Movie Name : Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai
Release Date : June 5, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur, Pooja Hegde, Maniesh Paul, Chunky Pandey, Jimmy Shergill, Mouni Roy
Director : David Dhawan
Producer : Ramesh Taurani
Music Directors : White Noise Collectives, Tanishk Bagchi, Rony Ajnali, Gill Macchrai (Classy Beats), Javed – Mohsin, Akshay & IP
Cinematographer : Ayananka Bose
Editor : Ritesh Soni
Related Links : Trailer
Varun Dhawan’s latest rom-com entertainer Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, also starring Pooja Hegde and Mrunal Thakur, has hit the big screens. David Dhawan is the director. Let’s see how the film is.
Story:
Jaswinder Ahuja, aka Jass Ahuja (Varun Dhawan), is a wedding photographer who falls in love with Baani (Mrunal Thakur) while working at a wedding. Baani too falls in love with him, and they get married in a cinematic fashion. However, five years after their marriage, Baani applies for divorce because Jass Ahuja wants to have kids, but she refuses, citing her professional career and responsibilities. Later, Jass Ahuja moves to London, where he starts dating Preet (Pooja Hegde). To Jass Ahuja’s shock, Baani re-enters his life, leading to chaos and fun.
Plus Points:
The second half is filled with decent entertainment. After the interval twist, the narrative picks up steam as the protagonist juggles between two women. Varun Dhawan’s antics to keep the truth hidden from the female leads generate good laughs.
The hospital sequences in the second half, involving Rakesh Bedi and Chunky Panday, along with the house sequence featuring Maniesh Paul, have come out well. Varun Dhawan delivers an entertaining performance and looks energetic on screen throughout. The fun dialogues are neatly written. For example, the one referring to Shah Rukh Khan from Jawan elicits smiles.
Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde’s roles are largely meant for glamour, and both do well in their respective parts. The film’s runtime is crisp, and there are no significant dull stretches.
Minus Points:
While the jokes and entertainment largely work in the latter half, the film’s impact and the hero’s character are undermined by the climax. It portrays the male protagonist as someone desperate for women, whereas the proceedings until that point suggest otherwise. Jass Ahuja enters into another relationship only because his wife divorces him, and not out of any bad intentions.
Very few jokes work in the first half, while most of them fail to land as intended, making this portion below par. In particular, the love track in the opening half hour is quite ordinary.
Rom-coms generally need good music to elevate the overall experience, but Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai falls short in this aspect, with only one song (the remix) making an impression. There was good scope for emotions in the climax, but the film fails to capitalize on it.
Technical Aspects:
The music isn’t great, and with better songs, the film would have been more captivating. Raju Singh’s background score is decent. Ayananka Bose’s camera work is vibrant, while the editing and production values are satisfactory.
David Dhawan’s direction is a mixed bag. While the first half isn’t very effective, the second half offers some good humor. However, the impact is taken away by the climax and the cameo that follows it.
Verdict:
On the whole, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is a romantic comedy that works in parts with a better second half. Varun Dhawan’s entertaining performance, the presence of Pooja Hegde and Mrunal Thakur, and some good humor in the latter half are the film’s strengths. However, a below-par first half, the lack of good music, and the climax weaken the overall impact.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
