Banner: Junglee Pictures & Excel Entertainment
Producer: Ritesh Sidhwani & Farhan Akhtar
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Farhan Akhtar, Ridhima Sood, Rahul Bose,
Zarina Wahab, Vikrant Massey, Parmeet Sethi, Manoj Pahwa, Pawan Chopra & above all Aamir Khan
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
To say that Zoya Akhtar is an accomplished director would be an understatement. She had proved her her directorial mettle with her debut directorial venture ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’. And with her latest directorial venture ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ she has once again scored brownie points.
Kamal Mehra (Anil Kapoor) is a successful businessman who owns Ayka, a company on the verge of bankruptcy. He has a troubled relationship with his wife, Neelam (Shefali Shah), and his 2 children, Ayesha (Priyanka Chopra) & Kabir (Ranveer Singh). Ayesha has a successful business of her own, but is unhappily married to Manav (Rahul Bose). Kabir unwillingly participates in the family business and yearns to pursue a career as a pilot. In celebration of Kamal & Neelam’s 30th anniversary, they invite their family & friends for a 10 day cruise trip across the Mediterranean. Among their invitees, are Mr. Sood (Parmeet Sethi) and his family. Kamal plots to get Kabir married to Sood’s daughter, Noorie (Riddhima Sood), in exchange for his investing in Ayka. In the ship, Kabir meets a free-spirited dancer, Farah Ali (Anushka Sharma), and engages in a romantic relationship with her. Noorie, on the other hand, falls in love with Rana (Vikrant Massey), the son of a family hated by her parents.
Even giving Zoya Akhtar a standing ovation for her directorial triumph would be in suffice. She has even succeeded in extracting an earnest performance from her principal cast. And yes even from Aamir Khan who has lent his voice for the dog pluto who ultimately proves to be the mainstay of the film. A deserving special mention must also go to the film’s cinematography (Carlos Catalan) for having presented some of the breath taking & amazing visuals in the film. The film’s editing (Manan Mehta & Anand Subaya) gives the film its pace with which the film sails smoothly.
Performance wise Anil Kapoor is 1st rate and in full form, Shefali Shah is extraordinnare, Ranveer Singh is picture perfect, Priyanka Chopra is the scene stealer, Anushka Sharma is terrific & Farhan Akhtar is excellent. Débutante Riddhima Sood is a revelation. While the rest of the cast comprising of Rahul Bose, Zarina Wahab, Vikrant Massey, Parmeet Sethi, Manoj Pahwa, Pawan Chopra lend perfect credibility to their individual roles.
Tail Piece: ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ is a classy film meant for the elite multiplex audiences. While the single screen cine goers may find this movie a trifle boring.