What is love? A fleeting moment of happiness? A subtle brush of skin? An abrupt exchange of glances? A passionate consummation of physical urges? However it may be defined, love stories have a timeless appeal. And when Anurag Basu decides to dig deeper into its many colours in Metro… In Dino, you feel its wholesomeness.
Much like in Life in... a Metro, Basu leans into his signature style of converging storytelling. But this time, he goes a step further by delivering a musical much like Jagga Jasoos. Actors occasionally break into impromptu songs, and when they aren’t singing, Pritam, Papon and Raghav Chaitanya step in as sutradhar.
The film has four couples scattered across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, and Pune — each carrying a different shade of love.
Parth (Aditya Roy Kapur) is a philandering travel blogger who views relationships as transactional. When he crosses paths with HR consultant Chumki (Sara Ali Khan), he finds her belief in commitment somewhat archaic. Their dynamic begins as chalk-and-cheese but gradually transforms into a tender friendship.
Kajol (Konkona Sensharma) and Monty (Pankaj Tripathi) are seemingly content in their middle-aged marriage until one incident shatters the illusion. Shruti (Fatima Sana Shaikh) is just another urban girl who seeks stability in her relationship but is unable to sever ties with her long-time partner Akash (Ali Fazal), a struggling singer with whom love is messy. Then there’s Shivani (Neena Gupta), who reunites with her college sweetheart Parimal (Anupam Kher) after years of prioritising her family over her own needs.
The stories in Basu's romantic universe are interesting, somewhat believable, and very romantic. Their conflicts are familiar, and their joys are worth celebrating. An older woman wanting to live her youth at a college reunion, a husband chasing his wife to Goa to apologise, a wife refusing to give up on her husband during hard times, or two strangers falling in love — you feel like you've known these people. You've perhaps been one of them.
The beauty of Metro… In Dino lies in its setting. Basu doesn't just tell stories, he creates a world of his own and you cannot help get sucked in. Rain drizzles like a soundtrack. Cities breathe in the background. Love unfurls at a bus stop, on a footpath, under a dim streetlight.
The mundanity of these locations is what makes them magical — streets you might have walked on, cafes you might have passed by. That familiarity lends the film its charm. The film doesn't promise a larger-than-life drama. It celebrates life as it is: messy, warm, imperfect, and beautiful.
Tripathi is the heart of the film. He is warm and quietly powerful. He anchors emotions with such subtlety that his scenes become a delight to watch. There is a hilarious scene where he is sexting with a woman on a dating app, unaware that it's his wife honey trapping him.
Konkona matches Tripathi's whimsy with her grounded performance. While she aces the humorous bits in the first half, she doubles it up with her portrayal of grief and angst post intermission.
Ali Fazal, especially, wins you over with a mature, layered performance. An emotional breakdown during a song recording shows Ali at his best. Ali's Akash looks so torn and deeply agonising that you feel for him, you see his helplessness. Fatima Sana Sheikh balances her grit and sorrow but her character deserved more teeth.
And then there's Neena Gupta. She comes into her own in the second half of the story, and when she does, she is a treat to watch. Anupam Kher complements her performance as her old flame.
Then there's the young couple. While Aditya channelises his Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani charm, Sara’s Chumki is reminiscent of Geet from Jab We Met.
The music, by Pritam Chakraborty, deserves its moment. Without it, the story wouldn’t deliver the experience it does.
There are delightful bonuses too: Basu makes a quiet cameo, Imtiaz Ali plays himself, and there’s even a blink-and-miss Guddu-Kaleen Bhaiya moment (IYKYK). And Rohan Gurbaxani makes a delightful cameo too.
