Movie Reviews
Dil Bechara Movie Review: A bad adaptation with lazy screenplay!
Dil Bechara Movie Review: The film is a bad adaptation with lazy screenplay. Mukesh Chhabra plays true to expectation as no maturity was expected of him.
By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | July 26, 2020
Rating: 2 / 5
The Essence: Dil Bechara has emotional value. Sushant Singh Rajput’s fans, shocked by his suicide last month, are going to love him in this movie. For those who want to remember this versatile actor for his talent which was undermined within the industry by insecure ‘talent’ (as is now being uncovered), watch Kai Po Che on loop.
Dil Bechara has released on Hotsar, the second big Bollywood release after the lockdown on a streaming platform. The first was Shoojit Sircar’s Gulabo Sitabo sometime in April.
It is difficult to analyse a performance of an actor who is no more, especially when you see him on screen, unsure and not bringing on his best. This is what I had written about Sushant Singh Rajput in my review of Kai Po Che: “Sushant Singh Rajput socks you with his flair for natural acting. He is amazingly confident with a towering screen presence.”
Sadly, none of this flair is present. Sushant stutters and starts; is not at ease in his role. While he is there on set it is clear that he is somewhere else: there’s no conviction in his performance. He struggles in a role that is not helped by scenes which make no impact.
Director Mukesh Chhabra shows no maturity…
At best, most scenes canned by debutante director Mukesh Chhabra can be described as ‘school level plays’. Nay, I have seen better school plays than scenes in Dil Bechara!
Chhabra’s Dil Bechara has been adapted from John Green’s novel, The Fault In Our Stars. It’s the story about two cancer patients, their meeting and their falling in love. Knowing it is going to be a tragic end, they embrace each other and the short time they have left in this world.
While the storyline is predictable, you expect some semblance of power in the performance and handling of a delicate story. There was plenty that could have been done to pack in emotions. However, Chabbra lacks the finesse and maturity to tell a story which has depth and meaning.
The star performers…
But thanks to Saswata Chatterjee who play’s Kizie’s father and Swastika Mukherjee who plays her mother, the screen lights up. Whenever these two are in a scene, even an insipid one, they inject meaning and purpose just by their mere presence. Bob Biswas from Kahaani and Kizie’s father in Dil Bechara are the same actors, both unrecognisable. Ditto Dolly from Paatal Lok and the mother in Dil Bechara! What a joy to see performance of this magnitude.
Sanjana Sanghi (Kizzie Basu) is decent in the lead role and quite impressive in the later scenes.
As cancer patients, both are over-the-top in their look and attire. No tiredness or even a hint that they are unwell except for the oxygen cylinder that Kizzie tags around, with the tube in her nostrils.
The end scenes do have some emotions held together, but that is very little very late.
Dil Bechara has emotional value. Sushant Singh Rajput’s fans, shocked by his suicide last month, are going to love him in this movie. For those who want to remember this versatile actor for his talent which was undermined within the industry by insecure ‘talent’ (as is now being uncovered), watch Kai Po Che on loop.
CREDITS
Producer: Fox Star Studios
Director: Mukesh Chhabra
Star Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Sanjana Sanghi, Saswata Chatterjee, Swastika Mukherjee
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