Anurag Basu’s metro in dino movie review (2025) is a cinematic tapestry that weaves together the complexities of modern relationships with the soulful strains of a musical narrative. As a spiritual sequel to Basu’s 2007 classic Life in a Metro, this Hindi-language romantic drama explores love, longing, and second chances across the bustling metros of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and beyond. With a stellar ensemble cast, a Pritam-crafted soundtrack, and Basu’s signature blend of whimsy and emotional depth, Metro… In Dino aims to capture the hearts of audiences craving a poignant yet breezy romance. But does it live up to its predecessor’s legacy, or does it falter under the weight of its ambitions? Let’s dive into this Metro… In Dino movie review to find out.
metro in dino movie review details
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Attribute |
Details |
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Title |
Metro… In Dino |
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Director |
Anurag Basu |
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Writers |
Anurag Basu, Sandeep Shrivastava, Samrat Chakraborty |
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Cast |
Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Neena Gupta, Anupam Kher, Saswata Chatterjee |
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Genre |
Musical, Romantic Drama, Anthology |
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Release Date |
July 4, 2025 (Theatrical), August 29, 2025 (Netflix) |
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Runtime |
162 minutes (2 hours 42 minutes) |
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Language |
Hindi |
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Production Companies |
T-Series Films, Anurag Basu Productions |
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Music |
Pritam, Papon, Raghav Chaitanya |
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Cinematography |
Abhishek Basu, Anurag Basu |
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IMDb Rating |
6.8/10 |
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Rotten Tomatoes |
64% (14 critics, as of July 2025) |
Spoiler-Free Plot Summary
Metro… In Dino is an anthology film that interweaves four primary stories, each exploring the multifaceted nature of love in urban India. Set against the vibrant backdrops of India’s metro cities, the film delves into themes of infidelity, emotional vulnerability, second chances, and the chaos of modern relationships. Here’s a glimpse into the core narratives without revealing key twists:
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Monty and Kajol: A middle-aged couple, portrayed by Pankaj Tripathi and Konkona Sen Sharma, grapples with a marriage strained by monotony and infidelity. Their journey is a humorous yet poignant exploration of rediscovering love amidst personal flaws.
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Akash and Shruti: Ali Fazal and Fatima Sana Shaikh play a young corporate couple facing an unplanned pregnancy and career pressures. Their story navigates emotional detachment, temptation, and the quest for mutual understanding.
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Chumki and Parth: Sara Ali Khan and Aditya Roy Kapur embody a younger, more impulsive romance marked by confusion and emotional volatility. Their dynamic reflects the uncertainties of modern love in a digital age.
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Shibani and Parimal: Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher portray an older couple seeking companionship and meaning in the later stages of life. Their tender arc highlights the beauty of late-life connections.
The stories are loosely interconnected, with characters crossing paths in subtle, meaningful ways. Rain-soaked streets, bustling metros, and soulful music act as narrative threads, tying together these tales of love, loss, and rediscovery. Basu’s direction ensures that each story feels distinct yet part of a cohesive emotional landscape.
Cast Performances
The ensemble cast of Metro… In Dino is a highlight, with each actor bringing depth and nuance to their roles. Here’s a breakdown of their performances:
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Pankaj Tripathi as Monty Sisodiya: Tripathi steals the show with his effortless blend of humor and vulnerability. His portrayal of a philandering yet insecure husband is both hilarious and heartbreaking, earning praise for its authenticity. Critics have lauded his comic timing, with The Hindu calling his chemistry with Konkona Sen Sharma “electric.”
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Konkona Sen Sharma as Kajol Ghosh: Returning from Life in a Metro, Konkona delivers a stellar performance as a wife torn between tradition and personal agency. Her confrontation scenes, especially with her mother, are emotionally raw and resonate deeply.
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Sara Ali Khan as Chumki Ghosh: Sara’s performance is a mixed bag. While some reviews, like Hindustan Times, praise her relatable portrayal of a conflicted young woman, others, including Rediff.com, criticize her for tonal inconsistency and being overshadowed by costume choices.
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Aditya Roy Kapur as Parth Nakul Sahadev: Aditya brings charm and ease to his role as a drifter with a sunny disposition. Though his character is somewhat underwritten, his chemistry with Sara adds a light-hearted spark to their arc.
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Fatima Sana Shaikh as Shruti Shukla Arya: Fatima shines as a woman navigating emotional turmoil and professional pressures. Her performance is relatable, though some critics note that her arc could have been tighter.
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Ali Fazal as Akash Arya: Ali delivers a solid performance as a husband grappling with ambition and personal desires. His limited screen time is a drawback, but he leaves a mark in emotionally charged scenes.
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Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher as Shibani and Parimal: This veteran duo brings warmth and wit to their roles as an elderly couple. Their arc is described as “deeply moving” by News18, with Anupam’s subtle defiance of patriarchal norms standing out.
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Supporting Cast: Saswata Chatterjee, Darshana Banik, and others add depth to secondary roles, though some characters feel underutilized due to the film’s crowded narrative.
Overall, the cast’s chemistry and individual performances elevate the film, with Tripathi and Konkona emerging as the emotional anchors.
Direction and Screenplay
Anurag Basu’s direction is both a strength and a point of contention. Known for films like Barfi! and Ludo, Basu brings his signature whimsical yet grounded storytelling to Metro… In Dino. His ability to weave multiple narratives while maintaining emotional depth is commendable. The film’s lyrical introduction, where characters break the fourth wall, sets a vibrant tone, drawing audiences into its world.
The screenplay, co-written by Basu, Sandeep Shrivastava, and Samrat Chakraborty, is engaging and relatable, tackling modern issues like infidelity, abortion, and generational trauma with sensitivity. However, the second half loses some momentum, with certain subplots feeling stretched or unresolved. Critics note that while the dialogue is realistic and occasionally poetic, some moments lean into “floweriness” that feels out of place.
Basu’s decision to treat Metro… In Dino as a musical, with sung dialogues inspired by La La Land, is a bold move. While this adds a unique flavor, it occasionally disrupts the narrative flow, making the film feel like a montage-heavy music video.
Cinematography
The cinematography, handled by Abhishek Basu and Anurag Basu himself, is a visual treat. The film captures the essence of India’s metro cities with vibrant color palettes and poetic framing. Rain-drenched streets, bustling cityscapes, and intimate moments under dim streetlights create a lived-in atmosphere. However, some critics, like Hollywood Reporter India, argue that the cities blend into a generic urban aesthetic, lacking distinctiveness.
Standout scenes include the musical opening, where characters introduce themselves through song, and quieter moments, like lovers conversing on balconies overlooking city skylines. The transitions between storylines are smooth, thanks to editors Bodhaditya Bandyopadhyay and Satish Gowda, though the lengthy runtime could have been trimmed.
Music
Pritam’s soundtrack, performed by the “Metro Band” (Pritam, Papon, and Raghav Chaitanya), is the heartbeat of Metro… In Dino. Songs like Dhaagena Tinak Dhin and Zamaana Lage are catchy and seamlessly woven into the narrative, while tracks like Aur Mohabbat Kitni Karoon carry emotional weight. The background score enhances the film’s monsoon-soaked ambiance, acting as a metaphor for chaos and renewal.
However, some critics feel the soundtrack lacks the iconic quality of Life in a Metro’s In Dino or Alvida. The frequent use of recitatives (sung dialogues) is innovative but divisive, with some viewers finding it pretentious.
Visual Effects (VFX)
metro in dino movie review relies minimally on VFX, focusing instead on practical cinematography and real locations. The few VFX elements, such as cityscape transitions and weather effects, are subtle and enhance the film’s grounded aesthetic. There are no glaring CGI missteps, which keeps the focus on the story and performances.
Strengths
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Ensemble Performances: Pankaj Tripathi and Konkona Sen Sharma deliver standout performances, with Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher adding emotional depth.
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Music and Atmosphere: Pritam’s soulful score and the rain-soaked urban settings create a memorable cinematic experience.
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Thematic Depth: The film tackles modern relationship issues—infidelity, abortion, generational trauma—with sensitivity and humor.
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Innovative Storytelling: The musical format and interconnected narratives offer a fresh take on the anthology genre.
Weaknesses
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Pacing Issues: The second half feels stretched, with some subplots losing focus or resolution.
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Uneven Performances: Sara Ali Khan’s inconsistent acting and Aditya Roy Kapur’s underwritten role are drawbacks.
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Overambitious Scope: The film juggles too many themes and characters, leading to a cluttered narrative.
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Generic Cityscapes: The lack of distinct visual identities for each city dilutes the setting’s impact.
Audience and Critics’ Reactions
metro in dino movie review has garnered mixed but generally positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 64% approval rating based on 14 critic reviews, with an average score of 6/10. Critics praise the ensemble cast, music, and Basu’s emotional storytelling but criticize the pacing and narrative cohesion in the second half.
Audience reactions, particularly on platforms like BookMyShow and Reddit, are polarized. Some viewers call it a “soul-stirring” experience that captures the essence of modern love, with comments like, “It’s a movie that speaks to your emotional landscape.” Others find it “pretentious” and overly long, with one Reddit user lamenting, “Every single couple cheats on each other… total waste of time.”
The film’s exploration of infidelity and complex relationships has sparked debate, with some praising its bold take and others criticizing it for promoting a “cheating culture.” Despite this, the performances of Tripathi, Konkona, and the veteran duo of Gupta and Kher have been universally lauded.
Box Office Buzz
metro in dino movie review had a slow start at the box office, with reports indicating a modest opening day collection of around Rs 2.50 crore. The film faced competition from other 2025 releases like The Conjuring: Last Rites and Jolly LLB 3, which impacted its theatrical run. However, its release on Netflix on August 29, 2025, boosted its reach, with streaming audiences praising its accessibility and monsoon-soaked vibe. The film’s niche appeal as a musical romantic drama limited its mainstream success but resonated with urban audiences and Bollywood enthusiasts.
Comparisons to Life in a Metro
As a spiritual sequel, Metro… In Dino invites inevitable comparisons to Life in a Metro (2007). While the earlier film was a novel anthology with a raw, emotional edge, Metro… In Dino leans into a more polished, musical format. The 2007 film’s music (In Dino, Alvida) remains iconic, whereas the 2025 soundtrack, though soulful, lacks the same earworm quality.
Thematically, both films explore urban loneliness and love, but Metro… In Dino expands its scope to multiple cities and modern issues like dating apps and generational trauma. However, critics argue that it lacks the narrative tightness of its predecessor, with some calling it a “messy musing on metropolitan monotony.” Fans of the original may miss the raw intensity of pairings like Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma, though Tripathi’s performance fills that void admirably.
Final Verdict
metro in dino movie review is a tender, ambitious, and occasionally flawed ode to modern love. Anurag Basu’s direction, paired with Pritam’s music, creates a cinematic experience that feels like a warm hug on a rainy day. The ensemble cast, led by Pankaj Tripathi and Konkona Sen Sharma, delivers heartfelt performances that anchor the film’s emotional core. However, pacing issues, an overstuffed narrative, and uneven performances prevent it from reaching the heights of Life in a Metro.
