Ae Dil Hai Mushkil () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film directed, produced and written by Karan Johar under his banner Dharma Productions. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead roles.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil released worldwide on 28 October 2016 coinciding with the festival of Diwali. The film's soundtrack composed by Pritam was an instant blockbuster, thus enhancing its hype, with lyrics written by Amitabh Bhattacharya and songs sung by Arijit Singh. Despite having clashed with Ajay Devgn's Shivaay, it went on to gross worldwide. The film proved to be one of the year's top-grossing films in domestic and overseas markets. It received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its direction, music, cinematography, and performances of the cast, with particular praise directed towards Sharma, Kapoor and Rai’s performances, but the story and screenplay received criticism.
At the 62nd Filmfare Awards, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil received a leading 9 nominations (tying with Udta Punjab) for Best Director (Johar), Best Actress (Sharma) and Best Actor (Kapoor), and won 4 awards, including Best Music Director (Pritam), Best Lyricist (Bhattacharya for "Channa Mereya") and Best Male Playback Singer (Arijit Singh for "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil").
Plot The film begins with an interview with Ayan, a singer who has recently achieved fame through his non-film songs. He recounts his experience with love in a flashback. A few years earlier, in London, Ayan and Alizeh meet by chance at a disco and hook up before becoming friends. When they discover that their respective partners are cheating on them, they end their relationships: Ayan with Lisa D'Souza and Alizeh with "Dr." Faisal Khan. They then travel to Paris for a week together. Ayan falls in love with Alizeh but does not confess his feelings because she sees him only as a "friend". When Alizeh encounters her ex-boyfriend Ali, who wants to reconcile, she decides to reunite with him, despite her lingering feelings. She gradually stops spending time with Ayan, and they lose contact.
Alizeh later invites Ayan to her wedding to Ali in Lucknow. Shaken, he accepts and confesses his love to her at the wedding, but she rejects him. Heartbroken, Ayan leaves. At the airport, while boarding a flight to Dubai, he meets Saba, an older woman and poet travelling to Vienna. She consoles him, gives him a book of her poetry and her phone number, and he becomes deeply moved by her writing. Three months later, Ayan contacts Saba after arriving in Vienna. They meet at a club, dance together and hook up. Saba, who is divorced and believes she no longer has room for love, initially rejects Ayan's advances but later agrees to date him.
Having blocked all contact with Alizeh, Ayan eventually calls her after being inspired by Saba. Alizeh is pleased to hear from him and says she has missed their friendship. Ayan sends her photographs of himself with Saba to make her jealous, while Alizeh describes her happy life with Ali and assumes Ayan has moved on.
When Alizeh announces that she is coming to Vienna, Ayan invites her to dinner with Saba in an attempt to provoke jealousy. Saba recognises his motive. Before Alizeh leaves, Ayan accuses her of being heartless and incapable of feeling emotion. She replies that she does love him, but not romantically. After they argue, Ayan leaves and returns to Saba, who tells him that she has genuinely fallen in love with him. Knowing that he cannot love her as he loves Alizeh, however, she ends their relationship, unwilling to endure the pain of knowing that she will never receive the love she sees in his eyes for Alizeh.
Ayan continues to love Alizeh and becomes a famous singer through his music channel. He later meets Ali, who reveals that he and Alizeh have separated. Ali explains that, although Alizeh loved him, she never received the love she believed she deserved, and that she has been untraceable for two years. Ayan waits for Alizeh at her favourite spot for two days, where she eventually appears and reveals that she has been diagnosed with stage four cancer and has little time left. Heartbroken, Ayan tries to make the most of their remaining time together and persuade Alizeh to love him romantically, but she cannot reciprocate his feelings. After an argument, she leaves because Ayan refuses to accept that she cannot pretend to love him simply to make him happy.
The following morning, Ayan searches for Alizeh and apparently reaches the airport, fulfilling her final wish before her death. He eventually accepts that they can remain friends, but nothing more. The screen fades to black before returning to the present, where Ayan, now a popular singer, continues his interview about the love of his life. He performs "Channa Mereya", inspired by his one-sided love for Alizeh, and concludes the interview.
Cast Ranbir Kapoor as Ayan Sanger Anushka Sharma as Alizeh Khan Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Saba Tahir Khan Fawad Khan as DJ Ali Ahmed Lisa Haydon as Lisa D'Souza Imran Abbas as Dr. Faisal Khan
Cameo Appearances Shah Rukh Khan as Tahir Taliyar Khan, Saba's ex-husband Alia Bhatt as DJ in "The Breakup Song" Neha Dhupia in a voiceover appearance as Ayan's interviewer
Production
Development
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was first announced in November 2014. At the time, writer-director Karan Johar, who had previously helmed Student of the Year (2012), said that for the past year and a half, he had been developing a story that he needed to work on for several months. However, while he was in New York, the idea for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (named after a song from the 1956 film C.I.D. starring Dev Anand, Shakila and Waheeda Rehman) came to him and he wrote the screenplay in 30 days. When he came back to India, he spoke to the three lead actors and they all signed on immediately.
Johar stated that he was motivated to cast Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in the film after getting to know them as a co-star in Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet (2015), which marked Johar's second film role after Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995).
Johar added that he was excited to cast Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after several unsuccessful attempts to cast her in his previous films Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). Explaining this in an interview, he stated, "[F]inally, when it comes to Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, I would like to say that the most indispensable casting was Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s. If Ranbir hadn't agreed, I would have found a solution; if Anushka hadn’t agreed, I would have had another option. But for Aishwarya, there were no alternatives. If she hadn’t agreed, I wouldn’t have been able to make the film. The role of Saba was such that only Aishwarya Rai could have played it. When you watch the film, I’m not just saying this, you’ll see that you wouldn’t be able to imagine anyone else in that role either.".
Fawad Khan, who had recently appeared in Johar-produced Kapoor & Sons (2016), was cast to play the role of a DJ, described as "not exactly a cameo as it becomes a backbone for a certain conflict of a character" in the film.
Lisa Haydon also confirmed that she will appear in the film. At the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2016, Johar confirmed that Shah Rukh Khan had also filmed a scene for the film.
On 6 February at the India Conference at Harvard, Johar revealed that in the film, Kapoor plays the character of a Hindu boy named Ayan, and Sharma plays a Muslim girl named Alizeh.
Filming Principal photography began in September 2015 with Sharma and Kapoor in London. At the end of September, the team filmed some portions in Paris. In October, they began shooting in various locations in Austria, including the city of Vienna. Rai Bachchan joined the crew in Vienna in mid-October after the release of her film Jazbaa (2015). In March 2016, Kapoor, Sharma, and Khan were seen filming in Mandawa, Rajasthan. In July 2016, Johar tweeted a photo of Kapoor and Sharma on set in Mumbai for the last schedule.
Soundtrack
Release
Screening issue On 8 October 2016, the Indian political party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), proclaimed that they would not allow the release of the film, following nationwide protests surrounding the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 18 September 2016 and the decision by Cinema Owners Exhibitors Association of India preventing the release of films with Pakistani actors in four states – Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Goa. Citing the casting of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the film, the MNS warned theater owners around the country to not screen the film, threatening them with vandalism. Announcing that security will be tightened at theaters along with sufficient police protection, Maharashtra chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, commented on the issue, saying, "Anyone found taking the law into their hands will be dealt with firmly." He also informed that 12 MNS members were sent to judicial custody after they barged into a Mumbai theater and held a protest on 19 October 2016.MNS: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil: Cops set up helpline for movie theatres as MNS threat looms. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com (20 October 2016). Retrieved on 1 November 2016.
Commenting on the ruckus behind his film's release, Johar released a video stating that the circumstances in which the film was shot in 2015 were completely different. "Going forward, I would like to say that of course, I will not engage with talent from the neighbouring country, given the circumstance. But with that same energy, I beseech you to know one thing – that over 300 people in my Indian crew have put their blood, sweat, and tears into making my film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. I don't think it's fair for them to face any kind of turbulence on account of other fellow Indians," he further added in a video statement. He was heavily criticized by the news and social media for buckling under pressure.Fresh threat to Ae Dil Hai Mushkil from MNS : India, News – India Today. Indiatoday.intoday.in (19 October 2016). Retrieved on 1 November 2016. However, people from the film fraternity like Mukesh Bhatt and Shyam Benegal supported Johar and his film, and requested the people to consider the film and its release without giving importance to the actors' nationalities.
On 20 October 2016, Mukesh Bhatt said that his discussion with the Union home minister, Rajnath Singh, had been consequential, and affirmed that the film will be screened throughout the country without any violence. However, he promised that he would not make any more films with Pakistani actors.'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' will have a safe Diwali release: Mukesh Bhatt after meeting Rajnath Singh – The Economic Times. Economictimes.indiatimes.com (20 October 2016). Retrieved on 1 November 2016.
Reception Box office Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was made on a total budget of over 50 crore, including marketing and distribution costs. Prior to its release, the film had already recouped 75 crore ($11.2 million) from music, satellite and digital rights, so it needed to recover only 25 crore ($3.7 million) from the domestic box office. Worldwide, the film earned ₹90.84 crore ($13.6 million) on its opening weekend, while ComScore reported an estimated $12.8 million from 14 markets. As of November, it has made $21.3 million worldwide.