📌 Key Points
- “Ek Din” is a Hindi adaptation of the 2016 Thai film “One Day.”
- The first half is engaging and brisk, despite feeling a tad predictable.
- The second half falters significantly, especially when altering the original Thai ending.
- Sai Pallavi delivers a compelling performance, while Junaid Khan’s act is uneven.
“Ek Din,” a Hindi adaptation of the Thai film “One Day,” stars Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi in a one-day romance. While the initial premise and lead chemistry show promise, the film ultimately struggles to deliver a lasting impact, particularly in its second half.
First Half’s Promise and Predictability
This one is a Hindi adaptation of the 2016 Thai film One Day. On a completely unrelated note, if there were a drinking game for every time “Ek Din” is uttered on screen here, audiences would be escorted out of the theatre in a collective haze. Anyway, we digress.
What happens next is best discovered on screen.
There’s a certain freshness to the proceedings initially. The plot is fuss-free, and at a tidy two-hour runtime, it largely stays in control. The first half moves along briskly, keeping you engaged with how things unfold, even if it all feels a tad predictable. Sai and Junaid make for a pleasing pair, and that sense of newness works in the film’s favour.
Second Half’s Struggle and Missed Impact
It’s the second half where things begin to wobble, especially as the film attempts to tinker with the original Thai ending.
In it’s attempt to neatly tie everything together, Ek Din ends up stretching itself unnecessarily towards the climax. It starts losing steam right when it should be tightening its grip, just as the big reveal approaches, which feels baffling. How does a film falter at the very moment it’s been building towards all along, with a reunion that should have been its most affecting payoff?
Maybe part of it comes down to the casting. Backed by daddy Aamir Khan and uncle Mansoor Khan, Junaid largely fits the part. He holds his own in the emotional stretches, but as the film inches towards the climax, the writing stops doing him a favour and he begins to falter.
Junaid Khan & Sai Pallavi’s Performances
And then there’s Sai Pallavi. She’s so effortlessly compelling that she commands your attention every time she’s on screen, and you feel her absence just as much when she isn’t. Her eyes do the heavy lifting with ease. Curious to see her next in Ramayana, where she plays Maa Sita.
What Ek Din needed, is maybe some humour to make it more accessible to a larger section of the viewers.
The music and background score by Ram Sampath, goes well with the story. The cinematography by Manoj Lobo is also good.
Despite strong performances from Sai Pallavi and an engaging first half, “Ek Din” ultimately falls short. Its attempt to alter the original ending and a faltering second half prevent it from achieving its full emotional potential, making it a one-time watch.
