Dil Dhadakne Do Reviews and Box Office thread! - Page 106

Originally posted by: Meherbaan

this whole satelite rights, music rights, sponsor money etc. is excuses used when the film isn't doing well at the box office same excuses were used for the flops lootera and kill dill.

Domestic Business is what matters.

Originally posted by: Meherbaan

Kareena did just one song, yes she is a top actress but isn't priyanka a top actress also? she is and she featured in the whole, in fact DDD is PC's film! Anushka is also a top actress.

DDD is no niche film either, it is a big commercial film with masala, masti, music , dance and beautiful locations yet disappointing numbers at bo.

Agreed that good Zoya is not adding nonsense to her films but the thing is that DDD is poorly made, the story was so lame and the music videos and songs were bad!

Originally posted by: rombixsaturn

I agree with you that its PC film and she is a big star...but all of the stars in DDD are on par with bebo BO wise but not on par to akshay...they still have lot to go to get as much as Akshay collects(ex -- take tees maar khan , worst movie ever but still collected due to akshay and Katrina)...

Songs were bad I agree but music videos were great atleast they saved the bad songs to turn to average...

My first question is did you watch the movie yet to comment at first??

Originally posted by: LOLitaPawar

STOP QUOTING MY NAME... KST's comment was for MAKEIT user... KST is WEAK IN EDITING... thats why he cut mae comment and let my name hanging over there.. like idiots!

Originally posted by: rombixsaturn

Read this review everyone...I never knew direction has these many deeper layers and meanings...one of the greatest review I read...

Dil Dhadakne Do - Official Poster

CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Every Director has their one signature style' or a pattern that keeps recurring in all their films. Zoya Akhtar undoubtedly, makes the best use of her Signature style'. Dil Dhadakne Do is her 4th Film as a Director and like I had mentioned in my take on Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, it looks like Zoya has done her Ph.D in Psychology. She plays with human emotions so well, that everything else before those emotions pale in comparison.

Set in a span of 10 days, on a Cruise during the 30th Wedding Anniversary of the Mehra couple (Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah), friends and relatives of the Mehra accompany them on this celebration. But beneath this mask of huge celebration is a different face. How everyone's characters are revealed one by one to us, is what Dil Dhadakne Do is about.

Zoya Akhtar had used birds' as the motif in Luck By Chance, elements of nature' in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, flowers' in Bombay Talkies and in Dil Dhadakne Do she uses Mirror'. Notice how each of these 3 things depict the basic essence of the respective films. Like Birds, feel free to fry and aim for the sky - Luck By Chance was the story of an aspiring Actor. With the elements of Nature : water, earth, air - Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was the tale of 3 friends who discover themselves in a Life changing trip they take together. Like Flowers, bloom and enjoy life - Bombay Talkies was the story of a boy chasing his dreams. Like Mirror, we are seeing what the outside world shows us, no one is willing to peep in the insides of a Human - and that is what Dil Dhadakne Do is about.

In one scene Kabir (Ranveer Singh) tells his family, iss family mein sabhi upar upar se baat karte hai, asli baat toh koi karna hi nahi chahta. Yet in another scene, when Kamal (Anil Kapoor) talks romantically to Neelu (Shefali Shah) in their bedroom, she asks him, why is he acting, no one is watching here! The dual lives of each and every character (There are atleast 28 characters) is captured with fine detail by Zoya Akhtar.

The Mirror references were brilliantly used in 2-3 sequences. When Neelu, on her anniversary, sees that her husband is flirting with another lady in front of everyone, and she isn't able to do anything, she stuffs her face with cupcakes. And then she looks into the mirror. (Notice how Kamal always keeps taunting her about her weight and food habits always). In yet another scene, she dresses up for the first day of cruise and Kamal Mehra comes and looks at himself in the mirror and doesn't even compliment her for her outfit. Just with those 2 scenes, she emotes so many feelings.

Also there is a song which is shot with Kabir and Farah (Anushka Sharma), Pehli Baar. This entire song has brilliant usage of Mirror (Since it is a Dance Practice Room) and the passion/love they feel for each other is so contrasting to the Anger/Hatred that Kamal and Neelu have for each other in their respective mirror scenes.

Also notice the silences that Zoya manages to shoot with each couple. The Kamal - Neelu silence scene when they are looking at the mirror, the Kabir - Farah scene when they meet for the first time and are swimming (Pluto describes the silent emotions in that scene) and the Ayesha - Manav scene when they are playing Tennis. (Her frustrations come out brilliantly in that scene).

I couldn't help but think that Zoya Akhtar must be sharing a terrific rapport with her mother. Take all her films and the Mother characters. Dimple Kapadia in Luck By Chance, Deepti Naval in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Swati Das in Bombay Talkies or Shefali Shah, Zarina Wahab, Dolly Mattoo, Preeti Mamgian and Ayesha Raza from Dil Dhadakne Do - everyone's bonding with their respective kids are brilliantly shown. In Dil Dhadakne Do, every dialogue between a mom and son/daughter refers to the Mumma's Logic' syndrome. On one hand, we have a mom who tells her daughter not to talk about the problems in her marriage and the divorce, while on the other hand a son goes crying to his mom that his wife asked him for divorce. On one hand, a mom asks her daughter to wear a jacket, while on the other hand, another mom asks her daughter to remove the jacket - both, to impress the same guy.

Zoya and Reema Kagti infuse so much depth into each character. Everyone has that one habit' which they can't help getting rid of. Kamal Mehra and his anxiety pills. Neelu Mehra and her fondness of food, Kabir Mehra and his plane, Ayesha Mehra and her can't say no' attitude. But the best one is for that hypochondriac mom (Zarina Wahab, as Rahul Bose's Mom)who wants to be a part of the trip and do everything but she has reasons for not doing it. With each new task, she has a new disease.

Also the father-daughter personality is brilliantly thought about. They say na, every kid has their parents quality in their genes. Both Kamal and Ayesha are self made. Both are unhappy with their marriage. Both pop pills (for different reasons although), and yet both are so different. But when Kamal finally helps Ayesha, he doesn't want to show his weakness by hugging her. He just walks off. On the other hand the father-son relationship is like a caring father. In a meeting scene, Kamal comes in rescue of Kabir and the same thing happens in the Climax, when he is back as a Lifeboat'.

While it has been quite obvious till now that Zoya and Reema understand their men characters very well, with Dil Dhadakne Do they give women the meatiest parts. Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma, the 3 women are quite different from each other, and they come out as strong ladies. Not all the 3 are independent. While one is completely dependent on the family (she has nowhere to go), the other is a top entrepreneur, yet when it comes to family, she has no say; and the third, has ran away and created her own identity. It is very rare that you hear a woman in a mainstream Hindi film say - There are very few people who enjoy work' or Leave from my work place now'.

The core issues of Dil Dhadakne Do are the common issues one deals with in everyday life. Marriage, Commitment, Gender Inequality. But Zoya and team treats them with dignity and that shows on screen. Inspite of the gorgeous views of exotic locations, the emotions come out as a more strong point than any of these. Also adding to these emotions are the real life dialogues that Farhan Akhtar has written. He also uses his trademark PJ' Jokes here, yet again and they don't fail to plant a smile on the face. When an aunty asks, Abhi bhi plane chalaate ho, pat comes the reply - Ab toh plane udaa bhi raha hoon. In another scene, the daughter says I was hanging out, and the mom replies hanging out what? Clothes???. Or take that scene where the ladies are gossiping and Ayesha tells them to get a job. And the aunt replies, who will give them a job at this age. Haha!

The writing fails, if the acting is not good, and here Zoya goes for the kill with every small character. Not one character is out of place and they all look as if they are living that character's life. Special mention to Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah, who really look like they have been married for 30 years. Before the movie released, I regretted the fact that Madhuri Dixit, Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor turned down the role, but after watching it I am glad they did, because these 3 couldn't bring on board, what Shefali Shah, Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra have brought.

Not to forget the amazing chemistry that Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma share. They convince you about their love in the time frame they are allotted. And then there is the chemistry of the brother-sister Ranveer Singh - Priyanka Chopra. They are always there for each other, no matter what. Probably Zoya shares the same affection with Farhan in real life. But it is Priyanka Chopra in that one scene where she tells her husband that she tried her best to love him, but couldn't, that is the highlight of the movie. Her expressions, her mannerisms, her personality - she conveys everything in that one scene.

Showing the movie from the POV of Pluto Mehra (The family dog, who also gets a lovely back story and voiced by Aamir Khan) was a genius idea. Although I wished he didn't take over the amazing dining table sequence with his interruption in the fight between Kamal and Neelu, he was fine everywhere else.

And finally, Zoya Akhtar ends her movies without spoon feeding us or giving us any solid conclusions. Here too, the climax takes an unusual turn (there couldn't be a better way to end the on-goings) and leaves us with a question. Will the Mehra's get caught? Will Kabir meet Farah? What happened to Ayka? It is all for us to interpret and go with a message - Nothing matters when people realize the value of family and bonding.

One of the finest films to come out this year. Bravo Zoya.

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