This SRK-Kajol romedy is worth a trip to the theatre, despite all criticism.
Rohit Shetty’s much-hyped Dilwale, starring SRK, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in the lead, may be inching closer to the 100-crore mark, despite being banned in certain parts of India, but audiences and critics have mostly been bashing it for its amateurish plot. However, if you are a die-hard SRK fan and lover of nonsensical, masala films, Dilwale has enough elements in store that make this larger-than-life rom-com worth watching.
The many shades of Kajol
Kajol is hands down the best thing about the film. She may be 41-years-old, having made her debut in 1992 and now making a comeback after almost 5 years, but the actress looks fresh, youthful and appealing. The actress, who has long been scrutinized for her fashion choices, silences all critics and steals the show with her evolved, sophisticated sense of style in the film. Her dialogue delivery reminds one of her command on her skill from earlier films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Gupt, and she proves she can still pull it off. Unlike in other films where SRK attracts all the attention away from his leading ladies, Kajol seems to dominate in all the scenes. Even in the songs, she remains a highlight taking the spotlight away from the much younger Kriti Sanon.
SRK pays a tribute to himself
SRK isn’t called the King of Bollywood for nothing. Many may disagree at this point in time and find Dilwale to be his worst film ever but he once again proves his versatility as an artist. He is not only the
producer and protagonist of the film, starring opposite his favourite co-star, he even gets to reincarnate Hum’s Shekhar Malhotra while retaining his quintessential charm. In the film, SRK plays three different character as an individual, a humble car modifier, a gangster in the past and an elder brother, who cares for everyone else around him (except the bad guys, of course), and nails each of them with perfection.
Kachche Dhaage all over again
One can’t help but feel nostalgic watching Dilwale; comparing it to popular films of the ’70s and the ’80s. Forty-two years ago, two young actors played dacoits in Raj Khosla’s Kachche Dhaage and had an iconic showdown during the climax scene, where they shot each other to avoid being caught. Fast forward to 2015 and Vinod Khanna and Kabir Bedi recreate that classic scene; this time they are on opposite sides, playing gangsters. For a film buff, this was indeed a surprise and an unexpected treat.
Comical bursts
Yesteryear Bollywood films weren’t the only sources of inspiration for Dilwale. Both Kajol and SRK’s characters have a past which isn’t known to
It’s a Rohit Shetty signature
Every director has a style and so does Rohit Shetty. He takes ideas from Bollywood classics and gives them a modern treatment, and ofcourse, adds cars only to explode them into shreds. To expect Mughal-e-Azam from him would be naïve on the audience’s part. You can expect Rohit to recreate iconic scene into rib-tickling sequences; using character artists in the best possible way but you can’t expect him create a film that requires one to use one’s brain. There are enough situations that will make you leave the cinema hall smiling including the scene where one character ridicules Tiwari as Ghareebon Ka Jackie Shroff, which is ironic given the actor made his debut in the villainous role of Jageera in China Gate! The second lead pair, Varun Dhawan-Kriti Sanon, is also intelligently utilized by the director, making the film more relatable to younger audiences.
Omair Alavi is a freelance broadcast journalist and can be contacted at omair78gmail.com