Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai story:

David Dhawan's Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is about a wedding photographer named Jass (Varun Dhawan) and his wife, Bani (Mrunal Thakur). The couple has been married for five years, but their marriage faces a major challenge when their priorities diverge: Bani wants to concentrate on her career, while Jass wants to start a family right away. Following a court-mandated cooling-off period after their separation, Jass relocates to London to rebuild his life. There, he develops feelings for Preet (Pooja Hegde), a wealthy young woman whose overprotective brother (Jimmy Sheirgill) has a dangerous tendency to pull the trigger.


With the simultaneous arrival of Jass' estranged wife, Bani, in London to announce her pregnancy and his new girlfriend Preet's discovery that she is also expecting his child, the plot devolves into a classic, wild David Dhawan comedy. In his mad dash to conceal the two pregnancies from both women, Jass finds himself engulfed in a web of deceit, soundproof apartments, and classic 1990s situational comedy.



Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai review:


What is the most common factor in David Dhawan's films? Most of them are comedies, yes! Most of them are remakes, some of which are his movies. However, the most common factor I would identify is that these films do not age well. While watching "Raja Babu" (1994), "Saajan Chale Sasural" (1996), "Biwi No. 1" (1999), "Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta" (2001), "Shaadi No. 1" (2005), or "Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?" (2005) in today's times, the acceptance of watching these films comes with a price. Films like this just normalise infidelity, cheating, duping, and whatever other synonyms exist. Most of the lead male characters are "Liar, Liar", and it has become a genre for sure. But Dhawan Sr. has refused to change, even as society has evolved to accept that these themes are no longer relevant and should not be trivialised. Moreover, his son, actor Varun Dhawan, with whom he has previously collaborated on three films, has also become trapped in that loop with "Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai".


The teaser and trailer already revealed the crux of the plot: Varun's character, Jass, accidentally impregnates two women simultaneously and makes every effort to conceal the situation from both of them. He has been married to Bani (Mrunal Thakur) for almost five years and is desperate to become a father. His wife's refusal to become a mother victimises him in his own eyes, making him feel like he is missing out. Bani justifies her stance perfectly well, explaining that she is not looking forward to carrying a baby, looking after a child, and compromising on her career. This leads to their legal separation. During their cooling-off period, he meets Preet (Pooja Hegde) in London, and she becomes pregnant during their courtship. To complicate matters, on the day of their legal separation, Jass and Bani have drunken sex, and she conceives as well. Both women reveal their pregnancies to Jass on the very same day, triggering a chaotic situation.


Where do we even begin with the problems in this film? Firstly, Jass, a professional wedding photographer, doesn't even know who his clients are and mistakes Bani for the bride. Despite all the confusion and Jass' attempts to disrupt the wedding, he and Bani end up getting married just two days after meeting each other. Ummm, somebody who is so unprofessional that he forgets his actual job still gets the girl?


Secondly, he wants to excessively express his "love" for his wife by having unprotected sex, even though condom branding is visibly plugged throughout the scene. Despite Bani's explicit refusal, Jass is determined and borders on marital rape. At the same time, his character glorifies the "male loneliness epidemic" and constantly engages in self-victimisation.


Thirdly, even during his cooling-off period, when Preet asks him if he is single, this man—who is actively going through a separation—says, "Fully single." Fine, this might not technically be cheating, as his estranged wife told him to move on.


But what happens when his wife announces her pregnancy first and his girlfriend announces hers right after? Doesn't it become his "honest" responsibility to let both of them know about the situation? Well, not according to Dhawan Sr.!


The film lacks originality, and in the name of being "woke", we get a movie that shouldn't even exist. First, we saw a story about a "coolie" in the 2020s, and now, we have a man lying to both his partners—with neither woman making any real effort to know more about Jass.


In one sequence, Preet decides to move in with Jass while Bani is already living with him, turning the setup into a Garam Masala-esque situation. Before long, the narrative completely forgets this arrangement, and we never actually witness their interactions at home. It’s all about Jass saving himself while everyone else is dumbed down, right?


In another scene where Bani and Preet are having coffee, Jass almost exposes himself. Thinking quickly, he puts on a helmet to save skin. I was honestly more curious than these two women as to why he couldn't just show his face! The leading ladies lack agency or independent thoughts until the climax, effectively becoming pawns in Jass' mind games while he prioritises his own interests.


The recycled songs, like "Tera Hone Laga Hoon" with a Bhediya twist and a distorted "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi", rehash earlier Bollywood tracks without introducing anything original. Nothing here is fresh—be it the core thought, the execution, or the performance by Varun, who has simply stopped offering anything new. Well, much like his script choices!


The leading ladies, Thakur and Hegde, try diligently to fit into the narrative, but it is definitely not meant for them or their characters. Although they play the only "serious" characters in this loud comedy, neither manages to make her presence meaningful, even as a mere catalyst to advance the story.


It's a fair decision by Dhawan Sr to stop directing films. Furthermore, I think Farhad Samji, who wrote the dialogue, and Yunus Sajawal, who wrote the screenplay, should seriously upgrade their mindsets to keep pace with the current times instead of rehashing dated tropes that should no longer exist.


Let's not even get into the supporting characters. From Jimmy Sheirgill, Maneish Paul to Chunky Panday, and even cameos by Dhawan Sr regulars like Rakesh Bedi, Johny Lever, and Rajpal Yadav—everyone makes their way into the film, only to be typecast yet again by the filmmaker himself.


If only more thought had been put into showcasing some semblance of honesty from Jass, rather than having him constantly scheme to avoid getting caught for his wrongdoings.


Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai verdict:


Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is a regressive, exhausting relic that proves David Dhawan’s brand of 90s situational comedy has aged terribly. By rehashing dated tropes of male deceit and stripping its leading ladies of all agency, the film feels utterly out of sync with modern sensibilities. Varun Dhawan remains trapped in a loud, unoriginal loop, while Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde are completely wasted in a narrative that actively rewards dishonesty.