There is nowhere in the world where the nepo baby conversation is stronger than Bollywood; the majority of the Hindi-language film industry’s new generation of stars are descendants of the biggest names in the biz (see also: The Archies). Netflix’s latest film cashes in on not one, but two nepo babies: Nadaaniyan stars both Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s son Ibrahim Ali Khan, and Khushi Kapoor, the daughter of the legendary Sridevi and Boney Kapoor. Does their talent transcend the starpower associated with their names? Read on to find out whether Nadaaniyan is worth the stream.
NADAANIYAN: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Pia (Khushi Kapoor) is a rich and popular student at the Delhi-based Falcon High. After she has a falling out with her friends over a misunderstanding about one of their ex’s advances towards Pia, she makes up a fake boyfriend and then hires new transfer Arjun (Ibrahim Ali Khan) to play the part on her social media.
What Will It Remind You Of?: We’ve seen this plot a million times before in films like Anyone But You, The Proposal, Drive Me Crazy, and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and I would seek those out instead of Nadaniyaan.
Performance Worth Watching: Even though she isn’t given good material to work with, Khushi Kapoor is a bubbly and warm presence on screen.
Memorable Dialogue: “He’s not even from a business family!” someone is heard gossipping at Pia’s birthday party when it’s revealed that Arjun’s dad is a doctor. “I knew it: Peasants, not princes, are her type,” another says in nonsensical dialogue that somehow posits medicine as a poverty career.
Sex and Skin: There are A LOT of abs, but the characters are rarely in a compromised position.
Our Take: As a rom-com lover, the fake dating trope is tried and true. Two people from different worlds seek each other out for some material reason, and despite their tangible differences, they fall in love.
But, as with all stories, the proof is in its execution, and Nadaniyaan seriously lacks the depth and incisiveness to actually say anything over its 2-hour runtime. The problems begin almost immediately when the central Pia makes up a fake boyfriend after her friends don’t believe that one of their exes has been making inappropriate advances to her. Her friends scream feminism instead of actually listening to her. Then when she and Arjun have a “meet-cute,” it’s an entirely surface-level and superficial one.
Khan’s Arjun isn’t granted much depth either, especially in his big character introduction set piece at debate club. It starts out promisingly enough: Arjun is a new student from a modest background, a fish out of water among his rich classmates and immediately the butt of the captain’s jokes. But what makes his classmates eventually respect him isn’t a self-righteous speech about his family or him flaunting his intellect. No, instead his ticket to respect at Delhi’s Falcon High is…*checks notes* his washboard 6-pack abs. Yes, you read that correctly. Standing atop a desk with his shirt pulled up, Arjun invites a mob of his students to gather around him and chant his name, literally conflating his standing at school with his physical presence. It’s jaw-droppingly bad character development that sets the tone for the remainder of the film.
Pia is also clearly modeled after spoiled rich kids that came before (Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham immediately springs to mind), but she doesn’t reach the same “icon” status as Kareena Kapoor’s filmi character did. There’s a lot lacking in the writing to properly ground her as a character and the plot beats that surround her. To make matters worse, Archana Puran Singh reprises her beloved and extremely memeable character Miss Braganza from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, effectively suggesting that this film exists in the same universe, which is an insult to one of the greatest films in Hindi-language history.
Karan Johar, the famed creator of some of the most classic and beloved Bollywood titles including both of the aforementioned films, is attached to this one as a producer, but unfortunately Nadaaniyan is the latest in a string of lackluster films that fail to reach the highs of Johar’s career heights in the early aughts.
Our Call: SKIP IT. This Gen-Z rom-com feels out of touch and superficial.
Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, Vulture and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.
