Dil Dosti Etc

While watching Dil Dosti Etc, the foremost thought on my mind, most probably because of the posters and promos of Saawariya, was how a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film would differ from this film. An SLB film is loud and melodramatic, Dil Dosti Etc is quiet and subtle. An SLB film uses a lot of dramatic background music for effect, Dil Dosti Etcs background music stays unobtrusively in the background. Which approach is better? Thats a matter of personal taste as well as the directors choice, but Ive come to hold the view that a general Indian audience needs to be grabbed by the collar and shaken into feeling the emotion that the director wants. The average Indian moviegoer cant necessarily appreciate subtleties on his or her own. So if its an emotional climax, a director like SLB brings on the symphony-orchestra-chorus-etc to wring the tears out of the public. On the other hand, director Manish Tiwary prefers an understated approach. Of course, there is also the fact that except for the climax, none of the events in Dil Dosti Etc is of earth-shaking magnitude. By the way, I found Devdas very boring.

Naseeruddin Shahs son, Imaad Shah, plays the films protagonist Apoorva, a first year student of S R College. Hes a quiet, decent, rich kid who visits a prostitute on Delhis famous G B Road every night. Hes befriended by Sanjay Mishra (Shreyas Talpade), an idealistic, middle-class senior who hopes to be college union president soon. The expected college-days issues are dealt with girlfriends, love, sex, politics, dil, dosti, etc.

The movies been shot in the Hindu College hostel and the Delhi University campus. Ive been in those corridors sometimes with my then-girlfriend when I was in Delhi.

About the actors first both the leads play their parts perfectly. When I first saw the brilliant Shreyas Talpade in Iqbal, I thought he was a teenager. Only a couple of weeks later did I get to know hes married! He was fantastic in Dor. He was also okay in Apna Sapna Money Money, which I couldnt bring myself to finish. In Dil Dosti Etc, he turns in another great performance. The only flaw was flawless English diction in a couple of lines in the last scene he was till then supposed to be a classy Bihari babu. Im not going to watch Aggar because its got Tussssssshar Kkkkkapoor kplaying a kpsycho. Shreyas Talpade has one thing in common with Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio until they become really old, theyll always look like young boys.

Imaad Shah debuted with Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota, his illustrious dads directorial debut. He was good there, and hes excellent here too. I felt he enacted his role a little lazily, albeit without any false notes, but I guess that was intended to be part of his character, whos supposed to be a cynical rich kid with no worries in life except how to get the girls he wants into bed.

Speaking of beds, therere quite a few sex and making out scenes in the movie. I didnt see the movies censor certificate, but it would be quite deserving of an A by the censor boards standards.

Of the girls in the film, Ishita Sharma was quite cute and competent. The other girls werent bad either.

After about 15 minutes, I started feeling there was something missing in the movie. Later on, I realized the missing element was a few solid moments. Till the end, there were no belly laughs except a couple, or thick tense moments, or emotionally charged ones. Its only my personal view, of course; its the directors prerogative to present things as he wishes. I, for one, feel that a movie needs to shake a viewer by the collar every once in a while make him feel something anger, tension, pity, laughter, whatever! Thats how Sanjay Leela Bhansali made Black work without any songs, which is an amazing achievement considering the reluctance of most of our Indian audience to accept films without claptrap song-n-dance sequences and macho men heroes. Again, on comparison with other lesser-budget-but-hit films like Jhankar Beats and Bheja Fry, Dil Dosti Etc falls short on the fun and laughter front.

Thats where I guess Dil Dosti Etc falls a little short of being wholeheartedly accepted by a large audience. There were a few teenage moments which I found fun, and some new-facial-hair boys in the hall found uproarious. But overall, I didnt really feel anything much during the movie.

Bottomline

Would I watch it again? I dont think so.

You might like it if:

(a)Youre in your teens

(b)Youve studied in Delhi University

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