Why I believe Hrithik Roshan's buddy hit 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' is the perfect Friendship Day watch this summer

Dubai: When Bollywood hunk Hrithik Roshan once told Gulf News that Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was all about “seizing the day,” he wasn’t just throwing motivational quotes around like confetti.

“Inspiring,” “feel-good,” “self-discovery” — he used them all, and for once, the man (and those cheekbones and sculpted abs) had a point.

More than a decade later, this ultimate buddy bromantic road trip across Spain still holds up as the ultimate ode to friendship.

Here’s the deal: Kabir (Abhay Deol), the calm and sorted one of the pack, is about to trade his bachelor status for a posh wedding. Before he says “I do,” he drags his two besties — Arjun (Roshan), a buttoned-up banker, and Imran (Farhan Akhtar), a poet with a wandering eye — on one last hurrah. Think less strippers and shots, more skydiving, deep-sea diving, and oh, casually running with the bulls. Boys’ trip, but make it gourmet.

Does it work? Absolutely. And despite Bollywood’s chronic “live in the moment” preaching, ZNMD never veers into gyaan-giving or cringe. The movie coasts on pure, unfiltered chemistry.

Roshan loosens his perfectly tailored collars, Akhtar charms without trying too hard, and Kaif — yes, Katrina! — brings her A-game as the scuba-diving, star-gazing muse who drops a line like “You should only be in a box when you’re dead” and makes it sound profound. Even Kalki Koechlin, as Kabir’s tightly wound fiancée, nails the privileged-princess energy.

Word of advice: Don’t expect another Dil Chahta Hai. This one’s lighter on plot and heavier on vibe. But oh, what a vibe. Watching these three cavort shirtless across Spain? Consider it a public service announcement.

Twelve years on, ZNMD still makes you want to grab your gang, book that road trip, and dive — literally — into life. And yes, after this film, I remain a proud Hrithik Roshan fangirl. There, I said it.