Bollywood has long run on attractive leads, catchy songs, scenic locations and cheesy lines. Luv Ranjan’s addition, which powered Pyaar Ka Punchnama and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, was bickering friends and everyday speech. Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar, written by Luv Ranjan and Jehan Handa and directed by Anuj Saini, once more revisits that territory.
The setup
Shivi, Gautam and Vedant are school friends, now colleagues, still single. A Dehradun reunion brings a chance to confess to the crushes they left behind. Over roughly 2 hours 20 minutes, the film leans on mountain views and Rochak Kohli’s songs as much as on the romance itself.
What works
- The three leads’ easy chemistry keeps the opening light.
- Rochak Kohli’s music is a clear high point and carries much of the mood.
- The comedy lands more than it misses, and the dialogue avoids recycled WhatsApp-style jokes.
- The newcomers—Sparsh Walia, Sakshi Vaidya, Kunal Vaid, Alisha Chopra and Tushar Chhibber—hold the material, with Sparsh evoking Kartik Aaryan’s first Pyaar Ka Punchnama turn.
Where it loses grip
Hindustan Times gives the film 3 stars. The second half does find direction and the climax lands on a fun note, but the main flaw is structural: after the reunion setup, the screenplay seems unsure what it is actually about. One subplot asks a man who barely spoke to his school crush to fall so hard within two days that he expects her to call off her wedding. Nostalgia can make old memories warm, but it cannot by itself carry a believable love story.
Who should watch
This is not a reinvention of the buddy rom-com. It is a light group watch that may get you talking about your own school crushes and unmade confessions. Go for the music, the Dehradun scenery and the easy humour; do not expect to root hard for the central romances.
Source: Hindustan Times