You remember 2012? It was a weirdly specific era for Bollywood. Everyone was trying to figure out how to be "urban" without losing that classic Indian sentimentality. Then came this little film called London Paris New York movie, or LPNY if you were following the marketing at the time. It didn’t have the massive budget of a Khans-led blockbuster, but it had something way more interesting: a vibe.
Honestly, looking back at it now, the movie feels like a time capsule of post-recession millennial angst. You’ve got Ali Zafar playing Nikhil Chopra—this aimless, slightly cocky film student—and Aditi Rao Hydari as Lalitha Krishnan, a studious, self-proclaimed feminist from a middle-class South Indian family.
They meet at Heathrow. Lalitha missed her flight. Nikhil is just... there. It’s a setup we’ve seen a thousand times, right? But the way director Anu Menon handled it felt less like a scripted drama and more like a conversation you’d actually overhear in a coffee shop.
What People Actually Get Wrong About the Plot
Most folks think this is just a copy of Before Sunrise. I get the comparison. Two strangers, one night, lots of walking and talking. But London Paris New York does something those movies don't: it jumps through time. It isn't just one night; it's three distinct nights spread across eight years.
- London (2005): Pure innocence. They’re kids, basically. They explore the city, get drenched in rain, and make those grand, impulsive promises only 20-year-olds make.
- Paris (2007): Things get messy. This is the segment where Lalitha has traded her braids for a "French" makeover—mini-skirts and a slightly questionable wig. They’re older, angrier, and the tension is thick.
- New York (2012): The reckoning. This is where the movie actually earns its keep. It’s no longer about "will they, won't they." It’s about "how did we mess this up so badly?"
The movie treats these cities not just as pretty backdrops, but as stages of emotional growth. London is for falling, Paris is for fighting, and New York is for finally growing up.
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The Ali Zafar "One-Man Army" Factor
One thing that really separates the London Paris New York movie from its peers is the music. This wasn't a case of a big-name composer handing over a few tracks. Ali Zafar basically took over the entire creative engine. He acted, he wrote the lyrics, and he composed the whole soundtrack.
It was the first time a lead actor in a Bollywood flick also served as the music director. And the songs actually worked. "Voh Dekhnay Mein" became a legitimate anthem for anyone trying to act cool while being secretly obsessed with someone. It’s got that acoustic, breezy feel that defined the early 2010s indie-pop crossover in India.
Even the background score by Dhruv Ghanekar felt deliberate. It didn't lean on those over-the-top violins we usually get when characters look into each other's eyes. It stayed grounded.
Why the Critics Were Torn
If you look at the reviews from back then, they were all over the map. Anupama Chopra gave it about 2.5 stars, calling it an "average love story" but praising the "unvarnished truth" of the final outburst in New York.
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That’s the scene everyone talks about. Under the Brooklyn Bridge, Nikhil finally loses it. He calls Lalitha out for being a "tease" (and uses a much harsher word that got the censors sweating). It’s raw. It’s ugly. And it’s probably the most honest depiction of heartbreak in a rom-com from that decade.
On the flip side, some critics like those at The New Indian Express absolutely hated it. They thought the dialogue was "cloying" and found Lalitha’s character inconsistent. But that’s sort of the point of being in your twenties, isn't it? You are inconsistent. You change your identity every time you move to a new city.
Behind the Scenes Chaos
Making this movie wasn't exactly a walk in the park. While they were filming in London, the 2011 riots broke out. The crew found themselves caught in the middle of genuine urban unrest while trying to film a "sweet" romantic encounter.
Then there was the casting. Aditi Rao Hydari wasn't a "star" yet. She’d done supporting roles in Delhi 6 and Rockstar, but this was her big swing at being a lead. Producer Shrishti Arya and director Anu Menon took a gamble on her, and while some found her performance uneven, her chemistry with Ali Zafar was undeniable. They actually felt like they liked—and occasionally loathed—each other.
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The Realistic Side of Heartbreak
We need to talk about the "twist" in Paris. It’s revealed that Nikhil didn't just "forget" to meet Lalitha in New York years earlier. He actually went to London to see her, but she found him in bed with another woman.
That’s a heavy pivot for a movie marketed as a lighthearted romp. It moves the film into territory that feels more like One Day or even Blue Valentine-lite. It acknowledges that people in their twenties make massive, life-altering mistakes. They cheat. They lie. They hold grudges for years.
How to Watch It Today
If you're looking to revisit the London Paris New York movie, it’s usually tucked away on streaming platforms like Netflix or YouTube (depending on your region).
The box office numbers weren't spectacular—it earned about ₹240 million worldwide against a modest ₹70 million budget—so it’s often categorized as a "flop" or "average" by industry standards. But for a certain generation of viewers, it’s a cult favorite.
It doesn't try to be Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. It doesn't have 50 backup dancers in the Alps. It’s just two people in three cities, trying to figure out if they’re meant to be together or if they’re just two ships passing in the night.
Next Steps for the Viewer:
- Listen to the Soundtrack: Start with "Voh Dekhnay Mein" and "Thehree Si Zindagi." They still hold up as great "driving on a rainy day" tracks.
- Contrast and Compare: If you liked the "one day" format, check out One Day (the 2011 movie or the 2024 series) to see how the trope is handled in a more Western context.
- Check Out the Director’s Later Work: Anu Menon went on to direct Shakuntala Devi and Neeyat. You can see the seeds of her character-focused storytelling right here in LPNY.