Nadaaniyan: Karan Johar's nepotism express derailed on Netflix

Karan Johar, the torchbearer and pied piper of nepotism in Bollywood, launches yet another star-kid with the direct-to-Netflix release Nadaaniyan.

Supposedly the launchpad for Saif's beta Ibrahim Ali Khan, the film is basically a Gen-Z update of Johar's own Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Student of the Year (2012), which if you ask me personally, were stupid but far superior to this tripe...

So get set to enter an ultra elitist college, where a newbie scholarship student (Ibrahim) is ragged during a debate session for residing in downmarket Noida!! Scholar dude wins the debate not by his argumentative acumen but by displaying his abs to the class. Huh, kyon, kaise, you ask? Well, it's a K Jo school after all!! Brains ain't the criteria to win debates here. Six pack muscles do the talking...

Next, Scholar ji is promptly hired by a billionaire ki beti (Khushi) to pose as her boyfriend. Scholar accepts. Beti takes him around like a trophy until they actually fall in love... how utterly butterly predictable!!

A sub plot includes Beti ke pitaji (Suniel Shetty, disinterested) neglecting her maa (Mahima, looking lost and tired) and impregnating his other woman (Riya Sen in a blink and miss cameo) as he wants a beta and not a beti. How genderly blenderly is that!!

Obviously, the sole reason one can engage with Nadaaniyan is to see how Saif's son fares in his debut outing. Ibrahim Ali Khan appears a carbon copy of the younger version of his father we enjoyed going Ole Ole in the '90s. Unfortunately unlike Saif, Ibrahim's acting leaves a lot to be desired. The three films old Khushi Kapoor also needs to brush up her diction and overall emoting skills pronto.

But then, no hurry no worry, both of them like all their nepo clan, will be given hundred other chances by Karan and his cronies for next ten years and one of their future movies might even turn a flukey hit. "A Superstar is born" headline might already be ready as the publicity material for that D day...whenever it comes!!

Ratings on some key aspects* :
1. Acting : 1/5
2. Direction : 2/5
3. Music : 2/5
4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 1.5/5
5. Cinematography : 3/5
6. Editing : 3/5
7. Costume Design : 3/5
8. Special Effects and VFX : NA
9. Action : NA
10. Production Quality : 3.5/5

#SNRating for #Nadaaniyan : 1 & 1/2 star out of 5.

- Sumeet Nadkarni

* - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others.

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#SNRatings barometer:
1 star = Poor
1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable
2 stars = Average
2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it
3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable
3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch
4 stars = Very good
5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding.

2025 SNRatings. 

About Sumeet Nadkarni:

Sumeet Nadkarni is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a self-styled film critic by passion. He reviews Bollywood movies and OTT releases on his popular personal blog #SNRatings. His film-related articles have appeared in leading publications in India. With a keen eye for cinematic detail and a knack for insightful critiques, Sumeet brings a unique perspective to the world of Indian cinema. Follow him for the latest Bollywood insights and unbiased film reviews. #FilmCritique #BollywoodReviewer