Dilwale is a one-fourth of DDLJ in its name and the entertainment content. A predictable story line, the film relies much on SRK’s shoulders. To make the matters worse, the film’s promos reminisce the viewer of the hit pair of DDLJ and this comparison makes it worse, as the lead couple lacks the freshness and charm of Raj and Simran of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.
Raj (Shahrukh Khan) gets up from a nightmare from his past. He is a docile do-gooder who resides with his younger brother Veer (Varun Dhawan) on whom he dotes on and would go any distance to keep his wishes as he had promised their father Randhir (Vinod Khanna – a haggard) that he will take good care of him.
Raj and Veer are settled in Goa, while the elder bro is easygoing, introvert and philanthropic, his brother is outgoing with a roving eye for all ‘things beautiful’.
One day Veer, while on a car delivery bumps into Ishita (Kriti Sannon) and its love at first sight for him. Veer her to celebrate in a restaurant with his gang friends where they encounter goons who are trying to sell drugs, much to his annoyance, and then they beat up the drug gang who leave, threatening him of dire consequences.
Next, when their gang finds Veer who is alone, they thrash him. The introvert Raj is upset, and decides to teach the goons a lesson, so under disguise, he thrashes King’s goon, leaving the message that ‘Kali is back’.
Cut to Bulgaria 15 years ago Raj aka Kali having snatched (read looted) Malik’s gold (Kabir Bedi-dapper as ever) evades being chased by Malik’s men and bumps into Meera (Kajol-heavy make-up).
Raj and Meera have met in the past, where Meera outsmarted him during their rendezvous abroad. The middle-aged couple chance to meet again after 15 years. Sparks ignite, there is love, action, car blasts and double-crossing.
Overall, there isn’t anything innovative in its story. It is the presentation that is gloss. Action that is par-excellence. And there is Shah Rukh Khan in the film. The rest don’t matter. Vinod Khanna and Kabir Bedi leave a mark. Kriti Sanon is just a showpiece. Kajol tries her best but the poor lady doesn’t click in such a role.
It is the ‘Gerua’ number that has caught up with the masses. The picturesque locales of Iceland are awesome. But how much can Shahrukh alone save the film.
As it is a Rohit Shetty film, car stunts are a must. A weak story gets a fillip only due to Shahrukh’s presence, while the others are just passable. Kajol doesn’t sound like Meera, and the filmmaker’s could have given some other name, she is heavily made- up and is neither here nor there. The presence of great comic actors Johnny Lever, Sanjay Mishra and lets name Boman Irani, doesn’t leave any impact.
Is it the same team that gave us Chennai Express? Rohit Shetty must have taken up this film out of compulsion.
But how is it that SRK who has reached such a status and a respectable position in the industry decides to work on such a weak story? And if he wanted to do a comedy, then it should have been an out and out comedy. Whereas here the filmmakers have put in emotion, love, bits of comedy, romance, action, revenge and …. maybe under the assumption to make it a ‘wholesome family movie’, unfortunately, it falls flat.
– PAWAN GUPTA
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Cast
Shah Rukh Khan as Raj Randhir Bakshi / Kaali
Kajol as Meera
Varun Dhawan as Veer Randhir Bakshi
Kriti Sanon as Ishita Dev Malik
Vinod Khanna as Randhir Bakshi
Kabir Bedi as Dev Malik
Varun Sharma as Sidhu
Johnny Lever as Money Bhai
Sanjay Mishra as Oscar Bhai
Mukesh Tiwari as Shakti (Sidhu’s brother)
Pankaj Tripathi as Anwar
Boman Irani as King
Nawab Shah as Raghav
Chetna Pande as Jenny
Credits:
Produced by Gauri Khan, Rohit Shetty
Production companies – Red Chillies Entertainment, Rohit Shetty Productions
Directed by Rohit Shetty
Written by Yunus Sajawal
Dialogues by Sajid-Farhad
Music by Pritam Chakraborty
Background score – Amar Mohile
Cinematography – Dudley
Edited by – Bunty Nagi
