Ek Din review: Junaid Khan–Sai Pallavi’s cold chemistry reminds of Aneet–Ahaan’s Saiyaara; lackluster script disappoints

The long weekend saw three movie releases, one being Raja Shivaji starring Riteish Deshmukh, the second being Junaid Khan’s Ek Din, which also marks Sai Pallavi’s debut in Bollywood, and the third being Devil Wears Prada 2.

Among all three films, none of them has generated or piqued the interest of movie-goers. However, at a time when the box office menu is brimming with masala entertainers, action, goons getting beaten up, and high drama, many netizens have been asking for love stories, and now, after so many action films, our plea was heard; we finally got one. But is it worth watching?

Starring Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi, this is a simple love story that tugs at your heartstrings. However, the simple yet sad storyline didn’t go down well with netizens.

About the story

The story shows Dinesh (Junaid), an IT professional, quietly liking and having a fondness for his colleague Meera (Sai), but unable to express his feelings. Dino appears slightly stalkerish and remembers everything about Meera, a full majnu-type, but a secret lover.

He is a good-natured and sweet colleague, deeply in one-sided love with her, while Meera is involved in an affair with her married boss, Nakul (Kunal Kapoor), and also has a fondness for all things Japan.

One fine day, Meera, Nakul, and Dino, along with their team, go on a five-day office trip to Japan to celebrate a company milestone. There, Dino makes a wish that feels way out of his league. During the trip, he finds himself wishing for just one day with her.

He gets that golden opportunity, but then comes the twist, well and then it was shown that Meera is suffering from Transient Global Amnesia (TGA), a real condition where a person loses memory for a day and, upon recovery, remembers nothing from that period.

Social media users who caught the early shows of Ek Din took to X (formerly Twitter) to share reviews. The story, screenplay, and songs of the film received a rather lacklustre response. Many even compared it to Saiyaara.

Many viewers didn’t connect with the chemistry between Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi; the music, heartbreak, and overall emotional investment felt almost negligible. Japan looks beautiful in winter,  and Meera’s bucket list is perhaps the most exciting thing in the movie.

A user wrote, “Lacks the depth it needed. Sai Pallavi is pure magic on screen, and Junaid Khan delivers a solid performance. But the writing? Sadly, below average, and it holds the film back.”

For the unversed, Ek Din is the remake of the Korean film One Day. It marks Junaid Khan’s third major project as a leading actor. He was last seen in Maharaja, which streamed on Netflix, and then opposite Khushi Kapoor.

Produced under Aamir Khan Productions, Ek Din, directed by Sunil Pandey, opened with a slow start at the box office.

Day 1

According to trade reports,  Ek Din collected Rs 1 crore nett in India across 1,710 shows on Day 1. The film brings the total India gross collections to Rs 1.20 crore. The overall occupancy rate for the movie was 14%.

Day 2

On its second day, Ek Din failed to show any signs of recovery, with collections remaining flat.

The latest update from Sacnilk states that Ek Din collected Rs 1.00 crore on its second day of release. This brings the total India gross collections to Rs 2.57 crore and total India net to ₹2.15 crore so far.