But while its intentions are noble, and its heart is very much in the right place, the film meanders, especially in the first half.

Imtiaz Ali reminds us that history may remember borders, but those who lived through it remembered the people they lost. The film makes you yearn for a love like Keenu and Jiya’s, but never for the pain of waiting a lifetime to reunite.

Imtiaz Ali desperately wants to build a timeless love story, but forgets to make his lead characters believable.

These broad-strokes appeals to universalism don’t just lead to facile thinking, but they also weaken the very thing which Ali considers the most important in his "apolitical approach" — the emotions and desires of his characters.