Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai review: So much chaos, so few laughs, and one very long wait for it to end 

A David Dhawan comedy has an unspoken rule: You walk into the theatre knowing logic has already left through the emergency exit. Characters lie, shout, run around in circles, hide in bedrooms, and at the end of it all the world is perfect, no questions asked. The audience is expected to laugh and go along for the ride. The problem with Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is that even after switching off your brain, the film still manages to exhaust it. 

Dhawan has built his successful career on chaotic and extremely funny movies; even some of his films have nearly cult-like followings. However, this film feels like he is taking the thought of his own personal humour and has not only put them together with little freshness, but they seem to just be random ideas that have been connected to each other as a conglomeration of nonsense. The result is a film that mistakes noise for comedy and confusion for entertainment. 

The story centres on Jass (Varun Dhawan), whose life ends up a tangled mess of romance, marriage, secrets, and more than enough coincidental situations to put even the most exaggerated soap operas to shame. As the plot goes through its twists and turns, it does not get any funnier; if anything, it becomes even more tiring. At one point in the story, the screenplay resembles an intersection with a completely malfunctioning traffic signal – everyone is moving but has no idea where they are going; yet we are all supposed to enjoy the chaos and confusion. 

David Dhawan films have never been known for their airtight plot lines. Biwi No. 1, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Partner were not examples of logical fiction either. All of these movies contained great performances, superb comic timing, and many laughs. Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai has difficulty maintaining these characteristics. 

The biggest disappointment comes from Varun Dhawan. Despite being an excellent comic actor who has given us films like Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, it seems like he doesn’t want to create his own style. He seems like he is trying to channel Salman Khan for a substantial portion of the film, Govinda for even longer, and there are so many instances of exaggerated expressions, dialogue delivery, and mannerisms from these two stars that you see any hint of Varun Dhawan at all. The performance isn’t entirely without energy, but it rarely feels authentic. 

The performances of Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde stand out as superior due to their sincerity and conviction in their characters. They have the potential to add emotional impact to scenes that otherwise become absurd-o-matic. They are both competent in delivering their dialogues with confidence. However, there is simply no way either actress could have represented characters that were poorly written. 

Then there’s Jimmy Sheirgill. It should be a cinematic offence to use such an amazing actor like him as little as in this movie. Jimmy is capable of taking a movie scene and elevating that moment into something amazing because he just has such a huge screen presence. If you wait long enough, you will think that he is about to become part of the main story, but you never see that happen. So, it is one of the biggest missed opportunities in this movie’s potential. 

The supporting cast, from Maniesh Paul to Chunky Panday to Mouni Roy to Rakesh Bedi, etc., give lots of energy in joining this fun and crazy ride. A lot of the more popular and funny jokes come in the second half of the movie. Some of the better jokes arrive in the second half, and a few comic sequences genuinely land. Unfortunately, they’re too few and too scattered to save the film. 

Chunnari Chunnari has divided audiences due to its remake, but one thing is for sure – the dance number is energetic! The cast throws itself into the choreography with so much positive energy that for only a few moments does this movie feel like what it wishes to be; full of life! 

This film visually has the typical characteristics of a David Dhawan film – it is vibrant, colourful and energetic. However, that is where the similarities end. The bright colours and upbeat production design cannot make up for the fact that the screenplay feels like it is stuck in a different era. 

What is surprising to me about this movie is that it doesn’t feel like a harmlessly silly comedy; it feels exhausting. Here, every new misunderstanding feels like another obstacle standing between the audience and the exit door. 

Hai Jawaani Toh Ishq Hona Hai wants to be a carefree laugh riot. Instead, it often feels like a punishment disguised as a comedy. And that’s far less entertaining than the film thinks it is. 

Rating: 1.5/5