Metro In Dino Review – "You Should Fall in Love with the Same Person Again and Again"

By Shantiswaroop Tripathi

• Rating: 3 Stars
• Producers: T-Series Films, Anurag Basu Productions
• Co-Producer: Shiv Chanana
• Story & Screenplay: Anurag Basu
• Dialogues: Sandeep Srivastava, Samrat Chakraborty
• Music: Pritam
• Director: Anurag Basu
• Cast: Anupam Kher, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ali Fazal, Neena Gupta, and Saswata Chatterjee
• Duration: 2 hours 39 minutes

Eighteen years ago, in 2007, filmmaker Anurag Basu presented Life in a... Metro, featuring the pairing of Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma. Now, he brings its spiritual sequel Metro... In Dino, which released in cinemas on July 4. The trailer of this musical romantic drama already revealed that the film revolves around four couples representing different generations and cities. While the sequel aims to explore human emotions and modern-day relationships in the digital age, it lacks the lasting impact of its predecessor.

Story

At the heart of Metro... In Dino are four major cities—Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore—and four couples, though the narrative unfolds through nine key characters. One couple is Sanjeev (Saswata Chatterjee) and Shivani (Shivani Gupta), parents to Kajol (Konkona Sen Sharma) and Thumki a.k.a. Chumki (Sara Ali Khan). Another couple, Akash (Ali Fazal) and Shruti (Fatima Sana Shaikh), are battling through their struggling careers and personal losses—Shruti even undergoes an abortion without telling Akash.

Then there’s the fun-loving, commitment-phobic travel blogger Parth (Aditya Roy Kapur) and HR consultant Thumki. While Parth doesn’t believe in marriage, Thumki values commitment and struggles to deal with her exploitative boss until alcohol gives her a bold voice. The third couple, Monty (Pankaj Tripathi) and Kajol (Konkona Sen Sharma), parents to two teenage daughters, are emotionally distant and secretly chat on WhatsApp using pseudonyms. Kajol, posing as “Maya,” catches Monty red-handed and throws him out. One of their daughters is confused about her sexual orientation. We also meet Parimal (Anupam Kher), Shivani’s college lover, now a widower living with his widowed daughter-in-law. He wishes for her to remarry her ex-lover Anand (Kush Jotwani). Each character is entangled in their personal dilemmas, facing emotional crossroads.

Review

If you're expecting Metro... In Dino to recreate the depth and intimacy of Life in a... Metro, you may be disappointed. The narrative doesn’t offer much novelty, echoing themes seen in many contemporary films and even Ekta Kapoor’s TV serials. Some scenes are overly dramatic, and the second half feels scattered. The climax is predictably feel-good. However, the film does attempt to take a deeper look into the ever-changing landscape of urban love, uncertainty, and emotional disconnect. A standout dialogue—“Love will happen after marriage anyway”—captures the film’s cynical take on romance. As coffee dates become the beginning and end of urban relationships, chaos often replaces clarity. In this atmosphere, Anurag Basu subtly suggests that falling in love repeatedly with the same person may be the key to lasting love.

Despite its flaws, the film holds your attention. Themes of betrayal, identity, healing, second chances, and rediscovery are tackled with sensitivity. The characters feel grounded and flawed—none are ideal. They err, seek forgiveness, and evolve, navigating the delicate ‘space’ between partners in urban marriages. With dialogues overpowering romance, the film questions whether love has lost its mystery in the age of information and constant availability. As the filmmaker explores the fine line between longing and loss, Pritam’s soulful music—supported by voices like Papon and Raghav Chaitanya—serves as a narrative guide. Notably, the film introduces each couple with a song rather than traditional exposition, an experimental storytelling method.

Performances

Ali Fazal shines as struggling musician Akash, embodying the pain of artistic failure with finesse, even in his limited screen time. Pankaj Tripathi, as Monty, is effective but occasionally repetitive and crude. Aditya Roy Kapur’s portrayal of the carefree, hedonistic Parth doesn’t break new ground. Anupam Kher, as Parimal, delivers a modest performance. Konkona Sen Sharma is excellent as Kajol, a woman wrestling with her emotional turmoil. Neena Gupta doesn’t get much scope to perform. Sara Ali Khan, as Thumki, fails to impress, while Fatima Sana Shaikh leaves a lasting mark with her portrayal of Shruti.

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