DIL DHADAKNE DO MOVIE REVIEW

You can imagine one's hobby to be driving cars or riding bikes but can you visualise someone's pastime to be flying a jet? Well, this is precisely the ‘aristocratic’ setting of Dil Dhadakne Do’s story. A typical high-society, dysfunctional Punjabi family, whose motive in life is to earn money and get richer, is portrayed here. But does this luscious tale of fun and gala touch the hearts of everyone?

Zoya Akhtar, who is known for her fabulous Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, once again attempts to tell a story via a travel. Depicting the typical attributes of Punjabi 'aunties', showcasing problems in a family that has everything but peace of mind, displaying passionate love, taking us through a journey of high class lifestyle, gossip stories and the understanding of life from myriad perspectives, Zoya scores high.

However, the film has some glitches like the dragging second half, melodramatic climax, inability of characters to express and communicate, dealing with problems that are not for normal people and the never-ending grapevine chain. You may not find an emotional connect between a parent and a child or a message that you would takeaway but you will definitely find fancy clothes, brilliant decor, branded alcohol (in almost every scene), extra drama, hot chemistry between Ranveer and Anushka and some new locations.

Amidst all the low points, without a doubt Anil Kapoor not only looked handsome and 'Jhakaas', the Kamal Mehra that he played was an extremely convincing businessman who is authoritative and dominating. His wife Neelam Mehra (played by Shefali Shah) was submissive as she is the one to strike a balance in the relationship. Needless to mention about the two ladies - Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma who we would want to keep watching again and again. Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar played their parts in their own unique styles and both were as usual ever-charming.

The good actor in Rahul Bose will be missed in this film because he hardly has a role to play. Nevertheless, the newbie Ridhima Sud has something to show us as Nuri. There are too many actors and characters in the movie but none remain in our heads. One may be left with a confusion in the end thinking about what the problem ultimately was and what the director wanted to convey.

In a Zoya Akhtar film the technical department can't be any lesser than top-notch. Though the film had too much happening, editor Anand Subaya and Manan Mehta have made the flow of the story very clean and clear with proper cuts. Blending the visual appeal of many wide-angle outdoor shots of Istanbul, Italy and other ports in par with the aesthetically sound indoor sequences of the luxurious cruise, cameraman Carlos Catalan must be applauded. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have done a fair job on the music as the impact on-screen was quite less.

A special mention to the costume designer Arjun Bhasin for showing the lavishness in style and elegance for every character.

On the whole, if you do not belong to the privileged class of the society, you may not quite understand the problems faced by the lead characters in DDD. But what gives this movie a special touch is the voice over of Pluto - the dog, by none other than Aamir Khan!