Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bollywood time travel romcom has iffy gender roles.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Action Replayy
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Bunty (Aditya Roy Kapur) doesn't want to marry his girlfriend Tanya (Sudeepa Singh) because his parents Kishen (Akshay Kumar) and Mala (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) were so unhappy in their marriage. But when Tanya's grandfather, Professor Gonsalves (Randhir Kapoor), a scientist who has invented a time machine, insists Bunty marry her or call it off, he realizes he must take action. He takes the time machine back to the 1970s when his parents were his age, and vows to make them fall in love. Soon he discovers that is harder and more complicated than he imagined.
Is It Any Good?
ACTION REPLAYY is a visual feast, full of catchy pop songs, multiple outfit changes, and over-the-top 1970s costume and trippy colors. And the idea here is fun and wholesome -- a son going back in time to make his parents fall in love so that he'll be less afraid to marry his girlfriend. With all these cylinders firing, it's a disappointment that it falls so flat in spite of the spectacle. The chemistry just isn't there, the runtime is long (over two hours), and the many opportunities for jokes about anachronisms or paradoxes created by time travel are largely missed. Most problematic is the overarching narrative that falling in love is a manipulative game -- that men prove their worth to women by treating them badly to gain the upper hand. There are enough lighthearted jokes and musical numbers to entertain kids old enough to follow subtitles, but parents may need to make clear that many of the film's attitudes belong back in another space-time continuum, too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about time travel. If you could go back in time, what time would you pick? What would you try to change? Why?
How does the film portray women? What are some of the problems with how they are portrayed in the film? Do you think these are positive images? Why or why not?
Have you ever imagined what your parents were like at your age? Ask them to tell you.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 28, 2010
- Cast : Akshay Kumar , Aditya Roy Kapoor , Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
- Director : Vipul Amrutlal Sha
- Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Shree International
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Run time : 134 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate