Dil Bechara review: The Genius of Sushant Singh Rajput needed much more than a Remake!

‘Dil Bechara’ narrates the story of Kizie (Sanjana Sanghi) and Manny (Sushant Singh Rajput) who are diagnosed with cancer from an early age. Being caught in her own thoughts and the suffocating world around her, Kizie meets Manny under unprecedented circumstances and the two are hopelessly in love. As the two seek their escape from the dreadful pain and crazy little thing called 'life', they embark on a  bittersweet and extraordinary journey to explore the romantic, thrilling, and tragic adventure of being alive and in love.

Once again Bollywood has inspired itself with yet another (official) remake from Hollywood romantic drama The Fault In Our Stars; which itself is based on John Green's bestseller of the same name. But, here director Mukesh Chhabra intended to do much more than just making a bitter-romantic film. Maybe, he restyled it as a tribute to the late actor.

The ‘Real Truth Movie’ speaks volumes about the reasons why the two young adults have an urge to go out and explore the world as they live their lives. However, while harder the makers tried to give the characters a touch of surrealism, the more difficult it got for them to hold the reins of reality.

Frankly, the film does have the ability to make a mass appeal and Chhabra has left no stone unturned to use these cheesy romance formulas that we have been watching for the past 30 years now. And that’s what went wrong with Manny and Kizie’s love story. The fact that an energetic, exuberant, and guy full of cockiness pops up in front of her at college campus without context is unfathomable. The basic rule of making a connection with the characters is their ‘First-Meet’, and frankly, writers Shashank Khaitan and Suprotim Sengupta could have done much better.

The film races into action with Kizie narrating her story and what she expects in life and even she knows what we can expect from ‘Bollywood’- the cliches.

The film is truly compact and maps over merely 101 minutes. The characters of Dil Bechara have been restricted by time and being able to squeeze all the songs along with the character’s progress and most importantly touching the audience’s emotions is a task to reckon with. The director definitely deserves applause. However, were you really able to connect with the characters?

The missing depth of philosophy and the lack of power-packed lines for narration, the film could have definitely focused more on detailing the characters on the initial stage. In a nutshell, Dil Bechara feels like a videotape that strikes out Kizie’s unachievable bucket list. For the most part, the film seems to be a montage of short clips stitched together by a really talented editor.

The makers said it would be a (official) remake but that didn't mean one needs to Americanize a film. Why did the director try to establish a ‘Prom Night’ sequence in the film that is set in the backdrop of Jamshedpur?

Honestly, a lot more could be expected from Sushant Singh Rajput. While he is partially convincible in this film, the late actor is known for his acting prowess, and considering his previous performances, Manny cannot be added to his arsenal of the top 5 performances. His exhilarating liveliness goes straight through your heart because of the fact that this is the last time you’ll see it. An ironic end to the journey of an artist who will be remembered for the great human being and actor he was.

Meanwhile, Sanjana Sanghi who made her debut as Kizie was poised and confident performance of her performance. 

In conclusion, Dil Bechara lacks substance which was a crucial element of this Romantic-Rollercoaster. If you feel it was this film that really touched you, try watching the original. You wouldn’t stop commending The Fault in Our Stars.

Ratings: 2.5/5