Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra‘s 2010 drama Anjaana Anjaani was largely bashed for its lack of depth and inspirations. But on the film’s 15th anniversary, I am here do defend the rom-com despite its flaws. Some films don’t flop because they are bad, they sink because they release at the wrong time or find their audience upon the digital release. I believe something similar happened with the Siddharth Anand directorial.
Two strangers meet on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at midnight, both planning to die by suicide. The story then steers into the direction of truly living for the last 20 days of their lives, before meeting again at the same place and time to finish what they had started. The film’s detractors said Anjaana Anjaani slipped between genres and audience couldn’t understand what to do with it. However, watching it today, in 2025, doesn’t give away a confused feeling. Instead, Priyanka and Ranbir’s suicide-turned-love pact helped me live life to the fullest.
Candyfloss concept
Undeniably, the makers of Anjaana Anjaani took inspiration from The Bucket List and Girl on the Bridge. But, for the Indian audiences, stepping out to watch mainstream Bollywood romance, the film cannot be called a basic, traditional love story. Watching the concept of ‘Doing things before you die’ and living life to the fullest was intriguing to watch as a teenager. A blurry memory of going out with my cousins to watch this film still holds a special place in my heart. It gave me the idea to create my own bucket list — and mind you, that was not a thing a decade and a half back in India.
A still from Anjaana Anjaani
Sweet 2010s love
Initially, it was simply two people helping each other ‘live’. Their romance blossomed after many fights and awkward silences. To feel the sweet 2010 era love, similar to what we saw in films like I Hate Luv Storys and Break Ke Baad, was engaging for me. The candyfloss love that didn’t have two perfect lovers, but flawed characters who gave comfort in chaos.
ALSO READ | Bombay Velvet: Why Ranbir Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap’s cinematic experiment deserves a second chance
Everlasting music
The best part about the movie was its everlasting music. The entire playlist can compete with recent chartbusters. From “Tujhe Bhula Diya”,
“Hairat”, “Aas Paas Khuda”, to the title song, Vishal Shekhar gave us songs that outlived the film. The music had a youthful appeal that still resonates with me today. Ravi K Chandran’s splendid frames also added value to the film.
Oddball humour
There was a noticeable strange and awkward humour throughout the film that made it more intriguing to watch. From the casino scenes in Vegas to the opening bridge scene, there was a typical, mainstream Bollywood vibe to it. While the oddball jokes didn’t always land well, Anjaana Anjaani still felt charming whenever they did.
Story continues below this ad
A still from Anjaana Anjaani
Ranbir-Priyanka’s underrated act
Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra’s performances were the heart of this film. These weren’t their most celebrated roles, but deserved more love. Their underrated acts as Aakash and Kiara felt magnetic. I was able to fall in love with their characters for what they were, without changing a single thing about them. The climax of the duo ending up together makes you want to believe in fairytale romance, a rom-com without a villain.
Anjaana Anjaani was a warm hug, like having rajma chawal on a Sunday, like completing a trek, or eating your birthday cake for breakfast. The movie wasn’t a masterpiece, but also not something that deserved to be dismissed in a minute. With its own extra spice and drama, the supposed dud worked for me!
