Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) Review: Friend-Zoned in Luxury

Is Ae Dil Hai Mushkil worth watching?

It depends on what you want from it. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is a lavish, beautifully shot Hindi romance with a superb soundtrack and a committed Ranbir Kapoor, but its story of unrequited love is more stylish than deep. Karan Johar takes a more grown-up approach than usual, focusing on longing, friendship and rejection rather than a straightforward love story. The reservation is that the characters rarely feel like people with lives beyond the hero’s heartbreak, and at 158 minutes the film circles its themes rather than developing them.

What is Ae Dil Hai Mushkil about?

Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) is a wealthy young man studying in London who would rather be a singer than follow the path his family expects. On a night out he meets Alizeh (Anushka Sharma), a free-spirited woman still hurting from a past relationship, and the two quickly become close. For Ayan, the friendship turns into love. For Alizeh, it remains friendship, and she is clear that she does not feel the same way.

The film follows Ayan as he tries to live with that imbalance, moving through relationships and cities across Europe. Among the people he meets is Saba (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), an older, poised poet whose connection with Ayan helps him see his feelings for Alizeh in a new light. Fawad Khan plays Ali, a figure from Alizeh’s past.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is written and directed by Karan Johar. It is an Indian film in Hindi, running 158 minutes.

The music is the film’s real voice

Pritam’s soundtrack is the film’s strongest element and the reason many viewers return to it. Songs such as the aching “Channa Mereya” and the title track, both sung by Arijit Singh, express the longing and frustration the script often struggles to articulate. Johar stages these numbers with skill, letting them carry emotional turning points.

Visually, the film is a showcase. London, Paris and Vienna are presented as a glossy backdrop of luxury apartments, nightclubs and snowy streets, and the cinematography gives even quiet conversations a polished glow. The style is seductive, even when it threatens to overwhelm the substance.

Performances that outshine the writing

Ranbir Kapoor is excellent as Ayan, capturing the neediness and self-pity of one-sided love while keeping the character sympathetic. He is especially good in the comic scenes early on and in the moments when Ayan’s charm gives way to desperation. Anushka Sharma brings energy and warmth to Alizeh, though the character is often defined by her effect on Ayan rather than her own inner life.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is elegant and composed as Saba, bringing depth to a role that sometimes functions more as a mirror for Ayan than a full character. Fawad Khan makes a strong impression in limited screen time.

A hero too wrapped up in himself

The film’s biggest weakness is its focus. It is so invested in Ayan’s pain that other characters’ needs and choices feel secondary, and his behaviour, at times entitled and possessive, is not examined as critically as it could be. The screenplay repeats its central conflict in different settings, and the final stretch leans heavily on melodrama to resolve emotions the story has not fully explored. The result is a film that is often moving in moments but uneven as a whole.

Who should watch Ae Dil Hai Mushkil?

It is best for fans of Karan Johar’s glossy style, admirers of Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma, and anyone who loves Hindi film music and romance with a melancholy edge. Set aside more than two and a half hours. There is some sexual innuendo and emotional intensity, but nothing graphic.

If you are in the mood for related films:

• Kapoor & Sons, a sharper, more grounded Hindi drama from the same year, also featuring Fawad Khan.
• Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Johar’s later romance, livelier and more self-aware about family and gender.
• Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the classic Hindi romance that first made Europe the genre’s favourite backdrop.

The verdict

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is a handsome, song-driven romance with strong performances and real moments of emotional truth, but its characters are thinner than its style and its focus on the hero’s heartbreak becomes wearing. It is worth watching for the music and Ranbir Kapoor, less so for its story.

Rating: 3/5