Ever had that feeling where you’re watching a movie and you can’t quite decide if you’re witnessing a disaster or a misunderstood masterpiece? That’s basically the vibe of the I Love NY movie. Or, as the posters more awkwardly called it, I Love New Year. It stars Sunny Deol and Kangana Ranaut, which, on paper, sounds like a pairing generated by a random actor bot. You’ve got the "Dhai Kilo Ka Haat" action legend and the reigning queen of Bollywood drama in a remake of a Soviet-era Russian classic. It’s weird. It’s chaotic. And honestly, it’s one of the most fascinating footnotes in modern Indian cinema.
Released—well, eventually—in 2015, the film had a journey to the screen that was arguably more dramatic than the plot itself. It sat on a shelf for years. It was caught in legal limbo. When it finally limped into theaters, the world had moved on, but for those who actually sat through it, there’s a strange, clunky charm to the whole thing. It’s a movie about a drunken mistake that leads to a life-changing romance, and in a way, the film’s own production felt like a series of mistakes leading to a very strange final product.
The Irony of Fate: Where the Plot Actually Came From
Most people don't realize that I Love NY movie is a direct, albeit localized, remake of the 1976 Soviet television film The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! In Russia, that movie is an absolute institution. It’s what people watch on New Year’s Eve while eating Olivier salad. The premise is simple: a guy gets too drunk with his friends at a banya (sauna), ends up on a plane to a different city, lets himself into an apartment that looks exactly like his own using his own key, and falls asleep in the bed of a woman he’s never met.
The Bollywood version swaps Moscow and Leningrad for New York City and Chicago. Sunny Deol plays Randhir, a middle-aged, somewhat boring guy living in Chicago. After a night of heavy drinking, he ends up in New York (NYC) and stumbles into Tikku’s (Kangana Ranaut) apartment. Because the apartment complexes look identical—a commentary on the blandness of modern urban architecture—and his key somehow works, he makes himself at home.
It’s a "meet-cute" that, in real life, would probably result in a restraining order or a viral TikTok about a home intruder. But here, it’s the foundation for a romantic comedy. The film tries to capture that whimsical, snowy magic of the original, but there’s a fundamental disconnect. Sunny Deol, known for ripping handpumps out of the ground in Gadar, playing a shy, bumbling drunk in a rom-com feels like watching a tank try to participate in a ballet. He’s trying. He really is. But the gears grind.
Why the Production Was a Total Mess
If you want to know why this movie felt dated the second it hit screens, look at the timeline. It was mostly filmed around 2011 and 2012. By 2013, it was ready to go. But then... nothing. Silence. The producers, T-Series, seemingly lost interest or hit financial snags.
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Then Kangana Ranaut happened.
Between the filming of I Love New Year and its eventual release, Kangana went from being a respected actress to a literal superstar with Queen and Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Suddenly, this "old" movie was a valuable asset again. The producers saw an opportunity to cash in on her newfound stardom. Kangana, however, wasn't thrilled. She reportedly sent a legal notice to the producers to stop the release, fearing it would damage her brand. It was a mess.
A Timeline of the Chaos
- 2011: Principal photography begins.
- 2013: Initial release dates are floated and then abandoned.
- 2014: Kangana wins a National Award for Queen, making the "shelf" movie a potential goldmine.
- July 2015: The film finally hits theaters with almost zero promotion from the lead actors.
The result? A movie that looked like it belonged in a different era of Bollywood. The fashion, the cinematography, even the way the "New York" streets looked (many of which were clearly sets or different locations) felt slightly off. It’s a time capsule of a specific moment in the early 2010s that accidentally opened in 2015.
The Sunny Deol Problem
Let's talk about Sunny. He’s an icon. But he’s an icon of masala action. In the I Love NY movie, he’s asked to be vulnerable, confused, and romantically inept. There are scenes where he’s meant to be charmingly intoxicated, but it often comes across as just uncomfortable.
Critics at the time were brutal. Most noted that the chemistry between Deol and Ranaut was non-existent. It’s like mixing oil and water, then trying to convince everyone it’s a vinaigrette. Kangana, to her credit, does what she can with a script that feels thin. She plays Tikku with a certain level of grace, but you can almost see her thinking about better scripts while she's on screen.
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Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, the directors, came from a background of high-glam music videos (they did Falguni Pathak’s "Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi"). They brought that highly saturated, glossy aesthetic to the film. Every frame is bright. The snow looks like powdered sugar. It’s pretty, sure, but it lacks the soul of the Russian original. The original was a satire of Soviet life and the crushing uniformity of the USSR; the remake is just a story about two people in a nice apartment.
Is It Actually Watchable?
Honestly? Yeah, it is. But only if you go in with the right mindset. If you’re looking for a tight, modern rom-com, you’ll hate it. But if you enjoy the weird quirks of Bollywood—the stuff that happens when big stars, big budgets, and bad timing collide—it’s a hoot.
The soundtrack is surprisingly decent. "Gulaabi" by Shefali Alvares is a genuine earworm. Sonu Nigam and Shaan also lend their voices, giving it that classic 2010s playback singer feel. There’s a nostalgia hit there that hits harder now in 2026 than it did back then. It reminds us of a time before everything in Bollywood was a dark thriller or a biopic.
What's really fascinating is how the movie handles the concept of "destiny." Bollywood loves the idea that two people are fated to be together, and I Love NY pushes this to the absolute limit. The fact that he flies to the wrong city, finds the exact same street name, the same building, and his key works? That's not just a coincidence; in this movie’s universe, it’s cosmic intervention. It’s absurd, but if you can buy into that absurdity, the movie becomes a lot more fun.
The Critical Reception vs. Reality
When the film finally released, the reviews were mostly one-star or two-star affairs. Rajeev Masand and Anupama Chopra weren't exactly lining up to give it rave reviews. Most critics pointed out the obvious: the lead pair felt like they were in two different movies.
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But here’s the thing about "flops"—they often find a second life on streaming. On platforms like YouTube or various Indian streaming services, the I Love NY movie has racked up millions of views. Why? Because it’s "comfort food" cinema. It’s harmless. It’s the kind of thing you put on in the background while you’re folding laundry or scrolling on your phone. It doesn’t demand your full attention, and it doesn’t try to be "important." In a world of "prestige" cinema, there’s something to be said for a movie that just wants to be a silly romance.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think this movie was a "career-killer." It wasn't. Kangana went on to do Manikarnika and Panga. Sunny Deol eventually returned to his roots and smashed the box office with Gadar 2. This movie didn't hurt them because it was so clearly a product of a specific, messy production cycle that everyone involved just sort of agreed to forget it happened.
Another misconception is that it’s a "bad" remake. It’s not necessarily bad; it’s just misplaced. The original Russian film relied on the fact that every apartment in the USSR looked the same because of state planning. Applying that logic to NYC—one of the most architecturally diverse cities in the world—takes a lot of suspension of disbelief. If you can get past that, the logic holds up as well as any other rom-com.
Actionable Insights for the Curious Viewer
If you’re actually going to sit down and watch this, here is how to maximize the experience. Don't go in expecting Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
- Watch for the Chemistry (or lack thereof): It is a genuine psychological study to see how two actors with zero natural rapport try to manufacture a romance. It’s fascinating.
- Appreciate the Music: Seriously, the T-Series influence ensures the songs are better than the script. "Aaja Meri Jaan" is a standout.
- Spot the "New York" Fails: For anyone who has actually lived in NYC, seeing where they clearly used sets or filmed in locations that are definitely not Manhattan is a fun game.
- The Russian Connection: If you’re a film nerd, watch the original The Irony of Fate first. It makes the Bollywood choices much more interesting to analyze.
The I Love NY movie remains a weird, sparkling artifact of a transitional period in Indian cinema. It’s a reminder of when the industry was trying to figure out how to do "urban" stories while still holding onto the "big star" formula of the 90s. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely not boring.
To get the most out of your viewing, try to find the high-definition version on streaming platforms rather than a grainy upload. The cinematography is the film's strongest suit, and seeing the vibrant colors as they were intended makes the slow pacing much more tolerable. If you're a fan of Kangana Ranaut's evolution as an actor, this is essential viewing just to see how much she could elevate a struggling production even back then. For Sunny Deol fans, it’s a rare chance to see him without a weapon in his hand, which is a novelty in itself.