Metro In Dino Movie Review: Love, Loneliness And Urban Lives; Movie Dissects The Modern Heart

Metro In Dino Movie Review: Some love stories are not built to dazzle or dominate the screen, but make a small place in your heart and stay with you for a long time. Just like 'Life In A Metro', its spiritual sequel and Anurag Basu directorial Metro In Dino is one such intimate composition that doesn’t try to impress with grandeur but simply nudges and asks, “Have you felt like this too?” And for many, the answer will be yes. Starring Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Konkona Sensharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Saswata Chatterjee, the Bollywood movie brings four narratives which are delicately balanced, grounded in everyday emotional truths rather than dramatic revelations.

Metro In Dino Review

With Metro In Dino, Anurag Basu revisits a storytelling structure reminiscent of his earlier work Life In A Metro, but this time, the tone is gentler, more introspective. There’s no harsh critique of urban life. Instead, the city is presented as fatigued, not harsh, but quietly weighed down. And its inhabitants mirror this emotional fatigue: hearts weary, minds crowded with questions, yet constantly seeking moments of renewal. The film breathes in the spaces between actions, in hesitation, in pauses, in sighs.

Anurag Basu crafts an ensemble of relationships, each at a different crossroads. Monty (Pankaj Tripathi) and Kajol (Konkona Sensharma) share a marriage drained of conversation, a connection once alive now stuck in a loop of habitual silence. Shibani (Neena Gupta), Kajol’s mother, lives behind a practised smile, having spent years fading into the backdrop of her own marriage. Akash (Ali Fazal) and Shruti (Fatima Sana Shaikh) are a long-distance couple emotionally out of sync, their bond tested by both physical space and emotional fatigue. And lastly, Chumki (Sara Ali Khan) is restless and bruised, stumbling into Parth (Aditya Roy Kapur) at a point in life where she seems to be losing grip, and yet, possibly finding love again.

At its core, the film is about the love that drifts away, the moments when we almost speak but don’t, and the rare comfort found in unexpected second chances. It acknowledges that closure is rare, that healing doesn’t follow a schedule. What matters is the attempt. The film does slow down in its latter half. Some stories receive more attention than others, and symmetry isn’t always maintained. But this unevenness appears to be intentional. Basu isn’t striving for narrative perfection; he’s embracing the untidy beauty of relationships as they truly are, inconsistent, confusing, and sometimes unresolved. The lack of tidy conclusions reflects the way real life unfolds.

Performances

Sara Ali Khan’s portrayal of Chumki stands out for its quiet vulnerability. Stripping away all artifice, she delivers a performance that is deeply human. Chumki is cautious, hurt, and uncertain about love, yet drawn to it. Sara communicates more through silences and glances than spoken lines, especially in moments where her character falters or hesitates. Aditya Roy Kapur again proves he is the master of emotions, especially when it comes to heartbreak. He demands attention when he comes on the screen, and his strength lies in the unspoken words he says with his expressions.

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The entire cast delivers performances that are rich in subtext. Neena Gupta’s Shibani hides her grief behind sarcasm. Anupam Kher brings the innocence of love filled with hesitation. Pankaj Tripathi’s Monty masks his confusion with charm. Fatima Sana Shaikh’s Shruti expresses pain without drama. These characters don’t spell out their suffering — they wear it subtly, like real people do. There’s a lived-in realism here, supported by performances that refuse to be theatrical.

The Soundtrack

One of the biggest strengths of Life in a Metro was its soundtrack, which to date manages to give goosebumps to the listeners. With Metro In Dino, Pritam has managed to weave a similar magic. The emotional heartbeat of the movie is its music. These aren’t just songs inserted for entertainment; they’re emotional extensions of the screenplay. With evocative vocals by Papon and Raghav Chaitanya, the soundtrack becomes a character of its own, voicing inner turmoil and quiet hopes. Every note is timed to support the emotional rhythm of the scenes. Silence and melody merge in a way that enhances the film’s mood without ever overpowering it.

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Metro In Dino Verdict- 3.5/5 Stars

This isn’t the kind of film that sends you out of the theatre cheering. It’s the kind that stays with you in the quiet moments afterwards. It asks you to reflect, to relate, and maybe even to reconnect — not just with others, but with yourself. Metro In Dino is a film about the emotional residue of modern life, and it handles its themes with warmth, nuance, and patience. It may not be for everyone, but for those who find themselves in its silences, it’s unforgettable.