Dhadak Review: Ishaan and Janhvi put up a heart-warming act!

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Cast: Ishaan Khattar, Janhvi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 3 stars

Dhadak, a movie which carries the baggage of a huge risk to live up to the original film and to also present two debutants - Ishaan Khattar and Janhvi Kapoor, has in all ways excelled to give a decent ode to Sairat.

Dhadak in its first sequence itself introduces Ishaan as the Hindi Romeo Madhukar and Janhvi (Parthavi) as his love interest set in the city of Udaipur. In the first half, the film follows almost the same sequence as that of Sairat with a minor change of sequence. The first 60 minutes delve you into the story of how a low-caste boy Madhukar is head over heels in love with an unattainable upper-class girl Parthavi who too feels for him despite their caste differences that are of utmost importance in the society they live in.

While each love story has a villain, here the villain is no one else but Parthavi's well-connected politician father Ratan Singh (Ashutosh Rana). The story of the two adolescents then unfolds who without giving a second thought about the consequences of their relationship, blossom their love and later with an unfortunate turn of events take a drastic step bringing in a major change in their life altogether. The second half majorly deals with the aftermath of the step taken and showcases about the survival of love in a caste-based society. Though it gets a bit dragged, the heart-wrenching ending compensates for it. 

Coming to the performances, debutants Ishaan Khattar and Janhvi Kapoor have hands down given an honest performance. Dealing a character with utmost sincerity in their debut film is worthy of all the appreciation. 

Ishaan Khattar warms your heart with his brilliant portrayal of the character that he plays. From madly chasing Parthavi (Janhvi) to every other intense episode in his life, Ishaan is expressive and highly convincing with his performance. 

Janhvi Kapoor, on the other hand, leaves a promising impact. Her uncanny resemblance with late mother Sridevi often reminds you of her in many sequences. Though a little hard work needs to be put in for the expressions, Janhvi's potential is something to look out for. Both Ishaan and Janhvi put a mature foot in so many scenes that you're left wondering with a question that is it really their debut film?

Dhadak could not be humorous hadn't it included the supporting characters Gokul (Ankit Bisht) and Purshottam (Shridhar Watsar) as Madhukar's best friends. They bring a sense of laughter whenever they are on screen and makes the film a little lighter in the backdrop of a serious honour killing theme. Ashutosh Rana as the powerful Ratan Singh has impressed with the slight screen time that he has.

Shashank Khaitan did his homework right on capturing the essence of the Rajasthani feeling. Right from the accent to the appeal, Dhadak fairly holds on to the nuances of the characters and the whole look of the film.

What makes the film well knitted is the Music by the popular duo Ajay-Atul. Every song has a right placement and does the job of adding more feel to the story. Not only Zingaat, but each song in the film strikes a connection.

Final Verdict:

Giving an ode to the hit Marathi film Sairat, Dhadak will hold a special place in your heart too. With honest performances, soulful music and a perfect end, Dhadak proves to be the ideal choice for debutants Ishaan Khattar and Janhvi Kapoor.