There is a moment in "Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai" when you realise that the film's idea of comedy is not wit, clever writing, or even absurd situations; it is simply making everyone louder. The result is a film that is constantly busy, perpetually in motion, and yet surprisingly short on laughs.
The story revolves around Rohan (Varun Dhawan) and his wife Baani (Mrunal Thakur), whose marriage is on the verge of collapse.
Baani, a successful CEO focused on her career, wants a divorce, while Rohan's desire to start a family has become a source of friction between them.
A court grants them six months to reconsider their decision. As Baani walks away, Rohan finds himself drawn to Preet (Pooja Hegde).
Just when he begins building a new relationship, fate intervenes. Both women discover they are pregnant. What follows is a chaotic farce involving a man trying to navigate a pregnant wife, a pregnant girlfriend, and the consequences of his own indecision.
The premise, while flimsy, could have yielded a sharp relationship comedy. Instead, the film settles for broad slapstick and increasingly contrived situations. Much of the humour feels dated, and few dialogues linger after the credits roll. Jokes arrive with great fanfare and leave without making much of an impression.
Varun Dhawan carries almost every scene, but not always successfully. The performance feels overly conscious of itself. Rather than disappearing into the role, Dhawan seems determined to remind viewers of his star persona. The camera returns repeatedly to his physique, expressions, grin, and comic antics. The film appears so fascinated by its leading man that it forgets to build a believable character around him.
Ironically, the women emerge as the more grounded presence. Mrunal Thakur lends Baani a degree of conviction even when the screenplay struggles to justify her abrupt emotional turns.
Pooja Hegde brings an easy-going charm to Preet and avoids the exaggerated theatrics that consume much of the film. Both actresses come across as more natural than many of their male counterparts.
The film's biggest problem is that it wants viewers to laugh at a complicated romantic situation while simultaneously asking them to invest emotionally in a marriage, a new relationship, and two pregnancies. The juggling act rarely works. Characters change their minds when the plot requires it, not because their emotional journeys have earned those decisions.
By the end, “Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai” feels less like a romantic comedy and more like a showcase built around its star.
There is plenty of energy, endless commotion, and a relentless determination to entertain. Yet genuine laughter remains frustratingly scarce.
This is a loud, overstuffed comedy that never quite finds its comic rhythm.
Film: Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
Director: David Dhawan
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, Mrunal Thakur
Rating: 1/5
