Review : Dil Chahta hai

Rating : Excellent (4.6/5)
Genre : All-in-one
Year : 2001
Director : Farhan Akhtar
Cast : Aamir Khan, Akshay Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Dimple Kapadia, Ayub Khan, Sonali Kulkarni, Suhasini Mulay

Watched DCH for the nth time, this time courtesy Star. DCH came in 2001, and makes the #1 spot in my Top Ten List for that year. I thought I remembered it quite well, but turns out I didn’t. And the film that this is, I didn’t just watch it in passing – you know how it is with older films on TV, you kind of walk around doing stuff around the house, and view the film in bits and pieces – I actually got into bed and watched the film, advertisements, interruptions and all.

Ever wondered what problems the rich and urban have ? You know, no dal-roti woes, no how-am-i-going-to-pay-the-rent and where’s my next paycheck coming from ? Well, DCH gives you a pretty good idea. It’s a story of three friends, young, urban, and veritably rolling in the moolah. Or atleast one of them.

Aakash (Aamir) is the Benz-driving, happy-go-lucky son of a really wealthy family. Which means that besides having a big-screen TV in his bedroom, perpetual vacations, and the Sony laptop he totes, he’s also got typical desi parents who are worried about what he’s doing with his life. His friend Samir (Saif) is another young ‘un, who wears his heart on his sleeve, and is perpetually falling in and out of love with pretty young things, as time and fancy takes him. Siddharth or Sid (Khanna) is the ultra-sensitive one of the lot, an artist by demeanor and profession, and the son of a single working mom (Suhasini Mulay). His problems are vastly compounded when he falls in love with an older divorcee (Dimple Kapadia).

All three live comfortable lives, and have fairly reasonable parents. Aakash’s unfocussed life changes when, under parental pressure, he must lend a hand in his Dad’s business abroad, while Samir, the romantic, must face the horrifying prospect of an arranged marriage wih Pooja (Kulkarni). Sid must sort out his feelings for Tara. Aakash leaves for Australia, Sid remains busy with his art, and his fascination for Tara, and Samir tries to steady his emotions when he spies true love on the horizon. The friends scatter, but does their friendship hold ?

Farhan Akhtar in his debut as director chooses impeccable actors; not only do the lead threesome fit the characters to a T, even supporting roles such as Mulay’s are potrayed superbly. Aamir is as Aamir almost always is – fantastic ; just the right amount of confidence blending in with the half-cocked sense of humor make Aakash a charismatic character. Saif as Sameer displays admirable comic timing, and makes the perpetual-Casanova thing almost believable. Akshaye as Sid, looks artistic; soulful, searching gazes and all, and presents the perfect foil for bluster-filled Aakash and romantic Sameer. Preity as Shalini, looked oh-so-young, and fresh, and was wonderful as the beautiful young woman Aakash yearns for but cannot be with. Sonali Kularni in a small role as Pooja, is cute. And Ayub Khan as the possesive fiance, is very good too. Kapadia is gorgeous as Sid’s muse, Tara.

A good film is made even better with the kind of music Shankar-Ehsaan and Loy provide. From the enthusistic “Koi Kahen”, to the wistful “Dil Chahta hai”, and even to the sad “Tanhai”, each song is beautifully scored and apt. The comic nature of finding perfect love is celebrated in “Woh ladki hai kahan ?” . Direction is taut; one is always engrossed – taking bathroom breaks is unthinkable. With expert cinematography and dialogues that are so every-day and natural, you and I could have spoken them, Akhtar weaves it all together seamlessly.

Let me say, with an unprejudiced (hah !) eye, that I consider this film a modern classic. Although this is a very, very urban film, and is a sure hit with the metro crowd, this will also go down well with the youngsters in smaller towns. Because it’s youthful, exhuberant, and in it’s own inimitable way parodies every-day worries and anguishes of finding one’s way in an uncertain and turmoil-ridden world. Whew, that done, I’ll tell you that this is an engrossing, fun film. It celebrates. It engages ; I am drawn into the story, moved by Sid’s self-less love, laughing at Sameer’s zany escapades, and sorrowful at Aakash’s anguish. Above it all, the friendship and the camraderie between the three friends shines through – have we all not wished for friends like them ?

If you haven’t seen it yet, make haste to the nearest movie rental place. Hurry ! Go ! Now !