India may finally see Fawad Khan in Aabeer Gulaal on September 26

WEB DESK: When countries go to war, art also becomes a casualty as seen with Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor starrer, Aabeer Gulaal , earlier Abir Gulaal. The film slated to release in May felt the brunt of the brief but intense India-Pakistan escalation after India attacked Pakistan on May 7 after launching Operation Sindoor. After being released globally on September 12, the film will be available for audience in India on September 26.

Directed by Aarti S. Bagdi, the film brings together Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor in a glossy, sometimes bloated, but ultimately rewarding romance. One may think that romantic comedies may no longer dominate cinema halls, but proves there’s still magic in watching two people stumble, argue, and slowly fall into something resembling love.

Kapoor plays a privileged, Simran-esque daughter, spoilt, impulsive, and clumsy, who rebels against her father’s carefully arranged plans for her marriage. When her father finally cuts her off, she flees to London, where she reinvents herself as a Bollywood dance instructor while juggling a restaurant internship under Abir (Fawad Khan), a brooding chef with little patience for her theatrics.

It’s an absurd setup, watching Vaani strut through London in ornate lehengas, teaching thumkas to bemused locals, but it works because Bagdi allows her heroine to trip, fail, and grow. The absurdity gives way to vulnerability, which makes the eventual connection with Abir feel earned.

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Fawad and Vaani’s chemistry is the film’s strongest card. Their push-pull banter recalls Before Sunrise’s conversational intimacy, while their silences carry as much weight as their flirtations. “Having a relationship is a journey in life, and it can never be all perfect,” Fawad told Gulf News ahead of the release. “You have to accept people with their flaws… If you keep waiting forever, you might just wait forever.” His philosophy runs through the film’s veins, grounding the romance in something more honest than Bollywood’s usual sugar rush.

For Vaani, the role echoed her own search for clarity in love: “I feel like I’m still trying to decode what life has to offer… But I do believe in loyalty and commitment, you choose that person every day, and you make that conscious choice.”

Not all of Aabeer Gulaal hits the mark. The midsection sags, padded with unnecessary detours and a jarring cameo. But the finale redeems it. Bagdi resists tying things up with a neat, mushy bow, instead embracing the messiness of love with a risk that lingers.

Visually, the film is polished to perfection: London sparkles, food shots glisten, and the soundtrack pumps in just enough energy, even if a few songs feel shoehorned.

According to Gulf News, Aabeer Gulaal is predictable but heartfelt, and leans on the charisma of its leads, a gutsy ending, and old-school notions of commitment to deliver a rom-com that’s equal parts silly and swoony.