"always kabhi kabhi" opened to negative reviews from critics. taran adarsh of bollywood hungama rated the film with one and a half stars out of five saying, ""always kabhi kabhi" disappoints!". rajeev masand of cnn-ibn also gave the film 1.5 stars and stated, "watching this film is like attending a concert put up by ten-year-olds. it's amateurish, and tedious to sit through, and the only thing you can appreciate in the end is the earnestness behind the effort." nikhat kazmi of the "times of india" awarded two and a half stars saying, "first, and most importantly, the film is a youth-oriented story but completely lacks the fun and games that are associated with this generation. secondly, the parental problems are all so very predictable. it's all foregone and predictable apart from being inordinately long. school is agony; school is ecstasy. always kabhi kabhi captures neither and treads the staid middle ground."