What’s Love Got To Do With It: A funny & heartwarming cross-cultural rom-com

The wait is over as the official trailer of Sajal Aly’s first international project — What’s Love Got To Do With It? — is out!

Jemima Khan has launched the trailer of her production which is a cross-cultural British rom-com. Directed by veteran Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, What’s Love Got to Do With It? follows documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James), for whom swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr. Wrongs.

The trailer seems to depict a very funny take on Pakistani marriages from the perspective of a British girl. She wonders why her childhood friend and neighbour Kaz (Shazad Latif) is happy to settle through an arranged or assisted marriage. When asked about the absence of love in such an arrangement, Kaz replies that “you grow to love the person you’re with” while Zoe thinks it is “Like Stockholm Syndrome”.

Zoe ends up pitching the idea of this unique match-making setup — an arranged marriage to a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan — to his superiors at work. Later, Zoe films Kaz’s journey from London to Lahore to marry a stranger (Sajal Aly) chosen by his parents. She begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.

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Though it is a beautiful trailer with witty one-liners about love, arranged marriages, rishta stories and strange matchmakers, Sajal’s brief appearance as Maymouna leaves us asking for more. She looks so pretty that anyone would fall for her as Zoe says it is “love at first Skype”, however, she has only one dialogue in the trailer.

Sajal as Maymouna

It is a Lily James vehicle, not that we are complaining!  Interestingly, both the ladies make an exceptionally good-looking pair with Shazad. But it appears that Kaz’s marriage will make Zoe realize her true feelings for her best friend and why she has always concealed them.

The cast also includes Shabana Azmi, Asim Chaudhry, Mim Shaikh, Jeff Mirza, Iman Boujelouah, Mariam Haque and Sindhu Vee. The film is written and co-produced by Jemima Khan. She was married to former cricketer Imran Khan, who was until recently the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

We also see a glimpse of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in the film who has also worked on the soundtrack. The trailer is filled with quips about rishtas, how Pakistani women are told to sit quietly while relatives answer during rishta meetings, and why everyone expects you to have a man in your life. There are lots of mehndi dances and colourful imagery, a perfect reflection of big desi weddings.

The film will be released in the UK cinemas on January 27th, 2023. Meanwhile, the film will receive its world premiere at the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival and will screen as a Gala Presentation at the Roy Thomson Hall on Saturday, 10th September.

Watch the trailer here: