March 16, 2025 03:16 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Bengal's Birbhum witnesses violent clashes over Holi; internet suspended, heavy security deployed | Haryana BJP leader shot dead by neighbour over land dispute, incident caught on camera | Airbag blocked my view, claims 20-year-old law student whose car crashed into vehicles killing 1 in Vadodara | Mark Carney takes oath as new Canada Prime Minister | Man attacks people with iron rod inside Golden Temple in Amritsar, leaves 5 injured | Not disrespectful: Tamilian who designed rupee symbol reacts to Stalin govt's currency move | In a setback for Donald Trump, US judge orders federal agencies to rehire fired workers: Report | 'We will thwart conspiracies hatched by Centre': Revanth Reddy on delimitation exercise | Chennai doctor, his wife along with two sons die by suicide due to huge debt: Cops | Amid language debate, Tamil Nadu drops rupee symbol in state budget
Ibrahim Ali Khan’s performance lacks emotional depth, often appearing stiff and disconnected from the role. Photo courtesy: Kushi Kapoor Instagram

Film Review: Nadaaniyan is too 'Nadaan' of a film

| @indiablooms | Mar 13, 2025, at 09:29 pm

Nadaaniyan is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language teen romantic comedy directed by Shauna Gautam.

Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment, the story revolves around the two leads, Arjun Mehta (Ibrahim Ali Khan), son of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, and Pia Jaisingh (Khushi Kapoor), daughter of Boney Kapoor and Sridevi.

After a falling out with her friends, Pia, an ultra-rich teenager from South Delhi, fabricates a boyfriend to maintain her social status.

She enlists Arjun, a middle-class student and new transfer at her elite school, to pose as her fake boyfriend on social media. As they navigate this arrangement, the film explores themes of class differences, teenage relationships, and the complexities of social hierarchies. 

Despite its glamorous appeal, Nadaaniyan falls short in several critical areas. The film heavily relies on overused teen rom-com tropes, making the storyline predictable and uninspired.

The writing is exceptionally naïve, unmatched with low-quality lyrics and music. The character development feels shallow, with Arjun’s transformation becoming more cosmetic than meaningful and Pia’s privileged struggles failing to evoke genuine sympathy.

Ibrahim Ali Khan’s performance lacks emotional depth, often appearing stiff and disconnected from the role, while the chemistry between the leads feels forced rather than natural.

The dialogues, meant to be witty and engaging, often come off as cringe-worthy, failing to capture the authenticity of teenage relationships.

Furthermore, the film struggles with pacing—some sequences drag unnecessarily, while others rush through potentially impactful moments.

While attempting to reflect modern youth culture and social media obsession, Nadaaniyan merely skims the surface, lacking the depth or sharp commentary needed to make a lasting impression.

Ultimately, it feels more like a glossy social media post than a heartfelt story, making it an underwhelming addition to the genre.

Nadaaniyan is an entirely forgettable movie. I will give a 0.5 out of 5 to the film.


The writer is a senior postdoctoral scientist at Arizona State University, US. He is also an avid movie buff.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Close menu