Director: Anuj Saini
Writers: Jehan Handa, Luv Ranjan
Producers: Luv Ranjan, Ankur Garg 
Cast: Alisha Chopra, Sparsh Walia, Sakshi Vaidya, Kunal Vaid, Sargun Kaur Luthra, Tushar Chhibber, Rajkummar Rao
Runtime: 142 minutes
Genre: Romantic Comedy
 
Modern romance is a battlefield saturated with unwritten text rules, ghosting anxiety, and the perpetual chase for a spark. It is unpredictable, messy, and entirely exhausting. But what happens when you fast-forward a decade down the line, throw a group of tight-knit school friends into a high school reunion, and force them to confront the ultimate phantom from their past: their very first love? This is the premise anchoring Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar, a vibrant romantic-comedy that lands in theatres carrying the signature wit and relationship-centric lens of filmmaker-producer Luv Ranjan. Co-written by Jehan Handa, Luv Ranjan, and director Anuj Saini, the film attempts to decode the modern quirks and red flags of Gen Z dating culture by looking backward.   
 
The narrative gets moving when three close school friends—frequently highlighted around characters like Shivi, Gautam, and Vedant who have transitioned into colleagues and peers—decide to attend their long-awaited ten-year school reunion. What starts as a casual trip down memory lane quickly spirals into an eventful, chaotic vacation. Armed with an outrageous objective to finally confess suppressed feelings to old crushes or settle unfinished romantic scores, the friends find themselves engulfed in a storm of misunderstandings, petty jealousy, and hilarious social landmines. As familiar adolescent faces reappear with completely altered adult personalities, the lines between past nostalgia and present reality blur entirely.
 
One of the boldest and most refreshing elements of Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar is its complete reliance on fresh talent. Rather than leaning on safe, established box-office anchors to drive the narrative, the production serves as a grand launchpad for six dynamic debutants: Sparsh Walia, Alisha Chopra, Kunal Vaid, Sakshi Vaidya, Sargun Kaur Luthra, and Tushar Chhibber. The gamble yields surprisingly strong results. Sparsh Walia commands the screen with infectious confidence, while Sargun Kaur Luthra delivers a grounded, assured performance that anchors the emotional stakes. The easy, bantering camaraderie among the core group feels authentic and lived-in, often overshadowing some of the more conventional narrative beats.   
 
Adding a brilliant layer of star power to the proceedings is Rajkummar Rao in a special cameo appearance. Centred squarely around the thematic weight of pehla pyaar (first love), Rao steals segments of the film with his impeccable comic timing and emotional resonance, serving as a guiding lighthouse for the younger ensemble.   
Indiatimes
 
From a stylistic standpoint, the movie wears its Luv Ranjan DNA proudly. The script is packed with fast-paced, punchy, and witty one-liners that keep theatres chuckling. While the overarching plot occasionally treads familiar rom-com territory—relying on standard genre tropes and slightly stretched sequences across its 142-minute runtime—the sheer energy of the execution prevents it from lagging.  
 
Music plays an integral role in sustaining the movie's youthful rhythm. Composed by Rochak Kohli, the soundtrack features hummable tracks that match the narrative's emotional highs and lows. Jubin Nautiyal’s soulful rendition of Pyaar Manga Hai Tumhi Se leans heavily into romantic longing, while Arijit Singh’s Purane Din captures the bittersweet ache of looking back at lost teenage years.
 
Ultimately, Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar succeeds because it understands the pulse of its target demographic. It avoids preaching about commitment, choosing instead to laugh at the awkward blunders of modern youth. Driven by a fearless young ensemble, clever writing, and a healthy dose of nostalgia, it is a fun, harmless, and entertaining ride that makes for a great big-screen outing.