For much of India and most of its cinemagoers, love means friendship. It is what Shah Rukh Khan told us in Karan Johar’s hit drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

But watching Netflix India’s promotional spot for its upcoming flick Naddaniyan starring star kids Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor has left yours truly scratching his head. Does love still mean friendship? Pyaar dosti nahi hai? Was Shah Rukh Khan’s seminal dialogue cancelled by today’s young crowd?

Why so many questions?

Because how can this two-minute spot recreate Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, make Archana Puran Singh return as Miss Briganza, and then have Ibrahim say, “Love is an arrangement”, after a long monologue. Add to it making Khushi send him Rs 25,000 as some form of payment for his take on what is love.

Now, this is a mood Netflix India wanted from its viewers, among other moods, as it builds up intrigue around the film set to release on March 7, 2025. Funnily enough, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions is behind this movie as well—under its Dharmatic Entertainment brand.

The first glimpse of the movie took place on February 5 when Netflix India unveiled its content slate for the year.
It isn’t the first promotion starring the two young leads. Ibrahim and Khushi have also starred in a Valentine’s Day spot for Spotify India—scrambling for a last-minute V-day gift, the two end up curating personalised playlists for each other. Talk about mixtapes in the time of streaming.

Recreating old movie scenes for advertising isn’t a new move. Less than a week ago, pay-later brand Simpl recreated Sholay’s ‘Kitne aadmi the’ and ‘Beta tumse na ho payega’ from Gangs Of Wasseypur.