Anurag Basu’s Metro… In Dino, released on July 4, 2025, is a spiritual successor to his acclaimed 2007 film Life in a… Metro. Once again, Basu weaves together multiple love stories set across major Indian metro cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore; this time with a musical twist reminiscent of his work in Jagga Jasoos and Ludo.
The star-studded ensemble includes Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Konkona Sen Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Ali Fazal. With Abhishek and Anurag Basu’s eye-catching cinematography, Pritam’s musical narration, and authentic dialogue by Sandeep Shrivastava and Samrat Chakravarthy, Basu aims to rekindle the magic of urban romance, although not without stirring paced criticism.
Metro… In Dino: Plot
Metro… In Dino follows four loosely interwoven narratives anchored in different Indian metros.
In Mumbai, Monty (Pankaj Tripathi) and Kajol (Konkona Sen Sharma) are a middle-aged married couple whose longtime emotional connection starts crumbling when Kajol experiences a hush of distance. Monty, prompted by a colleague, ends up on a dating app, accidentally entwining online temptation with his domestic life. Their arc oscillates between comedic mishaps and genuine emotional crisis.
In another thread, Shruti (Fatima Sana Shaikh) and Akash (Ali Fazal) grapple with diverging ambitions and life goals. Shruti yearns for motherhood and stability while Akash is driven to pursue a singing career, leading to emotional tension and a defining moment where Shruti considers abortion and relocation for her own path.
A third couple, Parth (Aditya Roy Kapur) and Chumki (Sara Ali Khan), represent youthful confusion and digital-age courting. Their dynamic alternates between commitment hesitancy, social media pressures, and the tension of modern courtship. Parth’s ‘man-child’ tendencies clash with Chumki’s desire for sincerity.
Finally, Shivani (Neena Gupta) and Parimal (Anupam Kher) are rekindling lost romance from their college years late in life. Their simple, nostalgic bond renews deeper connection even as they confront family dynamics and the complexity of emotional rediscovery.
All four arcs intersect subtly as Basu revisits his trademark hyperlink approach. The narratives are punctuated with song, choreographed to feel spontaneous and emotionally revealing, heightening connection to each couple’s emotional journey.
Metro… In Dino: Performances
The ensemble cast delivers layered and relatable performances that stand as the film’s greatest strength. Pankaj Tripathi shines as Monty, seamlessly blending comedic awkwardness with a poignant emotional core. His portrayal of longing and vulnerability is outstanding and among his best yet. Konkona Sen Sharma matches him in emotional depth, her Kajol is a portrait of wounded grace and suppressed yearning.
Fatima Sana Shaikh delivers a powerful performance as Shruti, navigating rational choices and emotional turmoil with conviction. Ali Fazal, too, brings a quiet charisma to Akash’s artistic aspirations.
The youthful pairing of Sara Ali Khan and Aditya Roy Kapur is earnest, Aditya’s casual charm fits Parth’s nonchalance, while Sara, though sometimes underwhelming, brings authenticity to Chumki’s quest for order in modern romance.
In the silver-haired romance, Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher serve emotional honesty and warmth, though their storyline deserved more space to deepen. The supporting cast, including Saswata Chatterjee and Kush Jotwani, fill out the narrative with texture and grounding realism.
Across the board, performances are robust and rooted in lived-in emotion and the ensemble is uniformly strong and emotionally resonant.
Metro… In Dino: Analysis
Returning to Basu’s preferred hyperlink framework, Metro… In Dino seeks to explore the evolving landscapes of love across generations. Unlike its predecessor, which focused on extramarital affairs and urban angst, this film centers on generational contrasts, from youthful uncertainty to mature longing. The narratives explore commitment-phobia, changing aspirations, rediscovered love, and emotional recalibration amid city chaos.
A central narrative device is its musical storytelling. Over a dozen songs including “Dhaagena Tinak Dhin,” “Zamaana Lage,” “Dil Ka Kya,” and “Aur Mohabbat Kitni Karoon” are interwoven like emotional undercurrents. This bold melding of music and screenplay, evokes echoes of La La Land and Jagga Jasoos. While the musical format adds charm, it also slows pacing, especially given a runtime of approximately 159–162 minutes.
The film’s biggest strength lies in its emotionally grounded narratives and relatable dialogue, with character arcs that feel real and nuanced. Yet this same ambition causes it to occasionally sag— some storylines, particularly the Monty-Kajol arc, lean into melodrama, and a few loose ends remain unresolved. Moreover, while Pritam’s musical score is commendable, in comparisons to the cult classics Life in a… Metro soundtrack, the new music doesn’t match up.
Technically, the film is polished. Cinematography captures each cityscape playfully, editing maintains narrative clarity across metropolises, and costume design adds texture to each character’s journey. But structural looseness and occasional tonal incongruities mean the film never fully achieves the tight resonance of Basu’s earlier ensemble works.
Metro… In Dino: Verdict
Metro… In Dino is a heartfelt musical drama that celebrates love across life’s stages from young infatuations, mid-life growth, to later-life rediscovery. Its strongest points are the performances of Tripathi, Sharma, Shaikh, and Fazal, and its willingness to embrace musical storytelling in urban settings. Basu’s elegant interweaving of narratives and honest emotional cores allow the film to resonate, even when it drifts into melodramatic stretches or suffers pacing lags.
For audience, who cherish character-driven ensemble films with a generous dose of music and emotional introspection, Metro… In Dino offers a touching, multi-layered experience. That said, it doesn’t reach the narrative precision or soundtrack brilliance of Life in a… Metro.
Metro… In Dino remains a sincere, intermittently moving tribute to modern love, even as it falls short of Basu’s highest achievements.
Metro In Dino: Rating
Critics Rating: 2.5/5
Box Office Rating: 2/5
(Also read: Bollywood Unites for Metro…इन दिनों Premiere Night, Check Out Heartwarming Video!)
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