Dhadak brings to life a story as old as time, of young love and longing and the world of problems that encompass this innocent love. This coming-of-age film is a remake of the hit Marathi drama, Sairat, so comparisons are natural but the Shashank Khaitan directorial has its own interesting characters and plot twists to keep you hooked throughout.
The movie begins with an awestruck Ishaan Khatter aka Madhukar trying his best to catch the attention of the girl he has a massive crush on – Parthavi, essayed by Janhvi Kapoor. And as love stories go, their eyes meet, hearts connect and they inevitably fall in love. This love terrain, of course, comes with a ‘warning’ sign but they trespass it either way. The story has multiple plots unraveling at once, besides their budding romance. Parthavi belongs to a higher caste and commits a major sin in the eyes of her very conservative and strict father when she is caught in an intimate moment with Madhu.
The movie lacks the raw appeal that Sairat had but moves onto a rapid progression after that. As in the original, all hell breaks loose as the two run away from a home they’ve known their entire lives and into a strange city. They struggle but their struggles don’t seem real enough for the audience to connect with. There are fights and arguments but the movie doesn’t match up to the level of conflict one would expect from a drama like this especially since it has been achieved by many other on-screen depictions of the love saga. The end, however, will leave you gutted, Shashank adds enough drama to leave the audience with a gasp and goosebumps.
Coming to Ishaan and Janhvi, the young actors are impressive in the film. Their emotions are real, honest and draw you in even when the story is dragging in parts. We’ve already seen Ishaan and his commendable acting skills with Majid Majidi‘s Beyond The Clouds and Janhvi doesn’t make you feel like this is the first time she is facing the camera. She is confident but vulnerable and carries herself very well throughout the film. Janvhi and Ishaan may have gotten the golden ticket for an entry in Bollywood with a film under the Dharma banner but their acting chops prove that they have arrived and are all set to make their place in Bollywood.
If you have no other plans then go watch the film for Ishaan and Janhvi’s adorable chemistry and their powerful performances.
Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Rating: 3/5