The recent release of "Nadaaniyan" featuring Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor has brought to the fore debates on the existing situation of Bollywood rom-coms. The Shauna Gautam-directed production of Dharmatic Entertainment, produced by Karan Johar, premiered on Netflix on March 7, 2025, and has received mostly negative feedback from the audience and critics.

"Nadaaniyan" is about Pia (Khushi Kapoor), a rich Falcon High student, who, following a disagreement with her friends, employs Arjun (Ibrahim Ali Khan), a new transfer student, as her fake boyfriend on social media.The narrative traces their relationship as it unfolds in the midst of the typical high school social life.

The movie has been faulted for superficiality and lack of originality. Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in called it "mostly breezy and quickly forgettable," pointing out the lack of interesting characters and situations that would captivate the viewer.Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV termed it "a passably lively but spectacularly shallow rom-com," stating that although the film does address some grave issues, its flip tone is against its good intentions.

Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com reprimanded the movie for rehashing hackneyed plots without bringing anything charming or chemistry to it, averring that the movie "fails to create any ripples." Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times criticized the movie for being unrealistic, citing its "tone-deaf handling of school life" and screenplay that is unengaging.

The performances of the lead actors have also been questioned. Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India rejected both Kapoor and Khan's performances, regretting that the film "blunts the Dharma Productions' shtick of meta gags, woke updates and confessional storytelling." India Today's Vineeta Kumar also called the film "unsalvageable," primarily unhappy with a lack of chemistry between the protagonists.

The poor reception of "Nadaaniyan" is a reason for concern regarding the future of Bollywood romantic comedies. The movie's premise of being based on star kids and a formulaic plot suggests a larger industry trend that is perhaps making audiences lose interest. With audiences demanding more authentic and contemporary stories, the future of the genre will rely on its ability to innovate and connect with contemporary audiences.

In short, "Nadaaniyan" is a message to Bollywood to incorporate fresh narration and genuine performances in order to revive the romantic comedy genre.