Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Sanjana Sanghi, Saif Ali Khan
Director: Mukesh Chhabra
Rating: 3.5/5
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s last movie Dil Bechara, which released directly on Disney+ Hotstar on Friday (July 24), is a fitting tribute to the ‘Patna Boy’ who made an impact in Bollywood. The film, an adaptation of the popular novel The Fault In Our Stars, revolves around the heartwarming relationship between two terminally-ill friends. The basic plot, which touches upon living life to the fullest and fulfilling desires, is quite engaging and has a universal appeal.
The story’s impact is enhanced by a sincere screenplay that relies on showing as opposed to telling. The bond between the protagonists has been fleshed out reasonably well and strikes a chord. The nok-jhok between ‘Manny’ and ‘Kizie’ is relatable and adds a sense of bubbliness to the onscreen action. Similarly, a key scene involving a confrontation between the heroine and her family hits the right notes with its organic intensity.
Also Read: ‘Dil Bechara’: 5 reasons that make Sushant Singh Rajput’s last movie a must watch
The emotional scenes, which form the backbone of Dil Bechara, have been executed with a great deal of finesse. They are heartbreaking and yet not too dramatic. The film also features a few Tamil references, which gel well with the narrative.
On the flip side, Dil Bechara slows down a bit around the 60-minute mark, which dilutes the impact momentarily. It also feels mildly predictable at times. These are, however, minor issues in the larger scheme of things.
Coming to performances, Sushant puts his best foot forward and makes a solid impact. His chemistry with his leading lady is quite crackling, to say the least. ‘Anni’ also hits it out of the park in a crucial scene, which highlights his character’s struggles.
Sanjana Sanghi is arguably the find of the year and impresses with her effortless performance. She has a good screen presence and does justice to a character that is anything but simple.
Saif Ali Khan makes his presence felt despite getting limited screen time. Noted actors Saswata Chatterjee and Swastika Mukherjee also make a decent impact.
The supporting cast serves its purpose reasonably well.
AR Rahman’s music is another big highlight of Dil Bechara. Most of the songs have situational appeal and add a new dimension to the movie.
The editing is also up to the mark. The other technical aspects have been handled with a fair deal of competence.