Rohit Shetty is a director with his own signature style of celluloid and audiences around the world have grown to love his high voltage entertainment consisting of superb action sequences, great music and lovely locales and feel good storylines which in itself is the recipe of a commercial entertainer. After creating the 2013 blockbuster Chennai Express – he delivers Diwale – a larger than life entertainer which features Bollywood’s most loved onscreen couple – Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol and paired the youth icon Varun Dhawan with Kriti Sanon.
The story orbits around Meera (Kajol) and Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) who belong to Mafia families in conflicts. Meera and Raj meet in Bulgaria that soon leads to them falling in love. The duo then goes on a date but, then there is a major twist heading our way and just when you think love is in the air, guns are fired, blood is flown and soon the two lovers are coerced to find separate ways.
Meera and Raj have younger siblings, Veer (Varun Dhawan) is Raj’s charming younger brother and Ishita (Kriti Sanon) is Kajol’s younger sister who meet each other which reawakens the tempestuous relationship shared between Raj and Meera which comes back to haunt them when their siblings Veer and Ishita fall in love with each other as they stay in the same town – Goa! Raj left his mafia business is now a garage guy and Meera owns a popular chill-spot. Will Raj and Meera get over their past for their siblings? Will they revive their love is what the film further unfolds.
Diwale possesses the age-old recipe of a Bollywood romance where the power of love is victorious against all odds but Diwale uses this tried and tested formula very elegantly by adding elements into this story which keeps you interested and captivated. The dialogues are apt and fit into this story very comfortably. The tempestuous relationship shared between Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol that swiftly changes truly leaves audiences charmed.
Casting Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in this film is the biggest crowd-pleaser as it is an absolute pleasure treat to watch the most legendary onscreen couple reunite since My Name Is Khan in 2010. Honestly, who doesn’t love them together? Shah Rukh Khan is at his enigmatic best – He was completely in character to the core. He emotes as vividly as always. Kajol is a delight onscreen – we need to see her in many more movies. She looks beautiful and steals your heart with a performance that will be remembered for years to come. Her character is the highlight of this movie as she is impeccable. Regardless of her blazing chemistry with SRK – Her portrayal of her character is phenomenal. The chemistry of SRK-Kajol is magnetic and alluring!
Varun Dhawan is excellent and carries himself through this film very maturely and naturally. He is truly gifted and we can expect great things from him in years to come. After Badlapur, ABCD 2 and now Dilwale – Varun Dhawan is ultimately the next superstar of Hindi Cinema. Kriti Sanon is charming, smart and very charismatic onscreen . The supporting cast of Sanjay Mishra, Johny Lever, Mukesh Tiwari and Pankaj Tripathi and Boman Irani with Vinod Khannna and Kabir Bedi added to the star quality of this film with memorable performances and Varun Sharma added great humour to this film.
Rohit Shetty’s movies are larger-than-life with incredible stunts. Diwale has some amazing action pieces, but the ones featuring SRK are vibrant. Cinematography is top-quality and the DoP (Dudley) makes every frame appear larger-than-life. The panoramic locales of Bulgaria appear truly spectacular. The beautiful locales featured in Diwale have been perfectly captured. Diwale has its flaws – but they are minor for instance, the story moves rapidly then slows down but picks up with ease. The cinematography is brilliant!
The soundtrack by Pritam is fantastic and luminously contours the story. Gerua steals your heart and the track is breathtakingly beautiful featuring SRK-Kajol in the picturesque Iceland looking as intensely gorgeous together onscreen as always. Janam Janam is a poignant composition and Manma Emotion Jaage is peppy and very catchy, while Tukur Tukur is fun. The tracks are perfectly placed into the storyline.
Dilwale provides audiences with a lavish dose of absolute entertainment. This movie is a treat for all SRK-Kajol fans. Rohit Shetty has created another mass entertainer in his signature style of cinema which will be largely loved and appreciated by fans across the globe! Dilwale is a complete feel-good cinematic experience that is larger than life and perfect for the entire family this festive season.
Rating: 7/10 | 3.5 Stars