Written by: Sneha Desai and Spandan Mishra

Directed by: Sunil Pandey

Run-time: 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 22 seconds

Cast: Junaid Khan, Sai Pallavi, Kunal Kapoor, Kavin Dave, Pragati Mishra

Rating: 3/5

Ek Din movie review: Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan has long been making headlines ever since his debut, Maharaj, with people’s expectations skyrocketing every single time he drops a new movie, expecting box office success. For Ek Din, it was the same.

With immense love for Maharaj, expectations for Junaid were very high for his next film, Loveyapa, which many considered a flop. However, the concept of Loveyapa stood out by highlighting that a phone isn’t everything and encouraging a more balanced, less dependent use of it, which is lacking in many Bollywood movies.

Not only for Junaid, but this movie is also one of the most anticipated because of South Queen Sai Pallavi, for whom this film will mark her Bollywood debut, with high expectations from fans as well.

Ek Din Review: A deep insight into storyline

Ek Din follows the story of Dinesh (nicknamed “Dino”), who makes a magical wish for his crush and colleague, Meera, bringing them together as a couple for a day. Meanwhile, Meera suffers an accident and develops TGA, causing her to forget her life for a day and possibly not remember this day in the future.

Ek Din and TGA

The concept of TGA is genuinely interesting and adds a sense of realism to the story. It shows that the filmmakers likely put in thoughtful research, because it’s an actual medical condition. At first, it almost feels too strange to be real, which makes it easy to assume it was made up, but it turns out to be true, and that makes the idea behind the film engaging.

Ek Din Review: Junaid as ‘Dino’

Junaid Khan delivered a strong performance; that’s how it comes across. The issue didn’t really lie in his acting, but rather in how the character was written. He portrayed “Dino” exactly as intended: an introverted, almost invisible person who blends into the background. In that sense, the performance felt accurate and sincere.

The real problem was the character itself. There’s a lingering question about why Dino never truly evolves; there’s no real glow-up or clear growth. Even by the end of the film, he remains largely insecure, with the only noticeable change being that he starts trying. That arc feels a bit incomplete.

At the same time, the slightly confused, uncertain nature of the character doesn’t fully suit Junaid. Still, considering his work in Loveyapa and Maharaj, it’s easy to believe that with a better-written role, he could have delivered something truly outstanding.

Sai Pallavi as ‘Meera’

Sai Pallavi delivered an excellent performance as Meera; however, certain sequences didn’t quite suit her, such as the angry crying moments. Again, this feels more like an issue with the character writing or possibly the editing, rather than her performance. The script could have extended their arguments further, but instead, they were cut short, which didn’t make much sense and affected the overall flow.

Ek Din Review: Understanding the concept

“Can love happen in one day?” is a question that lingers in everyone’s mind throughout the story. The answer may vary from person to person, but the directors and writers could have explored the perspective more deeply, as it doesn’t entirely make sense how Meera, as a character, could fall in love with Dino in just one day, especially after what she went through in a relationship she believed would work out. From Meera’s point of view, this emotional shift feels hard to justify.

Although the editing could have been better, the cinematography was amazing.

India-Japan connection

The connection between India and Japan is something that deserves appreciation; however, it also feels unnecessary. The film could have been made without the Japan angle, and it might have worked better that way.

The dialogues also didn’t land well. If the movie is aimed at Gen-Z, the language doesn’t really reflect how Gen-Z actually speaks. It seemed like it was trying too hard to be funny, but the humour often missed the mark and didn’t feel natural or genuinely funny.

Overall

This movie comes across as a one-time watch. However, when compared with Loveyapa or Maharaj, it feels somewhat disappointing, not because of the performances, but due to weaker dialogue writing, limited character understanding, and underdeveloped character arcs.

While the actors do their best with what they are given, the writing doesn’t fully support the emotional depth or growth the story seems to aim for. As a result, several moments feel rushed or unconvincing, which affects the overall impact.

In contrast, Loveyapa managed to deliver a clear and relevant message, while Maharaj stood out as a strong and well-executed film. Against that backdrop, this film doesn’t reach the same level, even though it has its own interesting ideas and moments.