Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor’s debut film Nadaaniyan is just days away from release, but not everyone’s swooning over the rom-com’s glossy aesthetic.
While the film’s soundtrack has been winning hearts, the title track, released on 4 March has reignited a debate that’s been brewing ever since the first teaser dropped. With its dreamy colour palette, blurred backgrounds, and picture-perfect styling, many fans can’t help but compare the film’s visuals to a “Cornetto ice cream or Close-Up toothpaste ad.”
“It’s the colour grading, costumes, and background blur… crazy how they had to blur everything else to create an illusion of screen presence for the lead actors lol,” wrote one user on X.
Another added, “Hindi films are becoming far from reality… this is what Anurag Kashyap meant when he talked about over-polishing the cinematic world.”
The criticism isn’t entirely unfounded- the film’s cinematographer Anuj Samtani is known for his work on advertisements, which explains the hyper-stylised aesthetic.
Despite the backlash, the film’s music is proving to be its saving grace. The peppy title track- sung by Varun Jain, Jonita Gandhi, and Sachin-Jigar- has already left fans “obsessed”, with many praising the catchy melody and the effortless chemistry between Ibrahim and Khushi.
Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment and directed by Shauna Gautam, Nadaaniyan follows a college-going couple whose fake relationship takes unexpected turns.
With the songs topping charts but the cinematography raising eyebrows, all eyes are now on the film’s Netflix debut this Friday, 7 March.
What’s your take – dreamy or just another Close-Up ad in disguise?