Contains minor spoilers

Anurag Basu’s ‘Metro In Dino’ isn’t just a sequel—it’s a reflection. A return to the familiar mood of ‘Life in a Metro’ (2007), now reshaped by the complexities of contemporary life. While the faces and cities may have changed, the questions remain familiar: What does it mean to love in a time when everything moves rapidly and feels confusing?

Set across cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Kolkata, and Bangalore, it’s a layered tapestry of lives unfolding in parallel—strangers connected by the shared chaos of city life, moments of heartbreak, and a quiet yearning for something meaningful.

If ‘Life in a Metro’ gave us love stories in the midst of early mobile phones and lonely flats, the sequel arrives in the age of dating apps, DMs, and digital exhaustion. And yet, the emotional confusion remains the same, perhaps even stronger now. The film follows people trying to balance love, career, family, and identity.

Konkona Sen Sharma and Pankaj Tripathi play Kajol and Monty—a middle-aged married couple who look settled on the outside, but are quietly falling apart. When Kajol discovers that Monty has installed a dating app to start an affair, the betrayal forces her to rethink everything—not just about her husband, but about herself, and how women are taught to endure for the family’s sake. Tripathi and Sen Sharma’s performances are above par, and their story feels the most rooted in emotional truth.

Then there’s Chumki (Sara Ali Khan), a quiet, awkward woman preparing for marriage with a man who controls more than he cares. She meets Parth (Aditya Roy Kapur), a travel vlogger and carefree bachelor who doesn’t believe in commitment. Their storyline touches on how people raised with different expectations often find themselves confused about what they want. Khan is surprisingly restrained here, giving a performance far more natural than her earlier work in ‘Coolie No 1’, and ‘Love Aaj Kal’.

But perhaps the most thoughtful and timely story belongs to Shruti (Fatima Sana Shaikh) and Akash (Ali Fazal). They are a working couple facing an unplanned pregnancy. She is steady, understanding, and emotionally available. He, on the other hand, is stuck in the frustration of a music career that isn’t taking off. His failure, insecurity, and obsession with his dream slowly eat away at the relationship.

Shaikh plays Shruti with a sadness that builds when you’ve waited too long for someone to change. She doesn’t explode or walk out in anger; she slowly detaches, and that’s where the heartbreak lies. Fazal is convincing as a man torn between guilt and ambition. His performance shows how individuals can become distant from their loved ones when trapped in their self-doubt.

The scene where Shruti agrees to an abortion because Akash wants her to, and she prioritises his peace over her wish, is among the film’s most devastating moments. It’s not dramatic. It’s tender, painful, and deeply human—a reminder of how love sometimes means letting go, not out of defeat, but out of care.

This storyline feels very close to the present-day experience of many young couples: juggling career dreams, emotional needs, and the pressure to keep it all together, until one person finally breaks. The film doesn’t blame anyone—it just lets the silence speak.

One of the standout elements in ‘Metro In Dino’ is its music. The songs, composed by Pritam and sung by Papon and Raghav Chaitanya, aren’t just placed between scenes—they are part of the storytelling. The “Metro Band” appears onscreen, offering a kind of running emotional commentary. Sometimes the music carries more truth than the dialogue. A single line of a melody says what a character cannot. This emotional layering through music adds depth, especially to scenes of heartbreak, self-reflection, and new beginnings.

Unlike many Bollywood films where songs interrupt the story, here they are woven in gently. They guide the film’s rhythm, especially in quieter moments, like when Kajol is sitting alone, or when Shruti is walking away from Akash. Papon’s voice, in particular, adds a timeless quality—warm, aching, and honest.

This film may well be a turning point for Ali Khan. Known mostly for louder, glam-heavy roles, she steps into something quieter and more internal here. As Chumki, she plays a socially awkward, unsure young woman trying to shape herself into someone else’s ideal, only to realise that shrinking yourself doesn’t lead to love. While not perfect, her performance shows restraint and growth, and it may just open the door to more nuanced roles in her career.

For Sana Shaikh, this is yet another quietly satisfying performance. She plays Shruti with quiet dignity—a character many women will see themselves in. After strong performances in ‘Dangal’ and ‘Ludo’, this role shows her ability to carry emotional weight without melodrama. It’s a performance that deserves notice.

Not all the stories work equally well. A subplot about a teenager questioning her sexuality could have been handled sensitively. It includes a moment of non-consensual behaviour that is shown too casually—a serious misstep in an otherwise careful film. A few other arcs, like Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher’s reunion, feel too light and underwritten compared to the emotional weight of the others.

The film also runs just over two hours, and the second half could have been tighter. But even with its uneven moments, the film keeps its emotional centre strong.

‘Metro In Dino’ may not be a revolutionary film, but it is very relevant. It shows how love isn’t always about falling head over heels—it’s about holding on, letting go, and taking care of oneself.

This film reminds us to slow down and really feel, even in a world full of noise, fast decisions, and pressure to move on quickly. ‘Metro In Dino’ isn’t just about love—it’s about how we keep trying to understand it, even when it hurts us.

Metro In Dino

Director: Anurag Basu

Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ali Fazal, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta

Duration: 2 hr 25 mins

Year: 2025