Dil Dhadakne Do Reviews and Box Office thread! - Page 46

Every family has its secrets and problems. Since childhood, we all are taught to appear normal' and pretend that all is well in our families in front of others, who also pretend the same. Dil Dhadakne Do touches upon this very relatable idea and thankfully, does a bloody good job! From the trailers, there were doubts if the film will live upto the expectations, created ever since the first look was unveiled a year back. But watch the film and one will realize that with Zoya Akhtar at the helm of affairs, one can now safely say that things can rarely go wrong!

The story of the movie: Kamal Mehra (Anil Kapoor) is a self-made ultra-rich businessman in Delhi. He is married to Neelam (Shefali Shah) and they have 2 children - Ayesha (Priyanka Chopra) and Kabir (Ranveer Singh). Ayesha, like her parents, is unhappily married to Manav (Rahul Bose) and runs her own business. Kabir, the youngest of the family, is compelled by Kamal to be a part of his business but he is not interested. It's the 30th anniversary of Kamal and Neelam and they organize the celebrations aboard a cruise, along with their friends and colleagues. How the life of the Mehras changes during this trip forms the crux of the film.



Dil Dhadakne Do is essentially about the Mehras but there are plenty of tracks, involving the family friends and others. Hence, the film is a bit too long - 170 minutes to be precise. But that doesn't really matter as each and every minute is engaging. And it's nothing difficult to decipher - anybody will be able to understand what is going on and what the makers are trying to convey. And it's all done in a high hearted manner and there are very few sequences where the film really turns serious. The manner in which the Mehras try to pretend their normalcy and come up with plans to safeguard themselves at the cost of their children's happiness is highly amusing and is seen to be believed! And not just Mehras, even the other people at the cruise are very interesting and their conversations make for a great watch. And of course, there's Kabir and Ayesha, their beautiful relationship and the problems they are facing in their lives is the best part of the film. The entry of Sunny (Farhan Akhtar) gives a very interesting touch to the film. And lastly, not to forget, there's Pluto the dog, the most normal being in the film and trust me, he is outstanding!

The film has some amazing dramatic moments and the best part is that it is all very convincing and looks straight out of life. Yes, the film does turn a bit filmy in the climax but it still works as it's nicely done and is highly entertaining. It gives a nice climax wala' touch and the film ends on a great note.

Dil Dhadakne Do is a multi starrer and not just the principle actors but even the other supporting actors have done a damn good job. Ranveer Singh delivers a terrific performance and highly impresses. His character is damn interesting and he plays it very, very well. In fact, it's fascinating how he is able to play diverse roles with lan and perfection. An actor who definitely deserves to be a superstar! Priyanka Chopra is too good and for me, this is a performance that is even better than Mary Kom. Mary Kom was no doubt a great act. But the emotional empathy that Ayesha exudes is far greater than Mary Kom (the execution also played a big role though). There's no doubt that Priyanka is a great actress and here's hoping that she takes up more such roles! Anil Kapoor is in top form and gets completely into the character. The manner in which she plays the authoritarian father is praiseworthy. Shefali Shah is a real surprise. We all knew that Anil, Ranveer and Priyanka will impress. But Shefali stands out in the midst of all these actors and leaves a huge mark like never before. Her best performance for sure! Farhan Akhtar is credited as special appearance' but he has a supporting role. And despite him not fooling around and raising laughs like he did in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Shaadi Ke Side Effects, he still impresses a lot and plays his part subtly. Anushka Sharma (Farah Ali) too has a supporting role and does a very good job.



Parmeet Sethi (Lalit Sood) is fine while Manoj Pahwa (Rana's father) plays his part very well. Riddhima Sud (Norrie) is cute and looks promising. Same goes for Vikrant Massey (Rana). Rahul Bose (Manav) appears in a Hindi film in a crucial role after hiatus and leaves a huge mark. Pawan Chopra (Kamal's brother Prem), the actor playing Amrish and all the aunties do well in their small roles. And lastly, Aamir Khan's contribution to the film is invaluable!

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is not in-your-face and gradually grows. The title song and Phir Bhi Yeh Zindagidon't appear in the narrative. Pehli Baar and Girls Like To Swing are well shot and choreographed. But the song that takes the cake is Gallan Goodiyaan. Its shot in one take and involves almost 25-26 actors but is done so well that it leaves one stunned! Great work by the entire team! Background score is exhilarating and well composed and utilized. Carlos Catalan's cinematography is stunning and award-worthy. The vast cruise and its exterior shots are too good. Neil Patel's production design is rich and the entire film looks quite appealing. Farhan Akhtar's dialogues are simple, to the point and sharp. However, it's Javed Akhtar's dialogues for the sutradhar that takes the film to an all time high! Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar's story and screenplay is novel, relatable and engaging. However, a good script needs a good direction as well. And that's where Zoya Akhtar shines. The film progresses beautifully in a flow, despite the presence of more than 2 dozen characters. A fabulous work by the director and there's no doubt now that she's one of the greatest filmmakers of Bollywood!