Ek Din review: Sai Pallavi, Junaid Khan's film is all about Japan, little about love

Still from Ek Din

Ek Din is an attempt to bring back classic Bollywood romance, offering respite from the slew of hyper-violent and hyper-sexual films being made. While it ticks off all the boxes - clean, youthful, magical - what's missing is the romance.

Dinesh Kumar Srivastav, aka Dino (Junaid Khan), has a superpower - invisibility. He's quiet, awkward, and leads quite an unheroic life working in the IT department of a corporation. He calls himself a "loser" often enough to believe it.

His existence changes when his office crush, the warm, vivacious and unattainable Meera (Sai Pallavi) notices him. But his hopes of asking her out are quickly undercut when he discovers that she is already in a relationship with their boss, Nakul (Kunal Kapoor), and Dino is back to watching her from the sidelines.

The story moves to Japan when Nakul carts his enthusiastic team off on a five-day office trip, largely to indulge Meera's long-standing fascination with the country. Meera is obsessed with Japan. She has been collecting Snow Miku dolls since childhood, has been planning her itinerary since college, heck, she even chooses to eat at Japanese restaurants in Delhi.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Hokkaido, the film finds its strongest footing visually. Snow-covered slopes, serene temples, and expansive white landscapes are stunning, with the office gang skiing and boating through postcard-like frames.

Unable to watch Nakul and Meera's romance anymore, a heartbroken Dino makes a desperate plea in front of a wish-granting bell, wishing that Meera could be his girlfriend even if it were just for one day.

A twist of fate brings him up close and personal with the girl of his dreams. A drunk Meera wanders off on a stormy night and ends up getting hypothermia and transient global amnesia. Dino, who brought her to the hospital, seizes this golden opportunity and tells her that he is her boyfriend.

So Meera and Dino spend the rest of the day completing her itinerary and journeying to Sapporo. They walk, talk, and munch on marine gonads, and over the course of the day, they grow close.

Yet, despite these efforts, there is little emotional spark between Dino and Meera, even as the narrative draws them closer. It feels like the actors are trying hard to meet the expectations of a romantic setup. There is a brief sequence during a snowstorm, where Dino sheds all his inhibitions and confesses his feelings to Meera, which offers a glimpse of what the film could have achieved with more conviction. Ultimately, there is no zing in their romance.

Junaid Khan makes Dino relatable in parts, capturing his fumbling awkwardness and lack of confidence, but the performance remains largely static. Sai Pallavi brings her characteristic warmth and charm. Her Tamil-accented Hindi is neatly explained through her Chennai roots, adding a touch of realism. Still, even her presence cannot fully compensate for the underwritten character. She deserves a better film for her Bollywood debut.

Ek Din is a highly forgettable film. Much like its title, it will linger for barely one day before fading completely from memory.