Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) User Reviews (247)

If you have ever loved and not loved back...

[paddyp100 · 7/10 · 1 November 2016]

ADHM is a wonderful movie for "romantics", especially those who have gone through unrequited love. And if you are past mid-30s you may not relate to the places where love "flows" . Most songs are in set up in glitzy clubs from London to Vienna…

It is not "in your face" love story – sure it is shot with typical KJo brand of colorful rich upper class people – but it is definitely a love story of cerebral kind.

It is also not a classy or realistic one – nowhere like say "Lootera" or "The Lunchbox" – two good romantic movies which are on par with Hollywood classics like "Before Sunrise" series or "Eternal Sunshine".

It is more a commercial entertainer like "Silsila" or "JTHJ" but what is unique about ADHM is it only focuses on characters in love. Four people, in love and there is no distraction of parents or bothers or sister or other relatives. It is a remarkable achievement for a commercial Hindi movie to do away with unnecessary supporting cast which ails most of our Indian movies in guise of comedy or family relationship melodramas. Sure there are good supporting cast like Lisa Haydon but they do are intertwined appropriately with the story.

Unlike many Hollywood movies, our Hindi movies do not spend too much time on character development and sometime you don't connect, especially during initial moments of the movie. This movie slowly grows on you, if you watch it with open mind.

Unrequited love is a difficult subject to handle, yet most of us may have gone through it during our various phase of life. While, surprisingly KJo has handled this so maturely, credit is due more with actor's performances, particularly Ranbir.

Unfortunately but NOT surprisingly, the director lets us down in last 20 mins or so – wish our Indian Directors have the courage to end the movie when it HAS TO – most of the time trimming out last 20-30 mins will be an ideal solution. I have seen bad editing of not trimming toward end of many romantic movies - from Kabhie Kabhie days (last 10 mins of botched up climax) to Silsila, KANK and JTHJ – they frustrate the moviegoers towards the end and you give an otherwise good product worse rating. I would have rated this movie 8/10, if it has ended right after powerful title song so passionately sung by Ranbir, which evokes memories of "Sadda Haq".

If you are romantic at heart, like me, please go and watch it. Chances are, you will "get it" and appreciate it.

Even if you don't, it is worth trying. It is a good movie to watch for as performances (Ranbir, Anushka, Aishwarya), Songs (Buleya, ADHM, Channa), Dialogues and glitzy production design blend well to keep you entertained. And please try to walk out after title song is over – I regret not doing so.

Unrequited love has never been so banal and shallow

[Peter_Young · 5/10 · 16 September 2023]

Sorry, Karan Johar as always puts more stress on the gloss rather than the substance, and the result is mostly a shallow film that would hardly ever ring true to thinking viewers. Obviously, it's the material that's quite lacking to begin with but the treatment is way worse. First, the incredible number of references to Johar's own films was absolutely annoying. That penchant for self-glorification has become quite a tedious motif in his films, and by the way, so have the other references to other Hindi films such as Chandni and the likes.

Above all, the biggest glitch here is the banality of the writing and particularly the portrayal of the relationships, all of which completely strain credulity. Not a single one of them rings true - not Ranbir's with his girlfriend, not Anushka's with her husband, and certainly not the friendship between Ranbir and Anushka, which is supposed to form the basis for the entire story but is highly unconvincing. The film tries to sell us an age-old formula of two people who are good friends, but one of them wants more, and it doesn't gel and lacks depth.

So what's the problem here? That I personally, and I'm sure many others, won't buy for a minute that a chance encounter in Europe and a few fun days spent together would turn two strangers into such good friends. Actually, even if it is possible, the script doesn't give it justice; the strangers' shared experience should have been much deeper than what this film showed us (more or less dancing to Hindi films and hardly one serious conversation) to establish a true, year-long camaraderie as required by the story. Eventually, it just doesn't make sense and lacks heart and realism.

The portrayal of the obsession, which is what this film essentially deals with (indeed, it's more about obsession rather than unrequited love), is handled much better. And even better is the entrance of a new character into this story, which helps refresh the entire mood of the film. But the film is twisted to no end, which isn't a compliment, and as expected, typically overlong. Moreover, some of the twists towards the end are so cliché and lacking in credibility it feels the director hasn't learned a thing about the growing sophistication of his potential audience.

Where the film does score is on the technical front, where everything is handled professionally. The locations and music are, as always in Johar's films, stupendous, and make for a fun cinematic experience despite the flaws. Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma sink their teeth into their half-baked roles and give much more than they get. The ultimate saving grace however is Aishwarya Rai, whose charismatic presence gives the film so much of what it lacks. It's not just her dazzling beauty, it's the depth in her eyes. I wish the film had more of this depth.

A nuanced film

[abhiakssingh · 7/10 · 31 October 2016]

It's a movie for the heart broken or the poem lovers. Some of the lines are hilarious, witty, poetic, and has the depth of Oscar Wilde's quote. It is to the extent that I cohered with one dialogue in the movie, "did you rehearse those lines …" This movie has dealt with human emotions with near perfection, with each character having its degree. None of the characters were written naively; they had their gray shades, marred with resistance and vulnerability. The chemistry was extraordinary, in particular between Anushka & Ranbir. I doubt young ones would be able to absorb such nuanced seepage of emotions.

However, the plot is weak. No doubt about it. Also, this movie is awfully feminist. Here a private-jet rich kid is being used by two women, err three women, with Aishwarya being the third. And Aishwarya's ex-husband doesn't have a problem with her relation with Ranbir. He goes on to justify it with cheesy one-liners.

Having stated above; the movie had his heart in the right place. It's nowhere near 500 days of summer, but if you are a heartbroken person, you might reckon to add it to your library.

Ae Film Dekna Hai Mushkal

[sidiqi · 29 October 2016]

I would like to say Amitabh Bachchan style "Ya Kia Ho Raha Hai" And to finish my comments after watching this movie, I would like to change the name of the movie to "Ae Film Dekna Hai Mushkal" It's totally disappointing. It's just waste of time. The casts are very good but the movie is totally opposite of what audience were expecting. The expectations from such a casts were too high but even that movie couldn't reach the minimum level of audience choice and expectations. The movie casts are really wasted in all aspects and casts should also reconcile themselves for that movie disasters by signing in and being part that movie.

A concoction of perfectly acted, fantastically musical, brilliantly shot scenes does that a classic make ?

[kapil-nanchahal · 7/10 · 30 October 2016]

First things first. On the reviewer's prejudices and preferences… I think Ranbir is the best emotive 'Actor' in 4 generations of Kapoor clan, including the venerable Raj Kapoor – one of the best film makers the world might ever see. Karan Johar as a film maker has never produced a 'bad' product, even if he doesn't aspire for landmark cinema. Pritam has once again produced track of the year, beating ARR fair and square. That coming from a sworn ARR fan, puts me far from a Pritam detractor. Not to mention a very credible Anushka, Aishwarya and a tech team that KJO can muster, I cannot be blamed for a high expectation from this Diwali release, advertised and reviewed as the 'top tear jerker' by KJO. Well if a Kapoor scion tweets – '"This is your tribute to Raj Kapoor & Yash Chopra films! Romance,Music and intensity." it is only fair that I expect elements of a Sangam and a Kabhi Kabhi, amalgamated and re-presented to the millennials. Alas, that was not to be! Spoilers ahead, if you care to read…

The high pitched Arijit melodies flooding your living rooms and cars for over a month, titillate you with what drama and tragedy might precede the overflow of emotion expressed by a brilliantly brilliantly shot RK in front of the mic. And pull off he does! Going from the aimless, to the involved, to the indifferent, to the despondent he is at the top of his game so masterfully displayed in the earlier Tamasha or Rockstar. In Anushka's ably acted heart-broken turned bubbly turned serious turned heart breaking role, Ranbir also has the perfect muse for the unrequited love – popularized as the 'self suffered' theme by KJO. Aishwarya as the gorgeous distraction, forming the Chopra-ish triangle is as good as she should have been, while the 3 Fawad scenes that created cross continental strife are also very well executed.

However all this brilliance in performances, in quintessential Yash Raj-ish music, in trademark production values, all still combines to produce a Vikram Bhatt caliber modern emo-drama that just projects itself in the big league because of all the ingredients, but stops disappointingly short. And what ingredients man, if a crooning agonizing RK in front of the mic wasn't enough, there's brilliance in some wedding scenes, elaborate poetic lines, a fantastic dinner table tripartite conversation reminiscent of the Sangam/Kabhi Kabhi eras, a lovy dovy cancer striken death bed of KHNH proportions, an Aashiqui-esque airport chase. You think of a Bollywood tear-jerker ingredient and KJO has packed it in a 2.5 hr script like a thoroughly entertaining T-20 match, not a heart stopping one-day-international and far from a poetic skill full test match.

The 'clinical superficiality' with which the deep relationships are narrated makes you feel painful, not for the emotion but for the potential that was never converted. You keep thinking of the gear switch, where a scene will have you awe-struck but it never comes. As I write this, I airplayed the Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam title track, just to verify if it gives the goose bumps that it did 17 years ago . Open it in the other browser window, to see what a frantically laughing Salman Khan running across a bridge can convey through the poignancy of the scene. Or an SRK staring at the NYC skyline with Sonu Nigam's best song and a mesmerizing piano track in background.

Unrequited love could never have been a new Bollywood story, from a Devdas 80 years ago to last year's Bajirao, they all have that theme in various flavors. But my dear KJO if only brilliant performances, music, shots would make a classic they would never fill the screenplay/writing column in the table! In the name of subtlety and the matter-of-factness, Karan has robbed the genre of its only consistent element, the tear-inducing tragedies. If that's your thing watch a repeat of any of your favorites, heck even KJO's past movies. If you want to see how relationships might transform to, in the T-20 age of facebook and watsapp, or just watch the best alternative to Shivaay this weekend, go rush for ADHM.

Depressing & Boring

[OnjiMooteDaMarle · 4/10 · 28 October 2016]

I loved Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kal Ho Naa Ho & My Name Is Khan. But then there were Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Student of the Year & Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Headache.

The first half of the film has nothing happening. The director is rich & so are the characters. So they roam around lip-synching famous Hindi film songs and dialogues, somewhere foreshadowing the arriving of SRK. You meet at a party and start kissing - that's Hollywood. You meet someone in a different country and start speaking Hindi at your very first conversation - that's BS. The first half is all about these two idiots running around different places. The second half takes pace but then again, from the story POV, there is nothing new. Nothing. It's a shame that some celebrities are praising the film (maybe to be in the good books of the director). Yes, some of the songs are good & the lyrics are beautiful too. But nothing else is. What is the use of going to New York or any other place and staying in a room to write your next screenplay when it turns out to be so distasteful? Anushka and Ranbir are good in their parts. Ash is wasted & made to show how beautiful she still is rather than how good she can act. It's a shame that the lead actors who can act brilliantly have to act in such films with bad plot lines.

The film gave me such a headache that I had to go to a bookstore to calm myself down.

Just one time watch movie. 6/10

[faisalfaves · 6/10 · 29 October 2016]

Acting:- ShahRukh Khan: 10/10 2 minutes Amazing Acting of ShahRukh Khan.

Aishwarya Rai: 9/10 Very impressive Acting.

Ranbir Kapoor: 9/10 Wow, I love his acting. In every movie he done his great, So emotional, So deep.

Fawad Khan: 6/10 A little high attitude, i personally don't like that.

Anushka Sharma: 5/10 Always Act so much, definitely overacting most of the time. ---

Direction: 7/10 Karan Johar done his good but not so good as KKKG, MNIK or KKHH. ---

Story: 4/10 Sorry Karan Johar but this story sucks. ---

Music: 7/10 Pritam done a nice job, Nice Songs. ---

Overall I must say a onetime-watch movie, because Story is not good at all.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is shallow and superficial while conveying the story of unrequited love, one-sided love.

[binducherungath · 4/10 · 28 October 2016]

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. 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.

Guys who never had a Shattered Heart, this movie is NOT for you!

[creedreaper · 8/10 · 31 October 2016]

Okay, I see lots of negative reviews and not trying to justify them because this story is something very few guys like myself have experienced in real life. When you genuinely fall in love with someone and want to bring the World to them, but they end up choosing someone else. And no matter how much you tell your heart to move-on and wish them well, it's almost impossible to get rid of those feelings.

This story personally hits home to me, because I suffered this pain, I went through it, It wasn't just an infatuation, I didn't want anything in return, just wanted her love and be in her life, but it wasn't meant to be. Even moving on and dating faaar more beautiful women wouldn't live up to what we had which was so special.

OK I agree, the cancer angle was not necessary, that kind of started giving Kal ho na ho/rockstar vibes. So yes, the ending should've been executed better, but other than that it was great.

Songs were absolutely brilliant, the lyrics were fantastic. Arjit nailed it. Once again, this movie isn't for you guys who are either old generation, fulfilled in your love lives/happily married etc. This movie is particularly for those of you who loved someone genuinely but lost them to someone else leaving it one sided love. This pain is very real and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy!

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is overly clichéd typical movie with brilliant performances from Anushka and Ranbir and best soundtracks of the year.

[shobanchittuprolu · 7/10 · 20 December 2016]

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016): This movie is one if the most hyped movies of 2016.Karan Johar,the master who invented clichéd Bollywood moments(except My Name is Khan) directed this movie after 4 years.His previous venture Student of the Year is overly clichéd dud.But Ae Dil Hai Mushkil created good buzz because of its brilliant trailer and music.Even the chemistry between Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai is largely discussed.SO how is this Ae Dil Hai Mushkil??

Plot: A story about unrequited love - the shapes it takes, the ways it changes us and the exhilarating and often heartbreaking ride it takes us on. It is the journey of three characters, Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor), Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) and Saba (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), as their lives intertwine and they navigate life, love and heartbreak.

Plus Points:

1)Performances: Everyone has acted so well especially Anushka Sharma. She stole the show with her brilliant acting skills. The chemistry between Ranbir and Anushka was what I loved the most.Ranbir Kapoor is super at being charming, but has developed a specialization in cluelessness, and both sides shine through in this winning, woeful performance.Aishwarya is stunningly gorgeous and gave decent performance.Fawad Khan is good.Lisa Hayden is irritating.

2)Music: Music is the major plus point of the movie.All the songs are brilliant and well placed. "Channa Mereya" "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" "The Breakup Song" are my favorite tracks in the list.BGM also played a good part in few scenes.

3)First half: Though nothing much happens in first half except some crazy antics by Ranbir and Anushka,it is lot of fun because of their mind blowing chemistry.It has lot of hilarious and feel good moments.

Minus Points:

1)Second half Second half is overly clichéd and dragged a lot.The scenes between Aishwarya and Ranbir are stretched too long.

2)Climax: Here comes the most clichéd moment in the movie.They tried to give a tragic end but we are not at all surprised or moved by that cause.Even the bald head make up looked so fake.

So,Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is overly clichéd typical movie with brilliant performances from Anushka and Ranbir and best soundtracks of the year.

My rating 6.5/10

please don't insult new generation

[sagunabrahman · 1/10 · 29 October 2016]

it was such a waste of my time and insult to our generation's intelligence. use your money, resources and power to create some beautiful, deep and intelligent movies inspired by real life stories. i am disappointed. please don't put such garbage in public's imagination and don't validate this kind of unreal, stupid and mindless choices that shrink public's intelligence. why are our movies inspiring youth to drink and have sex with any stranger they meet at a club with no damaging consequences? just pure nonsense, pure junk.

if you have no other inspiration to create an original creative movie, watch crime patrol everyday, its production is much more real, in depth and in touch with the true challenges youth, children, families and community face everyday.

Simply Superb

[aashisht-08625 · 10/10 · 1 November 2016]

First of all, let me clear one fact- I am not a Ranbir Kapoor fan. If you were expecting some typical karan johar/Bollywood drama, this is not the one for you. I would request everyone to first watch and UNDERSTAND this film rather than commenting negatively. Please watch the film rather than listening to people around you and then decide for yourself. The Review: The movie is a mirror image of a modern, high class societal life. Probably the single screen audience(and maybe some of the urban audiences as well) can never relate to it. You desire to love someone but never receive any reciprocation. How would you feel? What would you do to overcome the pain? How would you make the person realize that your love is true, eternal and important? This movie is all about that. There are some direction errors but Ranbir's terrific performance makes up for all the faults. Maybe a lesser number of songs would have helped but come-on, all of them were soothing for the ears. Some people complained about the intimate scenes and said they it was not appropriate for family audience. But isn't it the reality(and come on, the trailer depicted some of them so if you felt inappropriate you shouldn't have come)? Everyone have delivered some terrific performances- Anushka as the bubbly and trying to be carefree girl(but actually caring from heart) and Aishwarya as an experienced woman, one who has seen life and is keenly looking for true love etc. The emotions manage to strike your heart(A few people among the audience sitting before us cried after the movie got over). If this is not considered to be a good movie, I don't know what is...

Watch it and keep an open mind...

[kpeterson-16355 · 7/10 · 20 May 2023]

One star reviews are usually given by viewers who dismiss a film because of a flaw or two. One would think the casting of Ranbir and Anushka would have been enough to garner at least some (deserved) praise, as if the excellent songs weren't enough. Not to mention Aishwarya whom I'm not a big fan of gives a fairly good and understated performance. Too many Bollywood viewers don't like movies that take risks or ones that give just a small glimpse at reality (God forbid). This is Johar's most mature and least self-indulgent film. Kal Ho Na Ho and Kucch Kucch Hota Hai are classics and deliver in so many ways (especially the former); Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is slower, but more self-assured; a more appropriate film to deal with the modern relationships of today. Very worthwhile and underrated.

Insult to Love, Relationship and Cancer Patients

[vishwasavathi · 1/10 · 28 October 2016]

This is not just a bad film but a disgrace to film industry. Karan Johar, you just buried the Indian Cinema deep down the grave.

Initial bit of the movie is obnoxious! Lame acting, silly comedy, same old dialogues and irritating acting. Here they make a mockery of love and relationships where people sleep around and just jump between partners. Then comes and love part which fails to delivery the gravity.

Later comes Aishwarya, which is the only watchable section. This section delivers some good acting and the story starts to move. And then it stalls very badly immediately. Well, the Sharukh Khan scene is pretty good. Am not his fan but the entire movie sucks so bad that his acting feels better.

The worst section is the cancer part. OMG what a disaster! Super insult to the cancer patients. These so called stars of bollywood are so naive, they don't even want to shave their heads for the role but wear a bald wig! How convenient. No struggle of cancer established and Anushka looks like an alien in that wig.

Her head is bald because of cancer but her eyebrows and eyelashes are in-tact. Bravo! Karan, are you serious?

Karan is so obsessed with himself, the movie has so many unwanted irksome KKHH and KANH tunes forcibly added into it, gosh so horrible. Is this your mature filmmaking?

And then you see these English and French people enjoying all Hindi songs these actors have to sing. There is a scene where Ranbir is singing a Hindi song with his so called band in a Church, lol

So many better filmmakers don't even get a chance to complete or initiate their film projects and such filthy rich ones fool people with such horrific movies. Karan has lost it. Twinkle made a good choice!!

Please don't watch it even if someone puts a gun to your head. Take the shot, at least its quick!!

Karan Johar has cheated us!

[jahangirhussain74 · 1 November 2016]

I found Ae Dil Hai Mushkil thoroughly disappointing. Nothing about this movie connected to me. In my opinion, Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna was the worst. However, ADHM manages to top even that!

Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma spend the first half imitating characters from Johar's previous movies and movies from the 80s while the second half looks like a retelling of Ranbir's own Rockstar (what with Ranbir eventually becoming a singer and the terminal illness track of Anushka)! Just disappointing! I think anyone could have played the role of Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan's Saba. There was nothing spectacular about her performance. However, I think she lets her eyes do most of the talking which is why Johar picked her for the role. She has this incredible talent of emoting with her eyes without saying a word which most actresses of today fail to do. Even her shayaris had no depth whatsoever. Not to mention she struggles with the Urdu portions. I don't think her role was even necessary as she appears in a 15 minuteish role. Ditto for Fawad Khan whose presence in this movie created such a furor prior to its release! Fawad is wasted in a role with which he could have done wonders with. Fawad lets himself to be overshadowed by Ranbir in some of the scenes that they share.

Performance-wise, it's Ranbir and Anushka's film. They own every scene that they have. However, it's the script that lets them down that they find themselves imitating characters from various old Hindi films! It's Ranbir Kapoor who rises over an inane script, leaving his own stamp in each scene which could have fallen flat in a lesser actor's hands. But then he has experience from his own movie, Rockstar where he also played a similar role, playing a lovelorn boy to the hilt. Anushka Sharma is good but finds herself trapped in a role that was done-to-death before a billion times in Bollywood!

On a final note, ADHM is just a one-time watch for Karan Johar and Ranbir Kapoor's fans. I felt like Johar cheated us by creating suspense about the plot of the film before its release. There's nothing novel about the plot of ADHM!

Weak script ruins everything!

[amandeepverma-53748 · 6/10 · 11 April 2020]

The theme of unrequited love is interesting and from someone like Karan johar, it was expected much more!

The movie has moments, typical of a Karan johar movie and it delights you, coupled with great music and Ranbir Kapoor's strong performance but those moments are very few and they get diluted in an otherwise collection of scenes that felt like was written to please the younger generation.

The major problem is the story, the Anushka and Ranbir's conflict is stretched too much and the final resolution is very underwhelming and a cliche. Also, the characters are one tone throughout the movie and by the end, you don't care about them in any way

The final nail on the coffin is Anushka's cancer, like seriously, its the most cliche plot point of Bollywood and has been used more than anything else, expected something better than this in 2016.

The movie was just badly written and could have been made a lot better if the story was a bit more thought out.

Watch it only for some good emotional scenes, awesome music, and Ranbir Kapoor's performance but despite all of these, its really tough to like this film.

Couldn't be more torturous than this

[sgulati-16703 · 1/10 · 28 October 2016]

Acting was mind blowing.. Anushka nailed it in 1st half with her acting... But No Story.. directionless..

2nd Half.. Aish came in.. Pleasure to watch.. Shahrukh's Cameo Alia's Cameo

Locations are Nice.. Good acting by Ranbir.. But still no Story.. No direction.. When will this end.. everyone shouting.. angry.. One word -> Torture

If you have seen Kal ho na ho.. then its the same.. Anushka playing SRK and Ranbir as Preity Zinta

Songs are nice but they are too many..

Fine acting marred only by a weak ending

[wildlife-ptech · 6/10 · 12 October 2019]

Rating

6/10

Well acted specially by Kapoor and Khan (who is a scene stealer) this is a mostly watchable film. Although the female roles aren't as well drawn as the men, both Rai and Sharma put in capable performances. Sadly the ending of the film is a letdown. It feels derived from a sitcom and undoes a lot of the goodwill earned by the film.

Watchable

Love triangle without any fix angle

[dineshprakash · 3/10 · 28 October 2016]

As a technician director Mr. Karan Johar, work is good but as a creative person nothing is good. There is very convenient and out dated story. Screenplay offers only a few just worth smile scenes in first half. Basic drawback in this seemingly love story movie is there is no love. Makers point of view of love is just few kissing scenes and looks a like love making scene. They didn't feel need of exploring or establishing love with new perspective. First half approach of love and film is ahead of time and second half belongs to gone era in dialogues as second female lead is a 'Shayera' but behaviors and dresses wise again ultra modern, who doesn't blink for a second to be intimate with a person just in second meet!! There is not a single clear cut character. Initially first pair is established very rich but then there was no any further need of this thing. All characters are confused. Even pre climax cause is very stale and looks funny rather than projecting any high octane emotions but actors shed tears now and then with loud gesture. Open end climax in a love story is just unbearable. You remain seated and think what was it? Performance wise Ranbir Kapoor is good. Anushka Sgarma is impressive. Aishwaraya Rai Bachchan is fine. Music wise " Achchha Chalta Hun Dua Mein Yaad Rakhna' is well placed, written and composed, credit goes to Music director Preetam and lyricist Amitabh Bhattachrya.

It is a love story, just not like the ones we are used to.

[harpreetc · 8/10 · 28 October 2016]

I have to write this down before the feeling passes as feelings are wont to do. I just finished seeing Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. I had lost complete faith in Karan Johar's writing since Bombay Talkies and in his direction since Student of the Year. But this film resurrected quite a bit of the appeal he held for me in the late 90's.

The story connected with me on different levels. I have a best friend who is of the opposite gender. I have had heartbreaks. I have known strong, liberal women (thank the stars, for where would I be without them?) Someone I love has been akin to a disease that is life-threatening. I have shaved my head off too, for someone I love had shaved off hers – and that love wasn't sexual at all.

The tagline on IMDb states that it is a tale of unrequited love. That's just one small facet of this movie that touches the friendship between two individuals, feminism, sexual liberation, the woman's prerogative to say no, infidelity (on more than one level) and, most of all, a different kind of love – which frankly, I never expected a commercial, Bollywood movie to showcase centre stage.

Ranbir Kapoor (Ayan) is always phenomenal. I have also maintained that he feels like the brother I never had – in short, nothing very sexual about him (personally speaking that is, I am sure there are people who do think otherwise). And right from the start Anushka Sharma (Alizeh) comments on this, when – shocker! – he can't kiss well and she doesn't find him sexually engaging. She does try, initially. So the relationship builds into a friendship, and as a friend pointed out, it has a wonderful intricacy. The sari-clad scenes in the mountains were wonderfully funny.

Anushka is Anushka. As Ash is Ash. They have their roles and they move through the movie fluidly, not jarringly. I like the uninhibitedness shown by Ash in the role of Sabah. She is mature. She knows what she wants, and also what she doesn't want. Or rather, what she can handle and what she cannot. One of the reasons for her letting go of her marriage. The role is nuanced and has layers of strength and dignity, quite appealing in this case. The dialogues of the movie can be trite at places and lyrical in some others, and though her Urdu seems stilted, I loved some of the interchanges, Ash's character has. Especially with her ex-husband. The intensity of that scene is almost overpowering. I love the way the maturity of relationships evolves, even those that were dealt with in the past.

Fawad Khan's role – was it chopped? You could blink and miss him. Pity, he is an excellent actor. Just as good as Ranbir. And Imran Abbas was there too! But I must say I loved Lisa Haydon as Lisa, the gold-digger.

I liked the movie very much. Few movies make me go quiet in the end. This one did. I was absorbing what I had just seen. I understood why Alizeh couldn't love Ayan the way Ayan wanted her to. I understood her clinging onto a latent fear that friendship is destroyed when sex comes into the picture, I also understood that it could be the fear that because she didn't sexually appreciate Ayan, she could lose the man she had come to love. When people say their spouse is their best friend – I can never understand that. My best friend is my best friend. My lover is my lover. The twain can never be the same. For me. So I get what Alizeh is on about. I mean, totally.

On the other hand, there is Saba who didn't want to fall in love with Ayan, and he welcomed the fact and so went into a sexual relationship with her. She herself had realized what happened when people fell in love, as she surely was with her ex-husband, and so she chose to avoid it, despite the fact that it helped her write. Ironically, what happens is that she does fall for him and in doing so realizes it will always be unrequited and does to Ayan what he never has the courage to do with Alizeh.

It's so complicated to explain, so it's kudos to the writer, director and the actors who tried to bring this out onto a screen, before people who wouldn't want to see the breaking of a set median, where there is no middle-ground, no structure, just a personal abstraction. It is love. It's bound to be abstract, right? So it is a love story, just not like the ones we are used to.

One side love

[narenjbm · 7/10 · 23 June 2022]

Lust is a part of love but lust is most important to love. It's a bond its a connection, but many one side lover can't get it.. Why this happens.. Watch it.. I love this film in my own way coz its realize some stupidity memories..

Where was the romance in this so-called romantic movie?

[subinoy-74242 · 2/10 · 28 October 2016]

Firstly, this movie had great looking actors in it.. You can't get better-looking actors than Ranbir Kapoor-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Anushka Sharma-Fawad Khan.. :p

Then locations.. Ahh! You can't get more atmospheric cities than London and Paris, oho. And instead of New York, there's Vienna. So far, all slurp worthy.

And this movie of Karan Johar stops there. There is no more substance in it. It is supposedly an interwoven intense love story (As its tag line says.. Celebrate friendship, love and heartbreak!).. But sadly, there is not enough love to grip your emotions. Love is depicted here only through a few kisses and an unnecessary out-of-place kind of an intimate scene!!

What you get is incessant yak-yak (you want to tell these impeccably- styled people to stop and draw breath and then speak, so that they, and we, can absorb the moment they've created); and non-stop background music (if it is real, you don't have to underline it).

Meet Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor), Alizeh (Anushka Sharma), Saba (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) and Ali (Fawad Khan), the four who play ring around the roses with each other.

Ayan is 'private-jet' rich but wants to be a singer, the out-going Alizeh loves Ali, and the happily divorced Saba is looking for love.

The most flavorsome relationship dramas, where characters pair up, leave, and return, are a compendium of sighs and tears and moments where you want the lovers to fall into each other's arms because you can't bear to see them apart.

Here there is none.

That's because of a lack in focus: he falls in love with her - she loves another - he falls in lust with another - she teaches him how like is better than love - like it is all over the place and stretched at ends, the intervening bits filled with songs (club, shaadi, even a 'break-up' ditty) and dialogue (yes, not lines, but dialogues, in the old-fashioned way: why, when your characters inhabit the here and now?). Sure, they play 'shayars' and singers, but their delivery makes a lot of those conversations feel forced and cheesy.

Fawad Khan, over whom so much controversy broke out, is dishy but doesn't really have much to do in the movie.

But the one who lifts this film, or as much as he can, is Ranbir. As the fellow who crumbles and cries and shoves his aching heart on his sleeve even when letting a pretty thing wipe his eyes, he is terrific.

The others were okay.

And that 2 minutes cameo of SRK delivers more emotions than the entire movie of 2 hours. (I'm not an SRK fan, being honest)

You can watch Shivaay for a better entertainer. Happy Diwali :)

try to understand its awesome

[eswarnaveen · 8/10 · 13 November 2016]

The movie has some really good sense when it comes to emotions and important part is it focuses on points which are very essential important in today's life. for example explaining the part friendship and love widely will surly give director a lot of credit. specifically the scenes involving night stand and all, i accept that these are widely criticized but please guys grow up. yes it appears to be sought of typical karan johar film but still it has a deep meaning.when it comes to cast i would say it was a lot of them and appeared to be a bit heavy on film but on average its great.

most importantly its very very good and don't miss it for some stupid criticism. have a heart u will love it.

Unnecessarily Dragging of Story Spoils The Otherwise Awesome Movie

[puranjan163 · 6/10 · 29 October 2016]

This movie is some really complicated love story. May be with my level of intellect I could not understand what was exactly been tried to be portrayed in this movie. For the first time I am being disappointed by a karan johar movie. The first half of the movie was really good, but towards the end I could not understand why the story was being unnecessarily dragged.The fun of the movie was spoiled due to such dragging and forcefully increasing the storytelling. Acting wise everyone has done a great job and Aishwarya Rai is STILL the BEST, it was a real visual treat seeing her in a glamorous role after a long time. The music of this movie is just as beautiful as Aishwarya Rai. Overall I would say the movie is good,Ash is best and ending is bad. If you really love complicated love stories with a lot of drama in it, then only it is your dish.

Watch it at your own risk!!

[vks_1234 · 1/10 · 28 October 2016]

Yes again Karan Johar does not disappoint at making crappy movies!He outperformed himself yet again with same old wannabe shabby movie. He has no sense of movie making yet people watch his shyt (this is the last time I have wasted my money & time)!

It's high time public reject such useless directors whose only name for fame is that they are well connected and son's of some film personality. Tired of watching Ranbir and Anushka doing same type of roles. These wannabe Hollywood type Boollywood dumbos are the worst.

If you have nothing to do in life and decide to watch this movie! Take some headache removal pills with you! After student of the year and many such crop movies this is yet another headache from johar!