Is cheating the new normal in modern relationships? 'Metro... In Dino' sure makes it look that way

Infidelity has always been a messy subject, both in real life and in cinema, where it is often treated as the ultimate betrayal. But in today’s stories and relationships, it’s becoming less about shock and more about the quiet, complicated reasons people drift away. And with Metro... In Dino, that bar for modern love is set surprisingly low, and it’s worth asking why.

Anurag Basu’s Metro... In Dino has recently landed on Netflix after its theatrical run, and it positions itself as a spiritual successor to his 2007 cult hit Life in a... Metro. This time, the story isn’t just set in Mumbai; it sprawls across Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata, too. The scale is bigger, the cast wider, and the runtime longer. At its heart, the movie takes on a subject we often side-eye in conversation but rarely confront head-on: cheating. Only here, infidelity isn’t treated as a dramatic explosion. It’s shown as something people drift into; sometimes by accident, sometimes out of frustration, and sometimes simply because the chance is there.

The narrative almost feels like it’s nudging the audience to empathise with those who cheat rather than condemn them. And by the end, you’re left with a question: Is infidelity really as casual in today’s relationships as this film suggests?

Take Konkona Sen Sharma and Pankaj Tripathi's characters. Tripathi's character, Monty, secretly creates a dating app profile, even boasting about it to his friends. When Kajol (Sen Sharma) finds out, she doesn’t fly into a rage. Instead, she retaliates on her own terms by setting up a fake profile, flirting with him under that alias, and eventually luring him into a trap that exposes him. Yet, the incident is treated with such nonchalance that infidelity comes across less as an unforgivable act and more as an expected pit stop on the road of modern relationships.

Wounded by Monty’s betrayal, Kajol herself turns to a younger man while in Goa. Her storyline shows how emotional neglect can tip someone toward physical betrayal. Of course, when the moment arrives, Kajol does not give in and pulls back, not out of obligation, but from a complicated mix of love and inner conflict.

Elsewhere, Shruti (Fatima Sana Shaikh) and Akash (Ali Fazal) play a married couple that is slowly pulling apart. Both are chasing their own dreams while struggling to maintain a long-distance relationship. Shruti, frustrated by Akash’s lack of seriousness about their future, grows emotionally close to a colleague. She nearly crosses a line, until she too, suddenly pulls away, jolted by the reminder that she still has a husband to stand by.

The problem with Metro... In Dino is its shifting tone. At times, it delivers sharp honesty about the loneliness that defines modern life. But moments later, it wraps infidelity in a dreamy glow that makes you forget trust has been broken. Instead of being condemned, cheating is softened, framed through loneliness, unmet needs, and fear.

Of course, real life is messy too. People slip up, and relationships are far from simple. But when cheating is treated this lightly, it begs the question: what’s the moral line anymore? Metro... In Dino flirts with the unsettling idea that everyone strays in some way, and if that’s the case, maybe it’s not a big deal.  And that’s the scariest part: the film doesn’t just mirror the murky reality, it makes settling for less feel "normal".

Lead image: IMDb

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