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DIL CHAHTA HAI ("The heart desires") (2001)
Written and Directed By Farhan Akhtar
Music: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy Starring: Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, Dimple Kapadia
Running Time: 185 Minutes
CineRating: 5.5 out of 10
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A rambling male-buddy pic that was warmly embraced by Indian audiences, Dil Chahta Hai was seen as something of a breakthrough for Hindi cinema in terms of its fresh and "realistic" portrayal of the contemporary twenty-something set, but in reality it's about as cutting edge as a subpar episode of "Friends" -- and just about as lightweight and disposable.
Akash (Aamir Khan, of Lagaan), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) and Siddarth (Akshaye Khanna) are best buds who are graduating from the safe confines of college into the uncertain world of adulthood. Despite their closeness, the trio display markedly contrasting personalities: Akash proudly adheres to the belief that there is no such thing as "love" and that relationships are only meant to last for two weeks; Sameer on the other hand, eagerly falls in love at the drop of a hat; Siddarth (aka "Sid"), is the quiet, introverted artist, who hides his true self from the others, and may in fact be the most passionate of all.
For the first ninety minutes, Dil Chahta Hai mixes youthful hijinx with an episodic plotline that underscores the unbreakable male bonding that holds together our mismatched trio during their various failed relationships and budding romances. It plays like a neutered version of Diner -- observant, earnest, tasteful...and distressingly tepid. About the only thing that passes for authentic drama here is Siddarth's relationship with an older woman (veteran star Dimple Kapadia) -- a painter herself who senses the soulfulness behind Sid's stoic demeanor. Although the scenario is played out with all the romantic heat of an ABC Afterschool special, the younger-man/older-woman romance is a rarity for Indian cinema, and it supplies the film's first half with a spark of originality.
It's only when the three pals separate that Dil Chahta Hai finally begins to resemble the movie that critics have been raving about. Aamir Khan (who seems to be doing a Matthew Perry impersonation) takes centerstage when his freewheeling character must fly to Australia to oversee his father's business. On the plane trip there, Akash finds himself seated next to Shalini (Preity Zinta), a young woman whose possessive fiance had earlier punched him out in a nightclub. After Akash and Shalini bury the hatchet and begin spending time together, Akash's steadfast vow that he will never fall in love is put to the ultimate test.
With the movie no longer straining so hard to be a hip "Friends" clone, the actors are able to settle into their roles more forcefully, with Aamir Khan doing a nice dramatic turn from annoying goof to lovestruck Romeo, while Akshaye Khanna and Dimple Kapadia suffer nobly through their doomed not-quite love-affair. Saif Ali Khan is pretty hopeless, but he's also saddled with the most underdeveloped character. The film's second half is boosted by the presence of Preity Zinta (Dil Se), who really ought to consider switching first names with Dimple Kapadia, since Preity has the most prominent dimples in world cinema.
First-time director Farhan Akhtar gives the film a slick but fairly naturalistic tone while providing some effective stylistic flourishes in the latter half. While his movie astutely avoids the typical bombastic Bollywood cliches of something like Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai and opts for a more straightforward, slice-of-life approach, Dil Chahta Hai is as much wedded to Hollywod formula as something like, say, Mystic Pizza (which addressed the female side of bonding in a similar style). But, as with that film, it does have its modest pleasures and in the end it suggests that Akhtar has a real sense of feeling for his characters and could be a talent to watch when he becomes confident enough to take more chances with his material.
The movie's songs -- from the trio of Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy -- are A.R. Rahman-lite, but reasonably effective, with the highlights being "Woh Ladki Hai Kahan," a spoof of Bollywood song-and-dance numbers that takes us through three decades of Bollywood-style fashion, and "Jaane Kyon," in which Akash and Shalini debate about the merits of love a la Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge.
Spark has released a 2-DVD Set of Dil Chahta Hai featuring a decent-looking letterboxed transfer that is beset by occasional compression flaws and some print wear. It's been reported that the DVD will not work at all on many players, including some Toshiba, Panasonic and Samsung models. The second DVD includes a Making-Of Featurette but no theatrical trailers, despite what it says on the disc sleeve.
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DVD Specs:
Spark DVD
All Regions
Removable English and French Subs (including songs)
Making-of Featurette
Two Postcards
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