Premium15 years of Love Aaj Kal: Look back at Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone's iconic chemistry
Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone’s memorable journey from Love Aaj Kal to Cocktail captures a timeless romance that has captivated audiences for years.
Last Updated: 12.23 PM, Jul 31, 2024
On the 15th anniversary of Love Aaj Kal, it's a wonderful opportunity to look back on the magnetic screen chemistry of Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, who have wowed viewers in a number of their collaborations. Their work, starting with the legendary love drama Love Aaj Kal, portrays love in all its complexity, both in contemporary relationships and in the past. Along with films like Cocktail and Race 2, this one showcases the many roles they've played and the energy they bring to the screen.
Saif and Deepika's impressive on-screen chemistry and versatility have made their filmography an engaging voyage through both touching and exciting stories, whether they're tackling the intricacies of modern romance or plunging into high-octane thrillers.
Films featuring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone
Love Aaj Kal - JioCinema
Illuminati Films and Maddock Films produced Imtiaz Ali's 2009 romantic comedy-drama Love Aaj Kal, starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. It also has supporting roles from Rishi Kapoor and Giselli Monteiro, as well as a cameo by Neetu Singh. The film chronicles the adventures of Jai and Meera and shows how, despite shifting viewpoints on finding one's soulmate, the experience of true love remains constant.
Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone play a contemporary London couple named Jai and Meera. They enjoy being a couple but don't want to commit to each other. Therefore, they opt to adapt to changing circumstances. "These Heer Ranjha, Romeo Juliet type janam janam ka saath couples exist only in story books (these Heer Ranjha, Romeo Juliet type couples with eternal love exist only in storybooks)," Jai points out. "We have to be practical in real life," Jai explains. Thunderbolt strikes Veer Singh in another time and place as he first sees Harleen. His next move is to kneel under a tree and utter the following curse: "Iss janam mein aur har janam mein yeh hi meri votti banegi Harleen Kaur. (In this life and in every life, she will be my wife, Harleen Kaur.)" In order to stand beneath her balcony and catch a glimpse of her face, he goes a thousand kilometres by train. Despite this, you must remain silent by her side. It was 1965 in Calcutta. As they meet today, Veer still can't wrap his head around Jai's ability to approach emotional problems with the same cold logic as a business deal. It baffles Jai that Veer Singh, in his youth, could have been so innocent and foolish with Harleen. While the mechanics of forming a relationship may change from one time to the next, the feeling of falling in love is timeless, as we see in both accounts. Thus, we uncover the joy and misery of contemporary life. The emancipation and bewilderment. In the past, there were periods of both innocence and coercion. Along with physical separation comes a warm fuzzy feeling that grows stronger as time passes. As time passes, distances between people broaden, yet connections strengthen.
Aarakshan - JioCinema; Prime Video; ShemarooMe (OTTplay Premium); Lionsgate Play (OTTplay Premium)
Aarakshan is a political drama film from 2011 that features Deepika Padukone, Prateik Babbar, Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, and Manoj Bajpayee. Prakash Jha directs the film, a social and political drama that explores the contentious issue of caste-based reservations in Indian government positions and schools. The film had a mixed reception upon its release and the box office receipts were below average.
Amitabh Bachchan portrays Dr. Prabhakar Anand, the principal of STM College, as a model citizen. His low-caste protégé, Deepak (Saif Ali Khan), is one of those who has trouble getting jobs due to his background. Deepika Padukone, Dr. Anand's daughter Poorbi, and Pratiek Babbar's character, Dr. Sushant, console him. He is recruited by Dr. Anand, an STM professor. Everything is fine until the Supreme Court rules on the issue of quotas for students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. While Deepak rejoices over the court's decision, Sushant, a member of the general category, experiences rejection from a government college despite his merit. Because of this, Sushant and Deepak end up feuding. Unfortunately, Dr. Anand's intervention makes things worse. This rising discontent between the castes will eventually find a home.
Cocktail - JioCinema; ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium)
Eros International, Illuminati Films, Maddock Films, Saif Ali Khan, and Dinesh Vijan produced Cocktail, a romantic comedy film from 2012. Imtiaz Ali wrote the script, and Homi Adajania directed it. Diana Penty (making her acting debut) stars alongside Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone.
A surprising bond forms between Veronica, a stunningly beautiful wealthy renegade, and Meera, a timid, uncomfortable, and heartbroken woman who has been tricked into a fake marriage. When Veronica and Meera move in together, they seem to fill up each other's gaps in self-confidence. When Meera and Gautam go out for a night on the town, she calls Gautam out for being the narcissist who had shamelessly pursued her at the airport. Intrigued, Veronica decides to make amends. Unfortunately, their budding romance backfired, and Gautam ended up moving in with them. The three of them end up developing a harmonious friendship despite Meera's criticism. Problems arise when Gautam's traditional mother shows up unannounced in London and finds out her son is living with two girls. A life-altering dilemma soon arises, and things turn dicey for Gautam, Veronica, and Meera in terms of their love and friendship. This is a playful, modern, and heartwarming ode to relationships that delves into the many paths life can take and the extraordinary decisions that regular people make, all set against the colourful and lush background of London and Cape Town.
Race 2 - Netflix
Abbas-Mustan directed the 2013 neo-noir action crime flick Race, which Kiran Kotrial and Shiraz Ahmed penned the screenplay for. The film features Saif Ali Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bipasha Basu, and Ameesha Patel; it is the second and penultimate part of the Race film series, which began in 2008.
Set against the backdrop of casinos and gambling, Race 2 takes place in beautiful Turkey's verdant landscapes. The plot unfolds, revealing more subtle facets of Ranveer Singh's (Saif Ali Khan's) multi-faceted nature. In 'Race,' a car explosion claims the life of Ranveer's partner and lover, Sonia (Bipasha Basu). A chilling wrath creeps into Ranveer's soul, and he resolves to exact revenge for Sonia's murder. The boss of the Indian mafia in Turkey is Armaan Mallik (John Abraham). He co-owns the country's most cunning criminal organisation with Aleena (Deepika Padukone). Along the way to solving the murder of Sonia, Ranveer encounters Armaan Mallik, Aleena, and Jaqueline Fernandez, who plays Armaan Mallik's fiancée Omisha. Additionally, he seeks advice from Anil Kapoor, an old acquaintance of his who has recently hired Cherry (Ameesha Patel) as an assistant. Relying alone on his intelligence, Ranveer navigates this merciless realm. In a world where loyalty shifts minute-to-minute, trust is impossible to establish, and love is nothing more than a four-letter word,. The plot continues the legacy of race as it careens wildly from one exotic location to another, full of surprising twists and turns.