Dil

"Dil" is a Bollywood romantic drama film released in 1990. Directed by Indra Kumar and produced by Ashok Thakeria, the movie stars Aamir Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Anupam Kher, and Saeed Jaffrey in prominent roles. It is known for its captivating storyline, soulful music, and remarkable performances by the lead actors.

The plot revolves around the love story of Raja (Aamir Khan) and Madhu (Madhuri Dixit). Raja is a carefree and mischievous young man who lives with his doting mother in a chawl (a type of low-income housing in India). He falls in love with Madhu, a talented and strong-willed girl from a wealthy family, who is also the daughter of Raja's employer.

The movie showcases the contrast between their backgrounds and societal norms, which creates obstacles in their love story. Madhu's father (Anupam Kher) disapproves of their relationship due to the difference in their social status. Despite facing opposition, Raja and Madhu continue to love each other and embark on a journey to prove the strength of their love.

The music of "Dil" was composed by Anand-Milind, and the songs became immensely popular, contributing to the film's success. Classics like "Mujhe Neend Na Aaye," "Humne Ghar Chhoda Hai," and "O Priya Priya" are still loved by audiences today.

Overall, "Dil" received positive reviews upon its release. The film's engaging narrative, powerful performances by the lead actors, and soulful music were highly appreciated. Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit's on-screen chemistry received particular praise. It also performed well at the box office and contributed significantly to the success of both Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit as leading stars in the Indian film industry.

"Dil" remains a beloved classic in the history of Bollywood cinema, cherished by audiences for its timeless story of love and resilience in the face of societal barriers.

First of all, it is Bollywood! So stop looking for signs of a Spielberg flick!! True, the plot is a Bollywood cliché; rich girl, poor boy, angry parents, etc. But keep in mind that the story line wasn't so tired and typical when this movie was first released and helped lead to a decade of romance-driven Bollywood movies. Khan portrays a solid character who has both comical and dramatic moments beautifully acted by him. And Madhuri, who won a best actress award for this role, delivers a great performance. The soundtrack is very good, thanks to the exceptional voice of Udit Narayan whose smile you can "hear" through the music. I gave this movie 5 starts instead of 4 because I have such fond memories of watching it when it came out in 1990. But compared to other Bollywood movies, it should really be a 4.

Dil is really a fun film to revisit for its youthful energy and romantic feel. The film has a very strong first half, which fucuses on the tension between the two leads - Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit. They really work well together and do a wonderful job with the love-hate relationship. The scenes of romantic realisation are absolutely charming. The film's second half is far less intriguing, as it takes a sharp dramatic turn and makes the overall product seem to consist of two different films.

Aamir Khan, in one of his early films, does what he did pretty much in each one of his films in those years, playing the innocent young romantic fool, and he does it well. It is Madhuri who charges the film with her graceful presence and extraordinary beauty, and hers is actually a truly good performance. Her transformation during the course of the film from an impetuous brat to a caring, mature housewife, is very credible.

Without taking anything from these two young charmers, the film actually belongs to the two fathers, Anupam Kher and Saeed Jaffrey, who steal the show with their impeccable comic timing. Kher is great as the pathetic, eccentric and greedy Hazari Prasad, but it is Saeed Jaffrey who made me laugh out loud with his officious antics. Just see the scene in which he finds out about Kher's identity - totally hilarious.

Mind you, Dil is a mainstream Hindi romantic film and should be viewed in the right context. Those who will try to take it too seriously are bound to be disappointed. It is to be enjoyed for its soul and young spirit. The film's music is beautiful. "Mujhe Neend Na Aaye" is a classic, but so are the other numbers. Dil is overall a charming romance with many great moments and even though it gets a little more serious like most films of its sort, it remains a watchable and entertaining Hindi.

This film is a hodge-podge of various idiotic cliches. For instance, boy-meets-spoilt-rich-girl and gets her to fall in love with him by harassing her in college (an over-used backdrop in recent Indian commercial films). A male chauvinistic glorification of sexual conquest. The climax is predictable (having been used ad nauseum in several other films). As with many other recent commercial Hindi films, the film abounds with the incongruous insertion of songs, which probably contributed to the film's success more than anything else.

Dil review :

A zingy romantic comedy with great music and fantastic performances; Dil was a hit from the word go...

Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit were the college kiddos who play pranks on each other to get even only till it gets too far when Madhuri falsely accuses Aamir of rape. In an intense scene, Aamir abducts Madhuri and threatens her - "Ab main tumhe batata hoon rape kya hota hai!!". Of course, he is no Ranjeet to actually commit the crime and finally, love blossoms between the two. "Mujhe neend naa aaye. Mujhe chain naa aaye" follows...

Enter the two Pappas - Aamir's dad Anupam Kher as the miserly Hazari Prasad who fools the rich businessman and Madhuri ke wealthy Pitaji Mehra Saahab (Saeed Jaffrey) to think he is equally rich only to get his bubble burst on their engagement day. Oops!!. Aamir and Madhuri elope and the film then becomes a routine love story. Pyaar, sacrifice, misunderstanding, etc etc.

Indra Kumar's direction was super competent especially in the first half and he really utilized the best of Aamir and Madhuri. They looked so good together and with Anand Milind's outstanding music to compliment, Dil was a sure shot hit. The pair became so hot all of a sudden that their delayed venture Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin (1990) which was lying in the cans due to lack of distributors, found an easy release a few months later. All thanks to Dil!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.