Dil Bechara Review – Unintended, But A Fitting Farewell Drama

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July 25, 2020

BOTTOM LINE
Unintended, But A Fitting Farewell Drama

OUR RATING
N/A

Runtime
1hr 41 mins

What Is the Film About?
Kizie (Sanjana Sanghi) is a cancer patient who has fewer days to live. She makes the little time left very sad and finds strange comfort in attending funerals. Manny (Sushant Singh Rajput) also has the same critical illness, but he lives his life to the fullest.

Manny forces his way into Kizie’s life and brings a smile on her face. What happens when the condition worsens for Manny is what the movie is all about?

How Is Sushant Singh Rajput’s Performance?
Dil Bechara is late Sushant Singh Rajput last movie. The movie offers him everything that made him connect with the audience. Looking at the film, and his act anyone is sure to feel a talented actor is lost too soon.

Sushant Singh does the cheerful, energetic part with perfection. There is an infectious energy in his work that makes one glued to the proceedings even when there is nothing but silences exchanged between the leads.

However, it is the emotional parts that show how gifted an artist Sushant Singh Rajput is? The drinking sequence at the start of the second half with Saswata Chatterjee is sure to remain among fans memory for a long time. The dialogue especially related to unfulfilled dreams, will strike them hard. And then the end is a gut-wrenching watch for fans. Again, the writing is excellent here, which is expressed wonderfully by Sushant. The images are sure to stay etched in our memories.

Direction?
Mukesh Chhabra makes his directorial debut with Dil Bechara. It is a remake of the Hollywood movie, The Fault In Our Stars. For the Indian audience, it is a routine subject seen from the days of Anand. In fact, a film with a similar line is made by legendary Mani Ratnam in Telugu already (Geethanjali). Another Hollywood flick Garden State also seems to be an inspiration.

The Bollywood makeover of The Fault In Our Stars involves geographical convergences. The story is set in Jamshedpur, but the boy and girl come from Tamil and Bengali families. Manny further helps bring Thalaivaa influence which seems very perfunctory to say the lead. It is as if the director feels the frequent references of Superstar Rajinikanth makes the character Tamil. There is no such problem with Kizie and her Bengali background, though.

What works here is the casting of the principal characters. The lead pair, the hero’s friend, and the parents of the heroine are all superb. They all make the proceedings engaging with their sincere act.

The writing is also neat and to the point. A poetic touch is missing, but maybe that would be too much to ask. Instead, the music takes care of the ‘poetic’ aspect. There are a few boring moments in between, though, which seems like a drag. But the presence of Sushant and Sanjana Sanghi take care of the dullness.

Post intermission is where things get heavier and might be difficult to watch for many. The real-life incident makes the impact deeper. There are fewer fun moments and a lot of emotional sequences here. They are all well directed and acted.

The ending is designed to give a proper farewell to the character. It brings tears to the eyes for sure and comes across as a fitting farewell.

Overall, for the fans of Sushant Singh Rajput, Dil Bechar is a must watch especially the first hour. The rest can watch in entirely for the heart touching emotional drama it is.

Others?
Sanjana Sanghi makes her debut as the heroine with Dil Bechara. She is a revelation and stands her own against Sushant Singh Rajput. There is an innocent and childlike quality to her which works well for the character. It also helps that she can emote the emotional scenes well.

Swastika Mukherjee and Saswata Chatterjee are superb in the roles of parents. They bring a different flavour to the proceedings with their presence and also a unique charm. Sahil Vaid is fantastic towards the final farewell scene in the church. Saif Ali Khan in a cameo is adequate. The rest of the actors appearing in smaller parts are also alright.

Music and Other Departments?
When AR Rahman accepts a project, it assures a certain level of quality and variety. The legend has everything on display in Dil Bechara. The way his music is integrated, the whole thing operates like a play. The background score is fabulous. The cinematography by Setu adds to the feel with the visuals despite everything looking natural. The editing could have been better in parts. The writing is elegant and balanced throughout.

Highlights?
Sushant Singh Rajput
Music And BGM
Runtime
Writing