I Hate Luv Storys


I Hate Luv Storys is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Punit Malhotra, in his directorial debut. It was jointly produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar under Dharma Productions, and Ronnie Screwvala under UTV Motion Pictures, marking the first collaboration between the two studios. The film stars Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles. Set in modern-day Mumbai and Queenstown, New Zealand, the narrative follows Jay, an assistant director who disdains romantic films, and Simran, a romantic at heart, as they navigate contrasting ideologies about love and relationships.
The film's soundtrack was composed by Vishal–Shekhar, with lyrics by Anvita Dutt Guptan, Kumaar, and Vishal Dadlani. Principal photography took place in Mumbai and New Zealand. The film also featured a promotional mobile video game developed by UTV Indiagames.
Released theatrically on 2 July 2010, I Hate Luv Storys received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised its concept, music, cinematography, humor, costumes, and the performances of Khan and Kapoor, though its screenplay and pacing received criticism. The film emerged as a commercial success, grossing ₹720 million worldwide, ranking as the eighth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.
At the 56th Filmfare Awards, the film received four nominations—Best Music Director, Best Lyricist, Best Male Playback Singer, and Best Female Playback Singer.
WWW ihateluvstorys.com

Plot

Simran Saluja, an art director with a deep love for Bollywood romances, leads what appears to be a perfect life. She is engaged to Raj Dholakia, a dependable and considerate man, and works on high-profile film sets, including those directed by Veer Kapoor, a filmmaker known for his romantic dramas. Simran is assigned to Veer’s upcoming project, Pyaar Pyaar Pyaar, where she meets Jay Dhingra, Veer's cynical assistant director who openly mocks the genre and claims not to believe in love.
Initially, Simran and Jay clash due to their opposing views on romance. However, as they work together, a friendship gradually develops between them. Jay's irreverent charm begins to appeal to Simran, while Jay, despite his aversion to sentiment, finds himself enjoying her company.
Over time, Simran realizes that she has fallen in love with Jay and begins to doubt her feelings for Raj. She confesses her love to Jay, but he is taken aback and clarifies that he never saw their relationship as anything beyond friendship. Devastated by his response, Simran distances herself and departs early for the film's overseas schedule in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Jay misses Simran's presence and begins to reflect on his own feelings, eventually realizing that he, too, has fallen in love with her. He joins the team in Queenstown and, encouraged by Veer, prepares a romantic gesture to confess his feelings. However, Simran, now engaged again to Raj and wary of hurting him, rejects Jay’s proposal.
Upon returning to Mumbai, Jay tries to move on but remains despondent. His friends and his mother—whose bitter divorce shaped Jay's disillusionment with love—urge him not to give up. Motivated, Jay attempts to win Simran back by making her jealous but soon realizes his actions are misguided.
Meanwhile, Raj proposes marriage, and Simran accepts. However, she soon realizes that her heart still belongs to Jay. She ends her engagement and attends the premiere of Pyaar Pyaar Pyaar, hoping to see Jay. Meanwhile, Jay, on his way to the airport, has a final conversation with his mother and decides to follow his heart. He rushes to the premiere, finds Simran outside the venue, and confesses his love. The two reconcile and embrace, finally accepting their love for one another.

Cast

Production

The title I Hate Luv Storys is a ideliberate misspelling chosen for numerological reasons. The film marked the directorial debut of Punit Malhotra and was jointly produced by Dharma Productions and UTV Motion Pictures, their first collaboration. Principal photography took place in Mumbai and Queenstown, New Zealand.

Reception

Box office

I Hate Luv Storys was released on 2 July 2010 across 1,050 screens in India. It collected ₹6.77 crore on its opening day and ₹22.71 crore over its first weekend. The first-week total was ₹31.78 crore. It went on to earn ₹43.46 crore net in India, with a gross of ₹59.55 crore. Overseas, the film earned approximately US$3.09 million, bringing its worldwide gross to around ₹73.99 crore. Made on a budget of ₹23 crore, the film was declared a hit by Box Office India.

Critical response

I Hate Luv Storys received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com awarded the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the lead performances and writing, "It's Sonam and Imran's collective persona and their free-flowing chemistry that makes all the difference." Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India gave it 3 out of 5, describing it as "extremely simplistic, uni-layered and terribly predictable," though she appreciated the performances. Gaurav Malani of IndiaTimes also rated it 3 out of 5, calling the film "another love story, and that too a dull one."
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3.5 out of 5, calling it "a young and vibrant love story with tremendous appeal for the yuppies," and praised the chemistry between the leads and its musical score. Rahul Nanda of Filmfare rated it 3 out of 5, stating, "The film never equals the sum of all its parts, but it's impossible to deny the energy with which it keeps the plot ticking on." Subhash K. Jha, however, called the film "a disappointment." The Hindu noted that while Imran Khan returned to familiar territory, Sonam Kapoor "lights up the proceedings" and exhibits "intelligent innocence," though it remains underexplored.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of I Hate Luv Storys was composed by the musical duo Vishal–Shekhar, with lyrics by Anvita Dutt Guptan, Kumaar, and Vishal Dadlani. It features five original songs along with three remixes and was released by Sony Music India on 25 May 2010.
The album received positive reviews from music critics. Parimal M. Rohit of Buzzine Bollywood called it "phenomenally and breathtakingly romantic," praising its "smooth beats and hypnotic vocals," and described it as one of the most complete Bollywood soundtracks of the year. Guitarist Ehsaan Noorani of the Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy trio contributed to the guitar arrangements. Additionally, a portion of the track "Bahara" was later sampled in Bulgarian pop-folk singer Tedi Aleksandrova's song "Dai Mi Svoboda".