'Lacked freshness': Imtiaz Ali on Sara-Kartik's 'Love Aaj Kal' failure
What's the story
In a recent interview, director Imtiaz Ali reflected upon the failure of his film Love Aaj Kal (2020).
Speaking on the YouTube channel Game Changers, he admitted to stuffing the movie with too much, resulting in it being unclear to the audience.
The film starred Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan.
Ali's views
Ali's thoughts on the film's negative reception
Ali said, "I could have done 2-3 things differently. I tried to put too much into it, and that's why it became heavy."
"The ease of the film was compromised. It became thick, people didn't understand what happened. It seemed like this didn't come from the heart. Secondly, I feel the film lacked freshness."
Casting controversy
Ali refuted casting blame for 'Love Aaj Kal' failure
Despite the film's underperformance, Ali dismissed any allegations that poor casting choices were to blame.
He said, "Not because of casting, but whenever you are making a sequel, you should have a proper reason to make it."
"I had that reason, but I wasn't able to express that. At least, it didn't get expressed in the publicity of the film," Ali added.
Sequel strategy
Director's stance on directing sequels in the future
When asked if he would direct sequels in the future, Ali said he wasn't interested unless it was really necessary.
He said, "In a way, yes. Though I had a new story in Love Aaj Kal 2, still, the film didn't work."
"So unless it is really necessary, I am not interested in making sequels. But never say never—Rockstar 2 may be nice," he added.
Future films
Upcoming projects for Khan and Aaryan
Coming to the lead actors' next projects, Khan will be seen in Anurag Basu's Metro... In Dino, releasing on July 4, 2025.
The film also features Aditya Roy Kapur, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, and Fatima Sana Shaikh.
Meanwhile, Aaryan is gearing up for an untitled film with Sreeleela, also directed by Basu, which will hit the screens on Diwali 2025.