Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali is looking back at one of the biggest misses of his career — and he’s not sugarcoating it. The director recently described his 2020 film Love Aaj Kal starring Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan as a “useless experiment,” admitting the project was never meant to become a sequel in the first place.
“It Was Never Supposed To Be Love Aaj Kal 2”
Speaking in a recent interview, Imtiaz revealed that the film originally had a completely different identity. According to him, the project was initially titled Reverse and wasn’t connected to the Love Aaj Kal franchise at all.
The director explained that the decision to attach the popular franchise name came later, mainly from a commercial perspective. However, he now feels that move may have hurt the film more than helped it.
Imtiaz Ali On Sequels: “Commercial Viability Isn’t Exciting”
Imtiaz also admitted that making sequels purely for box office potential doesn’t excite him creatively. The filmmaker said stories should continue only when there’s a genuine emotional or artistic reason behind them, not because a brand name already exists.
His candid confession has surprised fans, especially since the original Love Aaj Kal starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone remains one of Bollywood’s most loved modern romances.
From Massive Buzz To Major Backlash
Back in 2020, the Kartik-Sara pairing created huge excitement both onscreen and offscreen. Their rumoured real-life romance only added to the hype surrounding the film. But once the movie hit theatres, audiences heavily criticised its screenplay, dialogues, and emotional depth. Sara Ali Khan’s performance especially became a hot topic online, while many viewers compared the film unfavourably to the 2009 original.
Internet Reacts: “At Least Imtiaz is Honest”
Social media users are now praising Imtiaz Ali for openly acknowledging the film’s flaws instead of blaming the actors or audience. Many fans called his honesty “refreshing,” while others joked that Bollywood directors rarely admit when a film simply didn’t work. Meanwhile, Imtiaz is now focused on his upcoming project Main Vaapas Aaunga.