Dull Dhadakne Do

So, I finally watched Dil Dhadakne Do – and the whole time my wife kept leaning over and asking me why wasn’t enjoying the movie. Was my boredom that obvious? Sure, I may have kept checking my phone and trying to stretch out, to find the most comfortable spot in my seat … but how could she tell? ;)

In fact, I like Zoya Akthar’s films – hell, I even met her once in an earlier life, when I was brand  manager of Kingfisher beer.  Side Plot: We were involved in a product placement of the brand in ‘Honeymoon Travels’ and I remember sitting in a screening room in Mumbai, and watching rushes from the film, noticing that all the label on our bottles were blurred out. Apparently a last minute directive from the Indian Health Ministry necessitated that no alcohol brands be promoted in film, but Ms. Akhtar seemed adamant that people could still tell it was ours. My boss at the time and I, rather confusedly tried to point out that couldn’t In fact  see the brand, and when the aggression began, we excused ourselves and ran for our lives. But I wouldn’t expect her to remember us, or the incident, for that matter. For the record, I like ‘Honeymoon Travels’ too.  

Where was I? Oh yeah – I was saying I liked her films. ‘Luck By Chance’, despite its uneven pacing and tone, had a sparkling opening sequence, and was at the end of the day, an insider’s take on the Hindi film industry. Very rare. Then there was, ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara’, which I loved. I remember being cynical as it began, and growing increasingly surprised at how genuine the camaraderie and chemistry between the three leads was. I‘ve seen it twice since.

So, what happened with Dil Dhadakne Do? Even with its kinetic nature, would it be fair to say I was bored? The movie has its moments, and some of the acting, particularly, Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah is very good. Ranvir Singh too, was uncharacteristically restrained, which was shocking.  Here’s what I took away from the movie: A rich Punjabi family, with a talking dog, deal with repressed feelings and a misguided sense of culture and ‘sanskriti’ (that’s as per usual, rooted in commerce) , as they find love, and follow their dreams.

So, basically an updated ‘Hum Apke Hain Kaun’, on a boat.

Harsh? Maybe. Unfair? No. The movie from the opening scenes lays out the rest of the movie as a linear path. “I bet Ranvir jumps off the boat.”, “I’m sure Priyanka rescues the family business and I bet her husband’s a douche”, ‘”Though Anil Kapoor is a philandering asshole, I bet he’s a good guy at heart, and with a grand gesture,  will show everyone how nice he really is.” Worst of all, “I bet Anushka’s some orphan who has big dreams and is struggling to live her dream”. Eg: The scene where Ranvir Singh’s and Anushka Sharma’s characters meet in the pool should be anything but a slo-mo swimiing instructional video, with a condescending dog, explaining the obvious, but hey …  

Having said that, there were a few things to like: The scene where Anil Kapoor’s character finally stands up for his daughter is genuinely satisfying; the mileu that is the Delhi socialite circle too, is entertaining and the seemingly single take choreography for the number, 'Gallan Goodiyaan' is very impressive.  

But in between, you have to put up with endless foreshadowing and dull exposition.

After the movie, my wife told me that I had too high expectations. She’s probably right, but my expectations were based on ‘Zindagi..’, which had a real energy to it. Much like its characters, it felt like an old friend that you were meeting after years. Despite the opulent Spanish settings, I gave in, and was rewarded for going along for the ride. On the other hand, with this film, Ms. Akhtar trapped me on a cruise ship and gave me a few laughs, but for the most part, bored me to death with a cast of loonies whose answer to all problems was, ‘Pyaar’.  

So, maybe it’s just me, but I know I’m not alone in feeling this way about the movie. You should probably give it a shot, and leave me a comment to let me know what you thought.