Baar Baar Dekho

''Baar Baar Dekho'' () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language science fiction romantic drama film directed by Nitya Mehra in her directorial debut. It was produced by Karan Johar and Farhan Akhtar under the banners of Dharma Productions and Excel Entertainment, respectively. The film stars Katrina Kaif and Sidharth Malhotra in lead roles, alongside Ram Kapoor and Sarika in supporting roles. The narrative centers on Jai, a mathematics professor, who begins experiencing glimpses of his future, forcing him to reevaluate his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Diya.

The film marked Mehra's first feature film as director after having previously assisted on various projects, and was noted for its high-concept premise involving time travel elements. Principal photography took place in Glasgow, Delhi, and Thailand, with cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran. The soundtrack was composed by a team of musicians including Amaal Mallik, Arko, Badshah, Jasleen Royal, and Bilal Saeed, with lyrics by various contributors.

''Baar Baar Dekho'' was released theatrically on 9 September 2016. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its music, visual appeal, and premise while criticizing its screenplay and narrative execution. The film grossed ₹626.7 million worldwide against a production budget of ₹530 million and was deemed an average performer at the box office.

Plot

Jai Varma, a mathematics professor, and Diya Kapoor, an artist, are childhood sweethearts living in Delhi. While Diya wishes to get married, Jai is focused on securing a research fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Pressured by familial expectations, Jai reluctantly agrees to marry her. However, overwhelmed by doubts and cynicism about the institution of marriage and its rituals, he expresses his reservations, leading to an argument. Diya, heartbroken by Jai's lack of commitment, walks away.

That night, Jai drinks heavily and passes out, only to awaken in Thailand on his honeymoon. Confused, he realizes he has no memory of the past ten days, including the wedding. The following day, Jai wakes up in 2018, now at Cambridge with Diya, who is pregnant with their first child. As days continue, Jai discovers he is involuntarily time traveling through key moments in his future, with no control over the transitions.

Jai next finds himself in 2034, now a successful professor, but on the day of his divorce from Diya. Devastated, he pleads for a chance to change the course of his life. He then wakes up in 2023, seven years after his marriage, determined to fix his past mistakes. He attempts to balance his professional and personal responsibilities, but again prioritizes work over Diya’s art exhibition. Believing his absence to be the cause of their eventual separation, he rushes back home, but tensions remain.

Assuming he has corrected the timeline, Jai is instead transported to 2047. Now in his sixties, he attends his mother’s funeral and learns that Diya has remarried art gallery owner Nikhil Khanna. Jai is heartbroken to find that Nikhil has become a beloved figure in his children’s lives and was close to Jai’s late mother.

Jai encounters the priest who had solemnized his wedding, who offers insight into the importance of time and relationships. Granted one final opportunity, Jai wakes up again in 2023. This time, he actively supports Diya, attends her exhibition, and devotes attention to his family, choosing presence over ambition.

Eventually, Jai returns to the present day—the morning after his initial argument with Diya. With renewed clarity, he rushes to her, expresses his commitment, and embraces the life they had envisioned together. The film ends with the couple joyfully celebrating their wedding, surrounded by family and friends.

Cast

* Katrina Kaif as Diya Kapoor
** Tunisha Sharma as Young Diya Kapoor
* Sidharth Malhotra as Jai Varma
**Jason Dsouza as Young Jai
* Sayani Gupta as Chitra
* Kirti Adarkar as Suman
* Taaha Shah as Tarun Bhalla
* Rohan Joshi as Raj
* Rajit Kapur as Panditji (special appearance)
* Ram Kapoor as Vinod Kapoor, Diya's father
* Sarika as Varsha Varma, Jai's mother
* Sagar Arya as Nikhil Khanna, Diya's second husband in the flash-forward

Production

Development

In October 2013, it was announced that Nitya Mehra—who had previously worked as an assistant director on films such as ''Life of Pi'' (2012) and ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'' (2012)—would make her directorial debut with a project backed by Excel Entertainment. The film initially attached Aamir Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles, but both later exited the project. Anushka Sharma was subsequently offered the female lead, though she declined the role. In September 2014, it was officially announced that Dharma Productions would co-produce the film, with Sidharth Malhotra confirmed as the male lead. Katrina Kaif joined the cast in April 2015. The film was originally titled ''Kal Jisne Dekha''.

Filming

Principal photography commenced on 28 August 2015 in Glasgow, Scotland, where the team shot for over a month. Additional filming took place in Delhi and Mumbai beginning in November 2015. In February 2016, the song "Sau Aasmaan" was filmed over a week-long schedule in Krabi, Thailand.

Budget

''Baar Baar Dekho'' had an estimated production budget of ₹530 million (equivalent to ₹760 million or US$9.0 million in 2023), according to ''Box Office India''. However, ''The Indian Express'' reported a lower figure of approximately ₹350 million (equivalent to ₹500 million or US$6.0 million in 2023), excluding print and marketing costs.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of ''Baar Baar Dekho'' was composed by Amaal Mallik, Arko, Badshah, Jasleen Royal, Bilal Saeed, and the duo Prem–Hardeep, marking the first Excel Entertainment production to feature a multi-composer album. Distributed and released by Zee Music Company, the album also represented the studio's initial collaboration with Excel Entertainment. The sixth track, "Kala Chashma"—a recreated version of Amar Arshi’s 1990s Punjabi hit—was released as a single on 27 July 2016.

Release

Certification issue

In August 2016, ''Baar Baar Dekho'' was granted a U/A certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The examining committee, however, requested the removal of two visuals prior to certification: one depicting an actor wearing a brassiere, and another referencing Savita Bhabhi, a well-known Indian pornographic cartoon character.

Reception

Box office

''Baar Baar Dekho'' was released in India on 9 September 2016 alongside ''Freaky Ali''. On its opening day, the film earned ₹68.1 million, outperforming ''Freaky Ali'' which collected ₹25.5 million. The film showed slight growth on its second day, earning ₹76.5 million, followed by a decline on its third day with ₹67 million. The film’s opening weekend totalled ₹211.6 million.

During the subsequent weekdays, the film added ₹83.4 million, bringing its first-week total to ₹295 million. In the following weeks, earnings declined significantly, with second-week collections of ₹17.5 million, followed by ₹600,000 and ₹200,000 in the third and fourth weeks, respectively. The film’s final domestic net collection stood at ₹312.4 million, with a gross total of ₹433.9 million.

Internationally, the film performed moderately well, grossing ₹65.4 million from North America, ₹29.9 million from the United Kingdom, and ₹26.7 million from the United Arab Emirates. Other notable international figures include ₹5 million from Pakistan, ₹9.1 million from Australia, and ₹2.8 million from New Zealand.

Critical response

''Baar Baar Dekho'' received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. Raja Sen of '' Rediff.com'' rated it 1 out of 5 stars, calling it "catastrophically stupid" and criticizing its "relentless revelations" and "artlessly expository dialogues." In contrast, Subhash K. Jha from ''NDTV'' gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, praising its ability to "deliver marital home truths without sermons or soliloquies."

Namrata Joshi of ''The Hindu'' wrote that the film featured "passionless performances and cardboard characters", with "no standout performances" and dialogues that "turn banal beyond a point." Shubhra Gupta of ''The Indian Express'' awarded the film 1.5 out of 5 stars, citing "Katrina Kaif’s limited emoting abilities," Sidharth Malhotra’s "one-note performance," and a "banal script." Ananya Bhattacharya of ''India Today'' also criticized the performances, writing that both leads appeared more concerned with appearances than acting, and that neither performance made a strong impact.

Accolades

Remake

The 2021 Australian romantic comedy ''Long Story Short'', directed by Josh Lawson, is loosely inspired by the premise of ''Baar Baar Dekho''.

References

External links

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2016 films
Films shot in Glasgow
2010s Hindi-language films
2010s Indian films
Films scored by Jasleen Royal
Films scored by Arko Pravo Mukherjee
Films scored by Badshah (rapper)
Films scored by Amaal Mallik
Films scored by Bilal Saeed
2016 romantic drama films
2010s science fiction drama films
Indian romantic drama films
Indian time travel films
2010s films about time travel
Indian science fiction drama films
Films set in 2018
Films set in 2034
Films set in the 20th century
Fox Star Studios films
2016 directorial debut films