Honestly, walking into a theater in August 2017 to watch Jab Harry Met Sejal, most of us expected a classic Imtiaz Ali miracle. We wanted that Jab We Met energy or the soul-crushing depth of Rockstar. What we got instead was a polarizing, European travelogue that left half the audience scratching their heads while the other half fell head over heels for the vibes. It’s been years, and yet, the conversation around this movie hasn't died down. If anything, it’s become a bit of a cult case study for what happens when a superstar’s persona clashes with a director’s indie sensibilities.
The plot is deceptively thin. Harry, played by Shah Rukh Khan, is a cynical, slightly "cheap" (his words, not mine) tour guide in Europe. Sejal, played by Anushka Sharma, is a law student from a wealthy Gujarati family who loses her engagement ring. They trek across Amsterdam, Prague, Budapest, and Lisbon to find it. That’s it. That’s the movie. But if you think it’s just about a ring, you probably missed why Imtiaz Ali made it in the first place.
The Problem With the "Ring" Plot
People hated the ring.
Let's be real—the idea of a grown woman staying back in Europe to find a piece of jewelry while her family flies home to India felt absurd to 2017 audiences. Critics like Anupama Chopra and Rajeev Masand pointed out the flimsiness of the stakes. But if you look at the film through the lens of character displacement, the ring is just a MacGuffin. It’s an excuse. Sejal doesn't want the ring; she wants the freedom that looking for it provides. She’s a girl who has lived a sheltered, "good girl" life and suddenly finds herself with a man who sees her as a woman, not just a fiancé.
Harry is the opposite. He’s a nomad who has lost his roots. He’s from Nurmahal, Punjab, but he can’t go back. He’s lonely. He’s hollow. When Sejal asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend to see if she’s "the kind of girl" men leave their lives for, it’s cringey, sure. But it’s also deeply human. It’s about validation.
Shah Rukh Khan vs. Harinder Singh Nehra
This was a weird era for SRK. He was trying to pivot. He did Fan, he did Raees, and then he did this. In Jab Harry Met Sejal, we don’t get the Raj or Rahul we grew up with. We get Harry. He’s grumpy. He uses rough language. He’s clearly dealing with some form of depression.
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Shah Rukh’s performance is actually quite nuanced if you ignore the expectations of a "Blockbuster." He uses his eyes more than his dialogue. There’s a scene in a bar where he screams out of sheer frustration, and it feels raw in a way we rarely see from the King of Romance. But the audience wanted the arms-stretched-wide SRK. When they got a man crying about his lost home in Punjab while standing in a cold European field, the disconnect was massive.
Anushka Sharma’s Gujarati accent was another point of contention. Some found it charming; others found it a caricature. Personally, I think she nailed the body language of someone trying too hard to be "cool" in front of a guy she finds intimidating. Their chemistry, which was so electric in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, felt more grounded here. Less magical, more messy.
Why the Music Actually Carried the Film
Pritam and Irshad Kamil are the unsung heroes here. Usually, movie soundtracks are just marketing tools. Here, the songs are the narrative.
- "Safar" perfectly encapsulates Harry’s existential crisis.
- "Hawayein" became a wedding staple, but in the film, it’s a quiet moment of realization.
- "Ghar" is arguably the soul of the movie.
If you listen to the lyrics of "Ghar," the movie makes way more sense. It’s not about finding a ring; it’s about finding a person who feels like home. The production value was top-notch, with K.U. Mohanan’s cinematography making Europe look both breathtaking and lonely. He captured the neon lights of the clubs and the desolate morning streets in a way that mirrored Harry’s internal state.
The Box Office Failure and the Imtiaz Ali "Curse"
Let's talk numbers because they matter. The film was made on a massive budget, reported to be around 110 crores. It didn't even cross the 70-crore mark domestically. It was a disaster by SRK standards.
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Why did it fail?
Marketing played a huge role. The "mini-trails" released before the trailer focused on the comedy and the "cheap" comment, making it look like a lighthearted rom-com. When people sat in the theater and realized it was a slow-burn character study about two people talking for two hours, they felt cheated. It’s the same thing that happened with Tamasha. Imtiaz Ali makes movies for a very specific type of person—someone who is okay with a wandering plot and heavy metaphors. The general Indian public in 2017 was looking for high-octane entertainment or tight scripts. Jab Harry Met Sejal was neither.
Re-evaluating JHMS Years Later
Interestingly, the film has found a second life on streaming. People watching it at home, without the pressure of a 500-rupee ticket and popcorn, seem to appreciate the vibe more. It’s a "mood" movie.
It explores the idea of the "Manmoni"—the person who does what their heart desires. Sejal is trapped in a life of "shoulds" (I should marry this guy, I should be a lawyer). Harry is trapped in a life of "nothingness." When they collide, they don't just fall in love; they find their identities. Harry finds his way back to Nurmahal, and Sejal finds the courage to break off a marriage that didn't fit her.
Is it a perfect movie? No. The second half drags. The climax in the wedding is cliché and feels like it belongs in a different film. The "ring" reveal is underwhelming. But the moments in between—the conversations in the car, the silence in the hotel rooms—are pure gold.
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Real-World Takeaways for Your Next Watch
If you’re planning to revisit Jab Harry Met Sejal, or if you’re watching it for the first time, change your perspective. Don't look for a plot. Look for the subtext.
- Watch Harry’s Transition: Notice how his clothes change. He starts in dark, muted tones and slowly moves toward colors as he spends more time with Sejal.
- Listen to the Background Score: Hitesh Sonik’s score is subtle but tells you exactly when Harry is lying to himself.
- The Nurmahal Connection: Pay attention to how often Harry mentions "singing." It’s his lost passion. The film is as much about a man reclaiming his voice as it is about a woman finding her ring.
- Ignore the Accent: If Anushka’s accent bothers you, focus on her eyes. She does a lot of heavy lifting in the emotional scenes toward the end.
What You Should Do Next
If this movie left you feeling confused, the best thing to do is watch a "making-of" documentary or interviews with Imtiaz Ali about the film’s philosophy. He explicitly mentions that the film was intended to be "light," which is ironic because it feels quite heavy.
For those who loved the European aesthetics, Lisbon and Prague are the two standout locations. If you’re a traveler, following the "Harry and Sejal trail" through the Alfama district in Lisbon or the Old Town Square in Prague is actually a pretty great itinerary.
Ultimately, Jab Harry Met Sejal is a reminder that even the biggest stars can’t save a film if the audience isn’t ready for the story being told. It remains a beautiful, flawed experiment in Bollywood’s history. If you want a film that feels like a warm cup of coffee on a rainy day—slightly bitter but comforting—this is the one. Just don't expect a typical SRK romance. Expect a journey that doesn't really have a map.