<p>In , best friends Akash, Sameer, and Siddharth (Sid) celebrate their college . At the party, Akash flirts with Shalini, unaware she is engaged, and is punched by her fiancé, Rohit. The next day, Sameer breaks up with his girlfriend, Priya, and joins Akash and Sid on an impromptu trip to . There, they encounter Akash’s persistent ex-girlfriend, Deepa, whom Sid advises to move on. Sameer falls for a tourist, Christine, but discovers she is a con artist who robs him. Back in Mumbai, Sid grows close to his new neighbour Tara, a middle-aged alcoholic divorcee and art enthusiast. He admires her maturity and compassion and develops feelings for her. Meanwhile, Sameer’s parents push him toward an , but he unexpectedly falls for Pooja, the first woman he meets. Tara breaks down on her birthday when her ex-husband prevents their daughter from visiting. Sid comforts her and later confesses to his friends that he loves her. Akash mocks him for falling for an older woman, prompting Sid to slap him. The incident causes a rift in their friendship. Akash departs for to manage his family’s business. There, he reconnects with Shalini, who is visiting her uncle. The two bond and fall in love, but Rohit arrives to take her back to India for their wedding. Akash is devastated. Mahesh, Shalini’s uncle, reveals that she agreed to the marriage out of obligation to her adoptive parents. On the eve of her wedding, Akash proposes to her. A fight breaks out with Rohit, after which Shalini admits she loves Akash and chooses him instead. Sid leaves for a painting workshop. Tara is hospitalized with . At the hospital, Sameer reflects on his relationship with Pooja, who broke up with her boyfriend and chose Sameer. He also mentions Akash’s reconciliation with Shalini. Akash visits Sid at the hospital and apologizes. Tara, on her deathbed, begins to express what Sid meant to her, but dies before completing her sentence. Sid is left distraught. Six months later, the three friends reunite in Goa. Sameer and Akash are accompanied by Pooja and Shalini. Sid meets a young woman at the beach and joins her and his friends for dinner. Credits adapted from : originated from ‘s personal experiences and observations during his travels to and a six-week stay in in 1996. Initially conceptualized as a romantic narrative focusing on the characters Akash and Shalini, Akhtar found the story lacking in excitement and depth. Encouraged by his parents, and , who appreciated the concept but suggested enhancements, he expanded the narrative to include the dynamics among three friends, thereby shifting the focus to themes of friendship and personal growth. In 1998, while co-directing music videos for ‘s album alongside his sister , Farhan began scripting the film under the working title . The screenplay, reflecting his own friendships and concerns, was initially penned in English and later translated into Hindi over two months. The project marked the cinematic debut of both Farhan Akhtar and producer under their newly formed banner, . Kassim Jagmagia, a friend of Akhtar’s, contributed to the story and joined the team as a creative associate. The casting process underwent several iterations. Farhan Akhtar initially approached for the role of Akash Malhotra. However, upon ‘s interest in portraying Akash instead of the more reserved Siddharth “Sid” Sinha, Khanna graciously agreed to switch roles, taking on the character of Sid. was cast as Sameer Mulchandani, a role he found closely aligned with his own personality. joined the cast as Shalini, Akash’s love interest, after a and preparation period of three and a half months. was selected to play Pooja, Sameer’s eventual fiancée. was cast as Tara Jaiswal, a middle-aged, alcoholic interior designer and divorcée, marking her first on-screen pairing with a significantly younger actor. Kapadia reportedly insisted that Farhan Akhtar address her by name rather than as “aunty” during the shoot. Zoya Akhtar oversaw the casting process, ensuring a cohesive that could authentically portray the film’s themes of friendship and personal evolution. for commenced in 2000 and spanned 108 days. The film was shot across various locations, including , , and , . Notably, the scene featuring the trio at in Goa became iconic, contributing to the fort’s popularity as a tourist destination. The film was produced on a budget of ₹80 million (approximately US$950,000). handled , capturing the film’s contemporary aesthetic. The production utilized recording, a relatively novel technique in Indian cinema at the time, with Nakul Kamte and overseeing the . served as the , and Suzanne Caplan Merwanji was the . managed , while choreographed the film’s musical sequences. Hairstylist made her Bollywood debut with this film, introducing distinctive hairstyles for the lead characters that became trendsetting among the youth. The soundtrack and background score of were composed by , after declined the offer due to date issues. The lyrics were penned by Javed Akhtar. The vocals were performed by , , , , , , Mahadevan, , , , and . Noorani stated that the trio went to along with Farhan Akhtar, Javed Akhtar, and Sidhwani to compose six songs from a total of nine for the film in three-and-a-half days. Mendonsa described the experience as 35% of work and 65% fun and added that they had a “fantastic time”. After staying in Khandala, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy subsequently booked a studio to finish the recording in three weeks. The soundtrack and background score for were composed by the musical trio , marking their first collaboration with . was initially approached for the project but declined due to scheduling conflicts. The lyrics were written by . Vocal performances on the album feature , , , , , , , , , , and . In preparation for the album, the composers, along with Farhan Akhtar, Javed Akhtar, and producer , traveled to , where six of the nine songs were composed over three and a half days. described the retreat as a balance of “35% work and 65% fun”, while noted that they later booked a recording studio to complete the album within three weeks. was one of the most anticipated Hindi films of 2001, owing to its contemporary narrative centered on urban youth—an area seldom explored in Indian cinema. A one-minute theatrical trailer was launched alongside ’s in cinemas and on television across India to generate early publicity and media interest. Ahead of its theatrical debut, a special screening was held for then- at his residence in . The film was released theatrically on 10 August 2001, clashing with , a starring , , and . Following its domestic release, was screened at multiple international film festivals, including the , the 14th , and the 11th . The film premiered on Indian television via on 17 August 2002. It was released on home media as a single-disc widescreen on 14 December 2007, alongside a two-disc version distributed by Spark Entertainment. Since 18 November 2016, has been available for streaming on platforms including and . had a moderate commercial performance upon release. While it performed well in metropolitan areas, it underperformed in rural regions—a shortfall attributed by trade analysts to its urban-centric storyline and characters. Nevertheless, the film enjoyed sustained success in urban centers, completing a run of over 50 weeks in some theatres. Released on approximately 210 screens across India, the film earned ₹9 million (US$110,000) on its opening day. It collected ₹27.7 million (US$330,000) over its opening weekend, and ₹57.3 million (US$680,000) by the end of its first week. The film ultimately grossed ₹332.8 million (US$3.9 million) domestically, ranking as the . Overseas, the film opened to strong box office numbers, collecting US$210,000 in North America and US$100,000 from Atlantic countries during its opening weekend. It went on to earn ₹16.5 million (US$200,000) in its initial overseas run, and grossed ₹64.4 million (US$760,000) by the end of its international theatrical engagement—making it the seventh-highest-grossing Hindi film overseas that year. According to , the film earned an estimated ₹397.2 million (US$4.7 million) worldwide. received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with particular praise for its fresh narrative, direction, performances, and realistic portrayal of contemporary Indian youth. The film holds a 100% approval rating on , based on five reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. of described the film as a landmark in ‘s career and highlighted the performances of and . Sita Menon, writing for , commended ‘s directorial debut, noting his effective character development and Khanna’s nuanced performance. In , Piroj Wadia lauded Akhtar’s script and direction, as well as ‘s cinematography. Dinesh Raheja, also from , appreciated the film’s humor and Saif Ali Khan’s comedic timing. of described the film as a rare depiction of male camaraderie and bachelor bonding, praising its situational comedy and natural character reactions. Arati Koppar of hailed the film as a “fabulous attempt” for a directorial debut, highlighting Aamir Khan’s performance. praised ‘s portrayal and noted ‘s suitability for her role, while critiquing ‘s limited screen time. Jasdeep Singh Pannu of labeled a “wonderfully-crafted film,” though he noted a “melodramatic act, an element better kept to the conventional Bollywood movie.” named it one of the greatest Hindi films of the year. of wrote, “Farhan demonstrates a style that is as sophisticated as it is impressive. Virtually every character in the intricate tapestry that the young filmmaker creates is utterly tangible, the emotions are completely believable, and the situations fraught with subtle drama.” Internationally, K. N. Vijiyan of the observed that the film differed from typical Bollywood fare and might not appeal to all audiences, but acknowledged Chandran’s cinematography. Beth Watkins, in a retrospective review for , praised the film’s blend of humor, emotion, and sincerity.</p>