So recently, I've been deviating from the point of this blog (it's technically supposed to be a lifestyle-based) and have been focusing more on me. Which is fine, of course, but I feel like drifting away from me personally and switching over to a light, fun topic- movies. Specifically Bollywood ones.
I've been meaning to start this series up for a while now, but I could never finish writing Bollyreview posts for some reason. So, I decided to delete all of my drafts and re-start this series with one of my favorite new-ish movies- Dil Dhadakne Do.
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Basically, DDD is about a high-class, unhappy, dysfunctional Mumbai family who decide to go on a cruise to celebrate the parents' (Kamal and Neelam) 30th anniversary. At the start of the film, you see that there are some obvious fissures within the family, and Zoya Akhtar (director and writer) expands upon them as the movie goes on. To give you a short synopsis of what the characters' issues are, I've compiled a short list:
Kamal: Not in love with Neelam any more and cheats on her often. Fakes like his family is perfect, but in reality it couldn't be more crazy.
Neelam: Depressed about Kamal cheating on her. Uses food to get away from her problems. Doesn't like to see her children behaving 'improperly'.
Ayesha (daughter, played by Priyanka Chopra): In a very unhappy marriage with a guy that her dad set her up with. Her parents don't seem to understand that they are not compatible. Has a lot of business acumen, but her parents and husband don't seem to think so. Also, she has complicated ties to her ex, the very hunky Sunny (played by Farhan Akhtar).
Kabir (son, played by Ranveer Singh): Has absolutely no interest in business, but will inherit his father's very successful company (AyKa). Wants to live his life on his own terms. Has a love interest who is muslim, and we know how his ultra-conservative parents are going to feel about that...
There are a lot of characters and plot points in the movie, but this kind of a general outline.
My Thoughts:
Absolutely loved this movie. Really. I think that it pointed out a lot of the hypocrisy and craziness within the Indian community, and I think that it's very important for Indian millennials to look at that and realize that we can be the generation to change that.
My favorite character would have to be Priyanka's Ayesha. She is full of contradictions; shy yet confident, outgoing yet reserved in sharing her true feelings. I think that this really adds a lot of depth to the character. I mean, I was really able to see her for the true person that she was and after a while, it wasn't Priyanka Chopra; it was Ayesha Sangha. Also, major props to the costume person. Everyone looked so fantastic in all the scenes. Here's a little snippet for you guys:
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Also, I really want to add that I loved that Pluto (the dog) narrated the movie. He added humor and a surprising amount of depth to the story. I think that Pluto was every bit as important to the overall film as anyone else.
Music:
Since this is a Bollyreview (and not a regular film review), I feel obligated to critique the music as well. I think the soundtrack to this movie is honestly phenomenal. If I had to pick a least favorite song, it would probably be the title track (it gets irritating, probably because I tend to play it on loop), but other than that, I think all the songs are really great. My personal favorite is undoubtedly Pehli Baar. It's just such a fun, upbeat song! I dance to it sometimes when I'm getting ready in the morning.
Overall Rating:
I give the movie itself an 7/10, simply because there were so many characters that the storylines weren't as deep as they could have been. Also, I didn't like the ending, but I never usually like the endings of Zoya Akhtar's films. She keeps the ending open, and I liked a closed chapter.
I'll be nice, though and give the music an 8.5/10. If you can't tell, I'm a bit of a harsh grader.
I hope you enjoyed this post. I'll see you next time!
Love and light,
Mal
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