from a heartfelt father-son talk between Arjun and his dad (Jugal Hansraj), not a single scene between parents and their children feels authentic—not even Pia’s difficult conversation with her parents.
What works and what doesn’t
Ibrahim shows a spark of talent, charming looks, and poise. Educated in films, his social media presence has reflected some thought, making one wonder about his decision to debut with this script. While he earns full marks for effort, Khan will need to work on his expressions and comic timing. Khushi Kapoor shows promise and can emote with her eyes—a rare trait today.
The supporting cast is barely average. The veterans—Mahima Chaudhary, Suniel Shetty, Dia Mirza, and Jugal Hansraj—do what they can with dialogues that flatline with each delivery. Jokes featuring Archana Puran Singh, a throwback to the comical principal trope from films like ‘Main Hoon Na’ and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,’ also fall flat.
Verdict
‘Nadaaniyan’ has a couple of decent songs, especially the title track. At Dharma Productions, there is a clear attempt to create a candy-floss romantic movie universe, but sleek production and stylish outfits alone won’t hold it up. The writing needs significant improvement, as do the stories in these films and shows. Perhaps, if Ibrahim Ali Khan piques your curiosity, you might consider giving this film a shot.
Cast: Ibrahim Ali Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Mahima Chaudhry, Dia Mirza, and Jugal Hansraj Director: Shauna Gautam Rating: 2.5/5
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