Don’t get me wrong. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani has a permanent, non-negotiable place in my heart. I am extremely weak for the “friends go on a trip and accidentally find themselves” trope. Weak. Vulnerable. Emotionally compromised.
But the other day, my friend casually said, and I quote:
“YJHD is so unrealistic. Why was Naina wearing a dress and a shrug in Manali 😭”
And that’s when I paused.
Out of everything in this movie, the careers, the friendships, the timelines, the emotional growth, this is what broke the illusion?
Because let’s be honest. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani isn’t unrealistic in parts.
It is unrealistic by design.
The Manali Trip That Exists Only in Bollywood
First of all, no group trip goes this smoothly. Ever.
Everyone is somehow:
- Always awake
- Always coordinated
- Always ready for deep life conversations at scenic viewpoints
Meanwhile, in real life, someone would have altitude sickness, someone would be fighting over the itinerary, and at least one person would be crying in the hotel bathroom because nobody can agree on anything.
Who gets which room?
Where are we eating?
Why are we walking so much?
Why is everyone suddenly aggressive?
Also, no one talks about money on this trip. At all.
- No “who paid last time.”
- No GPay screenshots.
- No “guys let’s skip this cafe, it’s overpriced.”
In reality, half the trip is spent doing mental math and the other half resenting the friend who “forgot” to pay for petrol but definitely ordered dessert.
In YJHD, everyone just has money. And vibes. And perfectly timed trains.
And yes, Naina wearing a dress and a shrug in Manali is pure fiction. No thermals. No layers. No betrayal by weather. Bollywood said vibes over survival.
That said, minor personal flex. As someone who grew up in Delhi and went to the hills almost every summer, I can confirm that in June, you can survive in a dress and a light sweater if you’re built different.
But everything else? Delusional.
These people trek, party, drink, dance, wake up early, and trek again.
- No body pain.
- No hangovers.
- No “guys I’m too tired, can we skip this.”
If I sleep wrong, my neck is unusable for three business days.
But Bunny and gang are out here running on two hours of sleep and self discovery.
Careers That Magically Work Out
Kabir becomes a wildly successful travel videographer with zero visible struggle. No debt. No algorithm anxiety. No uncle saying “beta choose something practical.”
As someone who works in a creative field and would also like to become famous enough to justify it, I find this personally offensive.
Naina goes from shy med student to confident adult without ever appearing burnt out, exhausted, or questioning her entire existence.
We are talking about MBBS.
I have medico friends.
They do not even have time to breathe, let alone become a fully evolved baddie version of themselves.
In real life:
- Passion does not pay rent immediately.
- Dreams come with Excel sheets.
- Nobody figures life out by 30 because of one emotional conversation.
I’m 24 and if I got paid every time I had a “what the hell am I doing with my life” moment, I would be a multimillionaire.
YJHD skips the boring middle. And maybe that’s the fantasy.
This movie exists in a universe with:
- No social media pressure
- No comparison
- No LinkedIn induced breakdowns
If it released today, Bunny’s success would come with think pieces, reels, and at least 17 people asking “how do I become a travel content creator.”
Ignorance truly was bliss.
Friendships That Survive on Pure Nostalgia
These people disappear from each other’s lives for years and then reconnect like no time has passed.
No awkwardness.
No resentment.
No “you literally vanished” conversation.
In real life, friendships need effort. Texts. Showing up.
(And yes, if any of my old friends are reading this, I know I’ve lost touch lately. It hurts. I miss you. Adult life is not built like a movie, but I’m still here. Always.)
In YJHD, friendships run purely on background score and shared trauma.
Emotional growth happens alarmingly fast.
One conversation.
One rain scene.
One dramatic stare into the distance.
Meanwhile, I’ve been “working on myself” for years and still spiral if someone takes too long to reply.
Love, Timing, and Main Character Luck
Naina Talwar waits.
Kabir Thapar runs.
Life happens.
And somehow, magically, they reunite at the exact right moment when both are emotionally available.
This is not realism.
This is Bollywood manifestation.
Most of us do not get airport goodbyes or wedding reunions that fix everything.
Bollywood weddings are also wildly misleading.
You attend one destination wedding and suddenly:
- Old wounds heal
- Feelings get confessed
- Life clarity is achieved
In reality, weddings mostly give you blisters, relatives asking “so what are you doing now,” and existential dread set to loud Punjabi music.
But sure. Naina and Bunny found closure between sangeet and pheras.
Aditi suffers heartbreak but remains stylish, functional, and emotionally available.
In real life, heartbreak means rereading old chats, dramatic playlists at 2 a.m., and a strict distrust of men named Avi.
Side characters in YJHD suffer aesthetically.
And Yet, We Keep Coming Back
Despite all this, we rewatch it. Every time.
Not because it’s realistic.
But because it makes us feel young and hopeful.
Because it tells us friendships can last.
Because it whispers that it’s not too late to choose differently.
It’s not a documentary.
It’s a dream. Slightly delusional. Beautifully shot. Emotionally comforting.
I say all this like I wouldn’t still rewatch YJHD every time I feel lost.
Like I wouldn’t still romanticise a random trip and tell myself everything will make sense later.
It probably won’t.
But the movie tells me it might.
And sometimes, that’s enough.
So yes. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is unrealistic.
But sometimes, a little unreality is exactly what we need.
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