Life Partner 2009

Karan and Bhavesh are close friends who live in Cape Town, South Africa, and their lives take unexpected turns through a series of love, tradition, and misunderstandings. Karan, played by Fardeen Khan, enjoys a comfortable lifestyle with a high-paying job and is in a relationship with his charming yet somewhat naive girlfriend, Sanjana, portrayed by Genelia D’Souza. Sanjana, who frequently changes her profession every few months—sometimes disastrously—has a father who disapproves of Karan but still goes to great lengths to keep his daughter’s happiness intact. Their relationship begins to face challenges as Karan seeks stability, but Sanjana’s impulsive nature and her ongoing job changes threaten their future together.

Meanwhile, Bhavesh (played by Tusshar Kapoor) is a dreamer who fantasizes about the ideal marriage. He meticulously keeps a diary of all the wonderful things he plans to do for his future wife, reflecting his traditional, romantic outlook. His father, Darshan Manibhai Patel, played by Darshan Jariwala, is a strict, patriarchal figure who believes in old-fashioned values and often treats Bhavesh as immature and unready for marriage. Committed to fulfilling his son’s arranged marriage, Bhavesh’s family travels from their home to Gujarat, staying at the grand residence of Vijay Singh Jadeja (/actor/vikram-gokhale), a close family friend.

During this trip, Bhavesh meets Prachi, the daughter of Vijay Singh Jadeja, and they fall in love. Successfully marrying her, Bhavesh’s happiness is momentarily overshadowed when Sanjana agrees to marry Karan on the same night, leading to the formation of two couples—each with their own struggles. The story then shifts to the present, where both couples are in court, seeking divorce. The narrative unravels the events of the past six months, revealing how their marriages deteriorated and eventually led to separation.

Karan and Sanjana’s marriage begins to unravel when Karan desires a peaceful, domestic life, but Sanjana proves a poor homemaker. Their conflicts escalate after she accidentally burns down their apartment, and Karan, overwhelmed, criticizes her for her carelessness and her father’s influence. Heartbroken and frustrated, Sanjana promptly files for divorce.

Bhavesh is happily married to Prachi, but she finds herself stifled by her husband’s traditional family values and strict rules imposed by Bhavesh’s father. When she secretly applies for a job—something her father-in-law strongly disapproves of—it causes a major rift. Bhavesh, influenced by his father’s beliefs, ends up slapping Prachi during an argument, leading to her decision to divorce Bhavesh.

Later in the story, Jeet Oberoi, played by Govinda, who is a womanizer and a divorce lawyer, undergoes a transformation. When he meets Anjali, played by Amrita Rao, he realizes she is different from other women because she genuinely cares for him and desires marriage. Inspired, Jeet decides to change his ways and marry her, despite the protests from Karan and Bhavesh, who criticize him for causing their divorces. Jeet, however, believes that love and commitment are worth fighting for and that wives or life partners stand by their spouses, emphasizing that breaking up is never the answer.

Jeet’s wedding becomes a turning point when Sanjana crashes the celebration, loudly accusing Jeet of causing her divorce. With time running out and tensions high, Karan and Sanjana argue about the reasons behind their breakups. Sanjana’s father openly admits he was against her relationship from the beginning and had secretly sent the divorce papers, adding fuel to the fire. In a surprising twist, Bhavesh’s father also offers heartfelt apologies for imposing his strict ideals, acknowledging that times have changed. These revelations reveal that their problems were rooted in misunderstandings, miscommunications, and rigid beliefs.

In a final twist, it is revealed that the explosive accusation was a ruse devised by Jeet and Sanjana to get everyone to admit their faults and reconcile. The “bomb” was fake—and the plan worked. As the family forgives and accepts each other, Bhavesh’s father loosens his hold on his old-fashioned principles, engaging more openly and happily with his family. Jeet finds fulfillment in his new role as a marriage counselor, helping mend the very relationships he once threatened to break apart. Meanwhile, Karan attempts to teach Sanjana how to cook, albeit unsuccessfully, marking the beginning of new understanding.

Ultimately, the story celebrates the importance of love, understanding, and the willingness to adapt while respecting traditions—highlighting that marriages are built not just on romance but also on mutual respect and compromise.