Dhadak review: A beautifully woven MASTERPIECE!

Movie: Dhadak

Cast: Ishaan Khatter. Janhvi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Aditya Kumar, Kharaj Mukherjee

Producer(s): Dharma Productions, Zee Studios

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Shashank Khaitan’s Dhadak is an official Hindi adaptation of the Marathi blockbuster Sairat. So, there would be no point in getting into the plot of the film and if one was to reveal the tweaks that Khaitan and team Dharma has made to the original work, it would actually be a spoiler. So, why spoil the fun for you all?

In comparison to the original version, there will be divided views for sure! So, we are going to talk about the film as if it’s one of its kind, and we must say, it really is!

As it’s already known, Dhadak is front-lined by Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor and is a simple, beautiful and passionate story about first love.

Here are the four reasons why you must see this story unfold, even though you have seen the original.

• Ishaan Khatter

Ishaan’s Madhukar Bagla aka Madhu is flamboyant, naïve, brave and never backs out from a challenge. That in itself is praising in disguise for the Beyond The Clouds star as by saying that, we mean that everything he does feels authentic and honest. Khatter as Madhukar has some really quirky antics to show off in the first half and has his brother, Shahid Kapoor’s smile. I was instantly taken back to the time I saw Shahid on the screen for the first time. There’s inherent goodness and innocence in Ishaan, which he brings to Madhu. Ishaan also proves that he can make any newly-learned language sound like he has been speaking that since forever.

• Janhvi Kapoor

Whenever Janhvi appeared on the screen, I got the feeling that her mother dearest Sridevi was in front of me. Seeing her pulling off every scene that she has been a part of with finesse and her one-of-a-kind aura is something you will not see anywhere else. With her acting chops and the ability to emote, she has proven that she can very much be the institution of acting like her mom, but unfortunately, she was given very little to do in comparison to the male lead. Janhvi deserved a better-written character for sure.

• A STELLAR supporting cast

Dhadak, apart from its leading characters, is filled with a plethora of terrific supporting characters. A special mention goes to the person who could be seen playing Madhu’s best friend, Purushottam, who got the most amount of laughs in the screening that I was a part of. Ashutosh Rana has been a screen-space stealer from the start of his cinematic journey and he is unfailingly the same in Dhadak as well. Although Rana is effective as the character he has been given to play, we felt that he was under-utilized.

• Story pace, direction, screenplay and music!

Talking about direction and screenplay, Shashank Khaitan and his cinematographers have made sure that every frame looks like a beautiful portrait and it was fascinating to see the stark difference in the tone of the film once it’s past the intermission point. On the writing front, Dhadak tests you at times as sometimes, Khaitan takes a lot of time to open a new chapter in the story of Madhu and Parthavi. And, undoubtedly, the most impactful part of the film is its climax. Although what’s going to happen becomes fairly obvious as the last act of Dhadak kicks off, it still gets to you as if someone has gutted you in the stomach. Musical scores by Ajay-Atul are impactful and do their job well. Be it making one feel the intensity of the situation or getting their feet tapping to the likes of the recreated Zingaat, the duo aced at it all!

A must watch!