Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai Review: Love, Youth & Drama

Jass (Varun Dhawan) is a young man caught between two lives. On the day of his wedding to the sensible Baani (Mrunal Thakur), he gets cold feet - not because he doesn’t love her, but because their life priorities are fundamentally misaligned. He craves adventure; she wants stability. So Jass does the unthinkable: he leaves Baani at the altar and flees to a scenic European resort to clear his head. There, he meets Preet (Pooja Hegde), a free-spirited artist who seems like the perfect antidote to his broken engagement. Romance blooms under sun-drenched skies. But just as Jass begins to imagine a new future, shocking revelations surface - about Preet’s past, about Baani’s secret, and about Jass’s own role in the wreckage he left behind. The film then pivots from a breezy holiday romance into a convoluted morality play about loyalty, commitment, and the uncomfortable truth that running away doesn’t solve anything.

David Dhawan, at 75, is a director who defined 90s Bollywood comedy - think “Judwaa,” “Hero No. 1,” “Biwi No.1.” His signature was a loud, slapstick, innuendo-laden energy that often worked because he understood the rhythm of farce. “Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai” tries to channel that same spirit, but it’s fighting against a screenplay that wants to be taken seriously half the time. The first act is pure chaos: the wedding sequence is a whirlwind of exaggerated relatives, a bizarre character named Selfie Kumar (Rakesh Bedi) who documents everything, and Jass’s best friend Kunnu (Maniesh Paul) acting as the comic sidekick. Chunky Panday’s Dr. Gulati provides the obligatory “wise uncle” schtick, while Jimmy Shergill’s Jogi Randhawa shows up in a late twist that feels tacked on.

The romance between Jass and Preet is pleasant enough. Varun Dhawan brings his trademark puppy-dog charm, jumping from manic physical comedy to sincere longing with practiced ease. Pooja Hegde, given more to do here than in her recent releases, plays Preet as a mystery wrapped in a smile. The chemistry is decent, but the script keeps interrupting their moments with unnecessary subplots - Mouni Roy’s Rasmalai, a loud Punjabi hotel manager, is a one-note caricature who overstays her welcome. And Mrunal Thakur, as the jilted Baani, is relegated to a single scene in the first half and then reappears for the climax, where her character gets a monologue that tries to explain away the whole “leaving at the altar” business. It doesn’t land.

The tonal problem is the film’s biggest flaw. One minute Jass is doing a slapstick bit involving a goat and a swimming pool; the next, he’s having a tear-filled conversation about emotional betrayal. David Dhawan has never been a subtle filmmaker, but he used to know how to keep the absurdity consistent. Here, the shifts feel jarring, as if two different movies were edited together. The second half, especially, drags: what should be a 110-minute comedy stretches to 136 minutes, and you start feeling every extra ten.

That said, there are genuine laughs. Maniesh Paul has a running gag about mispronouncing foreign languages that actually lands. Varun and Pooja share a surprisingly tender moment on a gondola that makes you wish the whole film had that warmth. And the climax, while predictable, offers a neat twist that reframes Jass’s initial decision. It won’t change anyone’s mind about the film, but it provides a satisfying-enough conclusion.

Pros

• Varun Dhawan’s earnest performance and comic timing.
• A few genuinely funny set-pieces, especially in the first half.
• Pooja Hegde and Varun share decent romantic chemistry.
• Maniesh Paul provides solid comic relief without being overbearing.
• The climax twist is cleverly set up, even if the execution is rushed.

Cons

• Runtime is 20 minutes too long; the middle sags badly.
• Tonal whiplash between slapstick and serious drama.
• Mrunal Thakur’s character is underserved and underused.
• Several supporting characters (Rasmalai, Selfie Kumar) feel like filler.
• The script relies on tired tropes - wedding abandonment, accidental misunderstandings.
• Overall derivative of better David Dhawan films from the 90s and 2000s.

“Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai” is the cinematic equivalent of a lukewarm plate of butter chicken: it fills a stomach but doesn’t leave a memory. David Dhawan hasn’t lost his touch entirely - there are flashes of the old master at work - but the screenplay is too cluttered, the tone too uneven, and the length too indulgent. Varun Dhawan works hard to sell the material, and Pooja Hegde makes for a pleasing romantic lead, but they can’t save a movie that doesn’t know what it wants to be. If you’re a fan of the family or a completionist for 2026 Bollywood releases, you’ll find mild amusement. For everyone else, wait for the streaming premiere.