Dil Bechara

6

Its tough to make a movie based on a book and it just gets a little tougher to make a remake of a movie based on a book. The book ‘fault in our stars’ is already adapted into a Hollywood movie and now made in to Dil Bechara.

The story is of love between two cancer patients Kizie Basu (Sanjana Sanghi) and Immanuel Rajkumar Jr./ Manny (Sushant Singh Rajput). They both face common odds. Probably they understand each other better. Kizie is living a very listless existence and not hoping much from life and has nothing to look forward to. Manny is full of life and taking his illness head on and enjoys every moment. Slowly in Manny’s company Kizie begins to revel. Her otherwise very protective parents see the bond between the two and its effect on Kizie and also allow her to go to Paris with Manny (of couse with her mother in tow).  But the heart ache for terminally ill patients is not much from dying, but for the survivors. The two try distancing themselves to protect the other incase one had to die first. But to suffer for the other is the choice one makes for oneself. Love blooms further but as one dialogue in the movie goes ‘cancer cannot stand laughter and happiness’. The malady raises its head with vengeance and consumes one of them.

The book is written so beautifully. So soulful and so lovely. Somehow the ethos is lost in the adaptation. Dil Bechara lacks soul. You keep waiting for that magic moment to happen on screen – in love or friendship or pain or with parents or in death but alas! it never happens. Would a theatrical release have had a different impact? I doubt.

The music is sublime. Very rich. One of the two good things in the movie. I wonder why would Fox Studios give a debutant director this movie. I wonder how Imtiyaz Ali or someone else would have done with the movie. The locales are great. The shooting in Paris is refreshing.

The second good thing about the movie is Sushant Singh Rajput. He is so natural and emotes so well. And that smile is so innocent and mischievous at the same time. Sanjana Sanghi is just ok. Swastika Mukerjee as Kizie’s mother is so good, just cant get enough of her. (When Patallok ended I had similar thoughts.. wish she had more role, here too…). Saswata Chaterjee (from Jagga Jasoos fame) as Kizie’s father is effortless.

Watch it. Probably if you haven’t read the book you may like the movie. See it for SSR he is as refreshing and charming.

Finally my fav movie of SSR – Sonchiriya, such a complex and a difficult role and PK small but what a memorable role, etched in memory forever. Good bye SSR.