Genre: Drama, Romance
Direction: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, Asutosh rana, Shridhar Watsar, Ankit Bisht
Runtime: 2h 30min
Dhadak, remake of 2016’s Marathi blockbuster ‘Sairat’, is a love story of Parthavi (Janhvi Kapoor) and Madhukar (Ishaan Khatter). They belong to Udaipur where Parthavi is daughter of the influential politician Ratan Singh and Madhukar is the son of an ordinary man running a small hotel in the city. The bold, beautiful & all-heart Parthavi falls for the simple, sweet and innocent Madhukar.
After romancing on Dhadak, Pehli Baar & dancing on Zingaat, the first kiss between them finally happens. It doesn’t reach its climax though because Parthavi’s family comes in between as soon as they finish their kiss. Now arrives the moment where they’ve to decide whether to choose the path of a coward or do what their predecessors did in Sairat. We all (Sairat lovers) know how it’ll turn out obviously, those who don’t – you’re still here?
Dhadak comes in with the greatest disadvantage of people knowing the shocking elements of the film. I knew where will happen what & hence was prepared for the shocks. There are some changes but the major ones remain the same. Only if Shashank had made sure to re-modify at least the twists and turns, it would’ve been a different scenario. Leaving the comparisons aside, I put my hat off to Shashank for keeping the energy, the innocence & the love alive throughout the film.
With a great remake, comes huge responsibilities & Khaitan has fulfilled every one of them apart from the fact that ‘Sairat’ released in 2016. Capturing the essence of Udaipur, creating the tension in dramatic scenes, pouring out love in the romantic ones – script & screenplay are top notch. Nagraj Manjule will be a proud mentor after watching ‘Dhadak’.
Ishaan Khatter had already impressed me in ‘Beyond The Clouds’ and it was then I knew there couldn’t have been a better choice than him for ‘Dhadak’. He is a natural, an expressionist and on a way towards achieving critical acclaim in each of his film. He is someone who can never disappoint you.
Janhvi Kapoor – what a surprise! Yes, I’ll be honest and say I didn’t have much expectation from Janhvi but man-oh-man – she has looked and acted beautifully. She’s very well in the emotional scenes, which is a test for any aspiring actor. Ashutosh Rana, as every other film of his, is supremely underused. That’s the problem with genuine talent, you’re never satisfied with it just being good.
A special mention for Sridhar Watsar (Purshottam)! This guy hilariously brings down the house. Replacing Tanaji Galgunde (Pradeep Bansode aka Langdya/Balya) from Sairat, Sridhar solely brings in the comic relief to the film. Ankit Bisht (Gokul) acts fine but gets suppressed by the monumental performance of Sridhar.
Shashank Khaitan has gambled and won – how big is the real question. He had the canvas ready but he needed to use different colors to draw a similar painting & he has used some aqua beautiful ones. It’s not at all easy to tell a similar story in a different way. The only problem I felt was, the shiny things of the movie were too bright and the dark aspects are too dim.
It’s Ajay-Atul magic all over again in Dhadak. The title song had me from the word ‘Marhami’ and Zingaat retains its zing. Pehli Baar/Yad Lagla’a music does the trick and it’s as fresh as it was in Sairat. Vaara Re is another soothing surprise from the musical duo.
My Verdict
My Ratings
3.5
Dhadak is the heartbeat of love! Supremely performed by Ishaan & Janhvi, this would go down in the list of remakes well made. Shashank Khaitan has another winner under his belt.
