An actor gone too soon starring as the lead of a film about the transitory nature of life...
As everyone knows, Sushant Singh Rajput's last film Dil Bechara is based on John Green's book The Fault in Our Stars. The story revolves around a young couple in search of the silver lining while fighting that 'Emperor of all maladies' -- Cancer.
Kizzie Basu, played by Sanjana Sanghi, is an introverted college student fighting thyroid cancer when she meets the vibrant and ebullient Manny (Sushant Singh Rajput) who is fighting osteosarcoma. Unlike Kizzie, Manny lives in the moment and soon he teaches her to do the same. Those from the South take note, for Manny claims to be a Rajanikanth fan who loves everything commercial.
The movie is a surreal experience with adequate tearjerking moments made more tragic by real-life events. When did fictitious films become so hyperreal?
On the flip side, Dil Bechara seems hurried and gives very little time for relationships to build. It lacks depth and the characters seem very one-dimensional. For example, Kizzie's parents played by Saswata Chatterjee and Swastika Mukherjee play their parts with conviction but still fail to pull off their-parents-of-a-terminally-ill-child act.
In comparison to 2014's The Fault in Our Stars starring Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley, the Bollywood adaptation also misses out on some important bits that provide the philosophical depth that such a film needs. In contrast, Dil Bechara seldom talks about the philosophy of life, love, destiny and death. Instead, it chooses to fall back on the age-old Bollywood formula of emotional background scores.
The film has some continuity problems as well. At the start, Kizzie is shown attending a stranger's funeral, something it is hinted she does often. But this is not referred to or explained in detail, which is unfortunate as that would have provided some much-needed depth to her character. Manny's character also shows some continuity issues with him developing a sudden limp that never existed until the film addresses his illness.
On the brighter side, the film is short and crisp. It walks the thin line between being sappy and cringeworthy and a fresh young romance. It does not linger too much on anything and the dramatic scenes seem perfectly timed. It brings a smile to your face as you watch Kizzie and Manny laughing and smiling at silly things. The credit for this goes entirely to the lead pair of Sanghi and Rajput.
Despite their characters lacking depth, the lead pair delivers a cogent and potent performance. You laugh when they laugh, you cry when they cry and you sing when they sing.
In her debut as a leading lady, Sanghi gives a persuasive performance as the young, shy but fun Kizzie Basu. Had it been under different circumstances, the film would've been viewed much differently. It is indeed very hard to separate the reality of Sushant Singh Rajput's death and watch the film unbiasedly. But Sanghi manages to make an impact nonetheless.
Saif Ali Khan's short stint in the latter half of the film as Abhimanyu Veer - a singer whose incomplete song Kizzie listens to - is mention-worthy as well. It reiterates the impact of a void left by a sudden loss. The themes resonate even more, given Rajput’s tragic death.
While the story is known to all of us, the film manages to evoke emotions and doesn't overdo anything.
As the end credits roll, it is hard to hold back tears when Manny’s voice is heard saying, "We don’t get to decide when we’re born or when we die. But we do get to decide how we live our lives."