Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Varun Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Johnny Lever, Vinod Khanna and Kabir Bedi
Direction: Rohit Shetty
Rating: *****
It’s
the holiday season and what better way to usher it in than with a Shah
Rukh Khan release. 'Dilwale’ is complete paisa vasool. If you have to
make a Bollywood formula film, make it like Rohit Shetty.
This one is a complete entertainer.
‘Dilwale’
does everything a Bollwood masala film should do - there’s love,
there’s action, there’s drama, there’s song and dance - basically it’s
value for money.
Rohit Shetty has mastered his craft. It’s commendable how seamlessly he blends the various elements.
The
over-the-top action sequences, the mushy romance and dollops of
melodrama play out like a well synchronised orchestra. He hits just the
right chords, there isn’t a single jarring note.
Our director has upped him game, it’s no longer just mindless humour and cars being blown to pieces.
Shetty
has made sure that this film hooks you from the very beginning. Kaali
(Shah Rukh Khan) and Meera’s (Kajol) intriguing love story and why these
two are thrown apart forms the basis of this potboiler. The flashbacks
work well as they give you a little insight into what could have
transpired between these star crossed lovers but never really give you
their real story.
The
second half of the narrative is peppered with generous doses of humour
and it helps that Shetty lets Varun Dhawan completely own that. Varun’s
comic timing is perfect and he is effortless in the little brother role.
Rohit Shetty has shown rare restrain in this film, he doesn’t go
overboard. The action sequence shot in Bulgaria is brilliantly executed
and it stays with you because you don’t have too many of those.
Even
the songs - they come at regular intervals but never slow down the pace
of the plot. 'Gerua’ looks spectacular on the big screen, the
locations, the clothes (despite the velvet jackets that Shah Rukh
wears), the lead couple, they spell magic together. Even 'Manma’ and
'Janam Janam’ are well executed numbers.
I
guess, it’s possible only in Bollywood, that our lead couple look
better as they age. Shah Rukh and Kajol look disarming adorable
together. Despite the years and the number of times they’ve worked
together there’s a new intensity you see this time.
There’s
a part in the 'Janam Janam’ song where Kajol wears a blue dress and
it’s reminiscent of the green halter-neck dress she wore in the 'Ruk Ja’
song ( in 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’) and I couldn’t help but notice
how amazingly chic and suave they looked now compared to then.
Sure
there are some excesses, especially the King (Boman Iranian) sub-plot
seemed completely unnecessary. In the acting department, Jhonny Lever is
a huge letdown, saddled with some silly antics. The rest of the cast
however, provide robust support. I thought giving Kajol’s character a
manipulative bent was quite a nice touch. The director ensures that the
twists and turns never let the pace slacken.
