Ek Din Review: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)
“Ek Din” earns 2 out of 5 for its heartfelt moments, beautiful visuals, and Sai Pallavi’s strong performance. However, predictable storytelling and uneven emotional depth prevent it from becoming a truly impactful love story.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ | Director: Sunil Pandey | Cast: Sai Pallavi, Junaid Khan, Kunal Kapoor
There is a certain kind of Bollywood film that does not try too hard to make sense. It just wants you to feel something. Ek Din is exactly that kind of film. The problem is, it does not make you feel much either.
Released on May 1, 2026, this Hindi remake of the 2016 Thai film One Day follows a simple, almost fairy-tale-like idea. Dinesh, a quiet and awkward IT guy played by Junaid Khan, has been silently in love with his popular colleague Meera, played by Sai Pallavi, for years. He never dares to say anything. Then, during a company trip to Japan, a freak accident gives him an unexpected chance. Meera wakes up with a rare memory condition that wipes her short-term memory clean every single day. She will not remember this day tomorrow. Dinesh pretends to be her boyfriend for those few hours. Naturally, things do not go as planned.
A Premise That Sounds Better Than It Plays Out
On paper, the story has charm. A hopeless romantic. A single magical day. A setting in snowy Japan. It sounds like the kind of film you watch on a rainy Sunday evening with a warm cup of tea. But watching it unfold, you slowly realise that the film is all setup and very little soul.
The biggest issue is that the central romance never convinces you. Dinesh and Meera spend an entire day together in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and yet there is barely a spark between them. No nervous laughter, no real tension, no moment where you think, yes, these two are falling for each other. They look more like two strangers stuck on the same tourist bus than two people in the middle of a love story. You keep waiting for that one scene that will change everything, but it never arrives.
The Performances: One Carries, One Floats
Sai Pallavi, as always, gives everything she has. She brings a quiet warmth to Meera and handles some genuinely tricky emotional moments with real grace. When the film slows down and lets her just be, she is lovely to watch. She is the only reason you stay invested.
Junaid Khan, on the other hand, is still finding his footing. He plays Dinesh as painfully shy and self-conscious, which is fine on its own, but the performance never quite breaks through. He feels too invisible. Not in the charming, underdog kind of way the film intends, but in the way that makes you forget he is even in the scene. There are flashes of something more genuine, but they are too few and too brief. The role needed someone who could make you root for him despite his bad decisions. That connection simply does not form here.
Japan Is the Real Star
If there is one thing Ek Din gets absolutely right, it is the way it captures Japan. The snow-covered streets of Sapporo, the soft winter light, the quiet temples, and the busy markets—everything looks gorgeous. The cinematography is genuinely beautiful, and there are frames in this film that could easily be lifted and turned into travel posters. It is the kind of location that makes you want to book a trip before you even check out of the cinema hall.
But here is the irony: the film is so enamoured with its beautiful backdrop that it forgets to fill it with a story worth telling. The Japan sequences feel more like a tourism montage than a love story unfolding in a foreign land. You are admiring the scenery while the characters wander through it without leaving much of an impression.
Also Read: Ek Din Cast Salary and Movie Budget Revealed: Who Earned More, Junaid Khan or Sai Pallavi?
Writing That Lets Everyone Down
The writing is where the film really stumbles. Dinesh is supposed to come across as sensitive and sweet, but the script often makes him seem oddly off. He keeps a mental catalogue of everything Meera does, her laugh, her habits, the way she moves. Instead of being endearing, it reads closer to obsession. The film seems unaware of this problem, treating these moments as proof of his deep love rather than a cause for concern.
Meera, despite being introduced as a confident and independent woman, ends up being fairly passive throughout. The film is so focused on Dinesh’s feelings that it barely gives Meera a proper inner life. She goes through something genuinely difficult in the story, dealing with betrayal from more than one person she trusted, but the film rushes past all of it. That emotional weight deserved far more space.
Also Read: Raja Shivaji Movie Review: Riteish Deshmukh Brings History Alive with Power and Passion
The Music Is a Bright Spot
The title track is genuinely lovely. Meghna Mishra’s rendition is soft and lilting, and there is one scene in particular where the song takes over in place of dialogue, and it almost works the way the filmmakers intended. The background score also does its best to patch over some of the slower moments. If you leave the theatre humming something, it will probably be this song. Though that is not necessarily a stamp of approval on the film itself.
Is It Worth Watching?
Ek Din is not a disaster. It is a decent-looking film with good intentions and one very committed performer in Sai Pallavi. But good intentions alone do not make a memorable love story. The film needed sharper writing, a stronger lead pair, and the courage to dig deeper into its own premise. Instead, it settles for being polite and pretty, which is another way of saying it plays it far too safe.
If you go in expecting a breezy afternoon watch with nice visuals and a pleasant soundtrack, you will not be completely disappointed. But if you are looking for a love story that actually moves you, you might want to look elsewhere. Ek Din gives you one day’s worth of entertainment. Not more, not less.