A brutally honest breakdown of how Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) was influenced by “laapata” girlfriends like Rohini and Laila in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. A rant that exposes the toxic positivity, privilege, and the hidden anti-middle-class bias in our favourite “goa jaake sab kuch theek ho jayega” Bollywood narrative.
Arjun Wasn’t Toxic, He Was Broke!
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was not just a movie; it was a mood, a vibe, an upper-class fever dream. Hrithik Roshan played Arjun Saluja, a self-made, middle-class guy grinding in London’s financial world. And what did he get for being hardworking? A girlfriend like Rohini, who got pissed because he couldn’t fly back for her janamdin.
Like bro... tera birthday hai ya stock market ka crash? Chill maar.
Let’s be real, Arjun wasn’t a villain. He was just a guy trying to secure his life, EMIs, and future... and got gaslighted for not bringing cake at the right time. Let’s dive into how both Rohini and Laila (Katrina Kaif) were walking red flags disguised as wanderlust waali auratein.
Rohini, Birthday Over Bills? Aunty Please
Okay, pehli baat – Rohini was the kind of girlfriend who thinks love means dropping everything for a surprise cake cutting session. Dude’s in a high-pressure job, making bank, and what does she say?
"You’re always working… you never have time for me..."
Hello madam, you think Lamborghinis grow on trees?
Pure classic privileged girlfriend behavior. There's zero understanding of Arjun’s life goals. He’s grinding for a future. Maybe he dreams of a Bandra flat. Maybe he wants to retire before 45. But Rohini just wants Instagram boomerangs with “#MyBirthdayMonth”.
Also, let’s not pretend like she was a struggling artist working two jobs. No one tells us her profession because she probably doesn’t have one. She was rich kid vibes with “Daddy’s money” energy. Literally the type to say, "Money isn’t everything," while sipping sangria in Santorini.
Laila, The Queen of Vibes But Zero Plans
Ab aate hain Laila pe. Katrina Kaif was hot, no doubt. She had that “cool surfer chick” aesthetic, and even better – she spoke in that breezy tone that screamed, “Zindagi ek safar hai suhana”.
But here's the thing — Laila was the final boss of bad financial advice.
She convinced Arjun to quit his high-paying, hard-earned, hustle-filled London job — FOR WHAT? To become a nomad? A backpacker with no credit score?
Imagine someone telling you:
"Why are you so serious about money? Just live your life yaar..."
Unfortunately, I have or had friends who have told me that life is more than about money, or they are not into chasing money... these guys will remain poor all their life. And I just don't feel like talking to them anymore.
She was basically selling spiritual fomo to a guy who probably still had a student loan back home. And this is glamorized in the film as “awakening”. Bro, it’s not awakening. It’s romanticized financial suicide.
Middle-Class Male Trauma, A Real-Life Gyaan
Okay, real talk time. There’s a dude I know from Andheri, works in IT, came from a small town. Met a Rohini-type girl in Pune. She kept saying, “You work too much, let’s go to Bali”, “Quit your job and do what you love…”
So he did. He listened to her. Fast forward 1 year, she dumped him, got a job in Singapore via her uncle’s contact, and he? He’s still figuring out “what he loves” at 32.
Lesson? Women who preach YOLO from a position of financial safety will never understand the grind of men who build from scratch. That’s not love, that’s emotional manipulation with a yoga mat.
Bollywood's Hypocrisy, Only Rich Men Deserve “Woke Women”
Let’s not ignore this either. Arjun was the wrong guy to sell hippy dreams to. Imagine she said that to Imran (Farhan Akhtar) who already had a chilled life or Kabir (Abhay Deol) who was a rich kid. No issues.
But Arjun? Dude came from nothing. London job, investment banking, fancy suits, he made himself. Laila in my view is nothing but a classic gold digger.
And somehow the movie made him look like the problem. Not Rohini. Not Laila. But Arjun, because he cared about money. The bitter truth is and which we all know deep down, that all decisions are economic or financial in nature.
“Beta paisa sab kuch nahi hota.”
Says who? A girl who lives on trust fund money?. It's not toxic to be career-oriented. It's survival. And sometimes love needs to understand survival.
FOMO vs. EMI, Choose Wisely
Movies like ZNMD are fun, sure. But they’re also dangerous aspirational content for broke men with high hopes. Not everyone can “live in the moment” when the next moment is rent day.
You can’t do skydiving when your bank balance is in four figures. And these female characters, while chill and sexy are not inspirations in anyway. They’re walking FOMO bombs with zero awareness of what it means to build a life without a safety net.
What Should Arjun Have Done?
Easy.
- Dump Rohini, which he did. Good.
- Stay Friends with Laila, surf on weekends, not in life.
- Keep The Job, travel when you can afford business class, not budget crisis. There is nothing romantic in being poor.
- Date a Chartered Accountant, stability is the new sexy.
Zindagi Toh Milegi, But EMI Ka Due Date Pehle Aayega
Toh bhaiyon aur behnon, next time someone tells you “bro live in the moment” — ask them, “tera rent kaun de raha hai?”
Laila and Rohini were not villains, but they were tone-deaf AF. They represent a type of modern “free-spirited woman” who doesn’t understand the burden of becoming financially independent without backup.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a fun watch. But let’s not pretend it’s a guidebook for middle-class men. Varna tumhe zindagi dobara chahiye hogi, job dhundhne ke liye!
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