Recently, a major complaint against the Hindi film industry is the sheer number of sequels and remakes. Box offices across the Hindi belt have hardly seen any new releases beyond XX2 or XX2 Returns. Metro….In Dino (translation: Metro…these days), too, is a sequel. Like many Hindi sequels, the storyline bears no relation to the prequel. It introduces new characters, new stories, and new actors (except Konkona Sen Sharma), set in Indian metropolitan cities where life races forward while relationships fade into the distance. 

However, Metro….In Dino feels refreshingly new. Or at least it seems to bring some novelty amidst a cacophony of the same kind of coming-of-age love stories. How? You have 10-12 songs in the film. The singers Papon, Arijit Singh, and Pritam Chakraborty are seen throughout the film, singing atop fancy high-rises in metro cities, offering a panoramic view of the new India, where material development comes at a staggering cost, accompanied by the loneliness epidemic. 

Anurag Basu’s 2007 release Life…In A Metro brought urban, suave, sophisticated relationships and their hollowed existence to the fore with mind-blowing music. Music is the boat on which Metro….In Dino sails. Bollywood fans aren’t complaining because the quintessential Bollywood music is back, and they can blast the soundtrack in their high-rise, expensive apartments across India’s metro cities. 

What’s new about that? After all, songs have always been a quintessential part of Bollywood films, right? Not so much over the last couple of years. The success of Metro….In Dino lies in its revival of Bollywood songs, acting as carriers of the plot. The movie has been turned into a musical, with each character revealing their plight and tragedy through songs. 

The pain of loneliness is eased on screen when you see these actors lip-syncing to lyrics that narrate their life in a metro, so far. And it is not annoying, unlike Disney movies. It is precisely what Hindi film audiences were craving. Just when we thought those days of quality songs that strike the depths of the human heart with their cruel circumstances were over, writer-director-cinematographer Anurag Basu reminds us he is still here. And the art survives. 

The characters intersect in each other’s lives, and their stories are uniquely personal yet deeply intertwined. They span across different age groups, and the love stories are diverse. It was pretty ‘normal’ to see a teenager exploring her sexuality on screen in a movie that has no ‘Adult’ rating by the Censor Board (But we are mad about the cuts in Superman, though). Additionally, cheating husbands, lonely housewives, confused young love, and double standards all find an expected place in Metro….In Dino. We also have a struggling marriage between an artist and a journalist on the precipice of parenthood. A father-in-law wants his daughter-in-law to give herself a chance with another man after the death of his son, even if that means he will be left alone. A daughter questions why her mother chose to give her father a second chance when she finds herself in the same situation and refuses a second chance to her husband. What does it mean to cheat on your spouse, in both cases? 

Metro….In Dino questions many ideas without being preachy. It’s a silent spectacle of lives unraveling in a busy city with little scope for empathy but a lot of choices in terms of sex and relationships. Even when you see a husband justifying infidelity through a song sequence in his office, where his colleagues too have extra-marital affairs, you don’t cringe. You know that’s how it is. Marriage and relationships are hard. But they get a lot harder after a decade or two, and a plethora of responsibilities involving kids and families. How does one navigate relationships in a society where gender disparity remains high? How does one stay in love in long-distance marriages while chasing their career dreams? This is where the key story arc lies. 

Unlike many films releasing these days with a ‘feminist’ tag, Metro….In Dino refuses to box itself in a genre. Yes, gender dichotomy, man-woman conflict, and societal double standards are questioned, but in a highly subtle manner. This subtlety adds to its effectiveness. You cruise through the film and understand what is being portrayed. The second half might not be everyone’s cup of tea because everything is not neatly laid out. Yet, Anurag Basu, as the writer-director, knew what he wanted to leave the audience with. Yes, a typical “I Love You” and “I’m sorry” involving trains and flights, but also a resolution among characters, a sort of compromise in marital relationships, instead of a happily-ever-after, just like real life. 

The movie also pays homage to actor Irrfan and singer KK, who were part of the 2007 prequel. Additionally, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and choreographer Vijay Ganguly have made cameos in the film. Not to forget, writer-director Anurag Basu, who is seen on screen after several years. His comeback as a filmmaker is nothing short of spectacular, with minimal noise, publicity, and interviews. As they say, success is often without commotion and usually silent. 

Between 2007 and 2025, India’s urban youth have grown up—and grown lonely. With rent to pay, jobs to chase, and dreams to follow, relationships have grown quieter, more complex. The pandemic was a pause; job insecurity and rising costs were the play button. Metro…In Dino is an ode to this reality, symbolically, where characters are on the metro rails.

Review Courtesy of Neha Jha

Feature Image Credit T-Series Films and Anurag Basu Productions