Avis des utilisateurs

This was the first actual Bollywood film I've ever seen. I knew nothing about it going in, other than that it was considered a classic and featured "that Indian guy" (Khan) who shows up in every other film. Needless to say, after I became accustomed to the singing and dancing, I was able to dig in to the film a bit. It got slow at times but I was intensely interested in figuring out what the heck was going on. In the final moments of the film, my friend and I just sat frozen. I've never seen a movie that had singing, dancing, and ended with a bang. Needless to say, I'm hooked on Bollywood and determined to make everyone I know watch this film.

Mani Ratnam's Dil Se is a classic example of casting gone wrong for a very good storyline. Well, at least, for the male lead. Such was the persona of Shah Rukh Khan as a romantic hero that it was improbable that the burning issue of North-East insurgence would salvage this wonderfully-crafted film from the fate it suffered.

On the whole, the film impresses, with its breath-taking visuals of Ladakh and the North-East, the mesmerizing music, and a fiery performance from Manisha Koirala. Granted that Priety Zinta was more of an ugly duckling than the elegant woman she is now, hers was a delightful debut. But the biggest disappointment is Shah Rukh. Tied to a role light years apart from the moon-gazing, mandolin-strumming Casanova that he was so accustomed to, he fails to bring the required wee-bit restraint to an investigating reporter. Perhaps, movies with hard-hitting realism were not his forte then.

Despite that, there are plenty of sequences worth remembering: the disturbing throwbacks into Meghna's (Manisha) past; the awkward interaction between Amar (Shah Rukh) and Preeti (Zinta) and that song on top of a train. I read somewhere that the songs were brilliant to listen to, but were inserted at the most inappropriate of moments in the film. I don't disagree. However, considering the length and the pace of the storyline, I wouldn't blame the editor and the director either. In any case, the songs are fabulous on their own and take the listener on a rich and vibrant journey of foot-tapping modernity and old world classicism. There is also a mournful melody rendered by the then-rejuvenated Sukhwinder Singh that somehow escaped a listing on the soundtrack. Maybe, you need to watch the movie to savor that.

It is definitely worth watching and more realistic than the fare dished out by Karan Johar and his ilk, but it is more an adventure of human motivations than a treatise on terrorism that the filmmakers would like us to believe. Pity, it suffered badly at the box-office.

I am not a fan of commercial Hindi cinema. Having said that, I have to say that really liked Dil Se. Mani Rathnam tries to deviate from the norm and try to attempt a story that at once captivates and disturbs. Understated nuanced acting, not valued by most Indian actors, is the norm in this movie. The images are haunting, the sensibilities are delicate and the scenery breathtaking. If you plan to see only one Hindi film that you plan to see, this should be it. Having said that, Rathnam fails in his attempt to placate the average moviegoer of India by stuffing the movie with 5 (beautifully choreographed and well-recorded) songs that jarres the narrative. Also at least at one occasion (immediately after Amarkanth Varma witnesses Meghna's outbreak right before the storm) the editing is crude and sticks like an afterthought. Manisha Koirala could well be the successor to Shabana Azmi if she chooses her roles well. Shahrukh khan is refreshing in this departure from his regular song and dance routine.

This movie is close to my heart. It stands out as one of a kind to me in the world of Bollywood cinema, which is usually frivolous and contrived. Every part of this movie was well-made, the music was used brilliantly and it was just emotionally very touching. The chemistry between Shahrukh and Manisha was subtle but definitely there. Manisha's acting in this difficult role was done superbly. It is surprising that many people disliked this movie because of the ending, as I think it was beautifully portrayed. My favorite movie of all time- I would recommend this movie to anyone who is a hopeless romantic like myself and would do anything for love.

This is one of the greatest and most crafted works of the incredible Mani Ratnam. I was stunned by every moment of it and the very first scene was enough for me to get completely hooked. Mr Ratnam's ability to make a grandiose love story and yet keep it starkly realistic is just unbelievable. It makes the viewer believe that true, intense love does not exist only in fairy tales, but in real-life too, with simple and ordinary people. Dil Se is a rare gem of its times - authentic, hard-hitting, gripping, and deeply involving. Some people have deemed it a bit slow and tedious, but according to me the film moves at a steady pace and is totally focused, engaging and captivating.

The film's concept: a young, hard-working radio broadcaster falls in love with a mysterious, strangely apathetic woman who is actually a terrorist may have been tackled before by filmmakers around the world, but none has done it the way Mr Ratnam did. He directs this feature with heart and soul and intensifies it with complete mastery, so much that you cannot leave the screen even for one moment (even if you are one of those who prefer skipping the songs). The script is grounded in tension and mystery, and it thankfully avoids sentimentality. And then we also have some genuinely real yet exceptional dialogues, which bring forth a poetic quality that eases the serious proceedings.

Every artist involved in this film gives one of their best. A.R Rahman, for one, creates one of the most crafted and beautiful movie soundtracks of his career, giving so much life and essence to the film. The songs flow incredibly well with the film, they never feel unnecessary, they fit the situations, and ultimately enhance the narrative and contribute to the film's mystery and intense atmosphere. "Dil Se Re", "Jiya Jale", "Chaiyya Chaiyya" and "Satrangi Re" - each track is a gem and showcases the greatness of Rahman and Ratnam, who visualises them exceedingly well on-screen. This of course could have been done without Santosh Sivan's brilliant cinematography.

The performances are top notch. This is one of Shahrukh Khan's most accomplished and realistic performances. He is intense, witty, vulnerable, believable and convincing as Amar. He portrays a suffering man who would go to any strengths for a woman he hardly knows, and though his character's unconditional love may seem peculiar, he manages to keep it real and balanced. He conveys his feelings, whether it's sorrow, love, pain or anger, in his own inimitable style, using his troubling intensity and nervous mannerisms. One can really feel for the pain in his eyes, which is evident every time he meets this woman who keeps rejecting him. A superb act.

Manisha Koirala, one of the most talented dramatic actresses India has seen, is flawless as Meghna. She smiles barely once in the entire film but her expressive eyes and silence speak volumes and always do the job. It's a natural and ambiguous portrayal of a woman who has lost belief in life and love, or at least of someone who compels herself to think so. She brilliantly displays the little nuances which let us sense her constant fights with herself and her struggle to not submit to her feelings every time she faces the bright side of the world, forcefully and firmly fossilising herself for the sake of a mission which must be completed.

Preity Zinta, the star herself in her debut film, does something very few actors have been capable of doing: she makes a great impact despite having a very small role. It's a great achievement for any actor to excel and make a lasting impression with a role of such minimal importance and screen time. She is natural, vibrant and very likable, commanding the audience's attention with her strong screen presence and lively persona. She's always been known for her ability to add happiness and positivity to films which are overly serious and dark, and this one is no exception. Her full of life, frank and direct Preeti is one of the most unforgettable characters in recent years.

Dil Se is a socially relevant movie but it is a love story at heart and there it scores the most. It may not appeal to all kinds of audiences (in fact, it was a box office failure in India, though a success overseas), more because of its brutally honest depiction of terror and national battle, yet it remains thoroughly fascinating. The film is atmospheric, dark and deep. The only aspects that abstract the viewer from these features may be the energetic music and Preity Zinta's light character. In anyway, it is a picture of great artistic excellence, and I would recommend anyone to see it. The ending is also most unpredictable, only making it more beautiful and memorable.

This movie is fine.. Srk is a obsessed lover. I dont think this kind of thing happening in real life as well. End of this movie is not as great or larger than life. The songs are melodious and very very good to listen after 25 years later as well.

The problem with Hindi cinema is its very strong formalistic framework where it has to fit in. It must pass the censors, must be made for a billion of mostly analphabets and must contain a great number of song and dance scenes. Mani Ratnam is one (and only?) director who constantly extents this genre to embrace the producers, the popular audience and the critical and political aware intellectuals with his strong political claims ("Roja", "Bombay"). This one now beats it all and everybody (in India) talked about it. Such an end was not seen before in Hindi cinema, and all fits perfectly well (despite to what some other critics said). And it works even if you know the end before (which most do).

It's my current favorite. Technically superb, very sophisticated content, big fun and emotions. An american version would have been a typical political thriller about an unlucky love to a female terrorist, but Mani Ratnam gives us 300%. Not just the Indian Spielberg or Tsui Hark, this is more. Go for it.

Mani Ratnam's Dil Se.. is intense yet beautiful, full on betrayal, sacrifice and terrorism.

Staggering performances from Manisha & Shahrukh, make up for a weak screenplay. Cinematography is simply brilliant, Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya & the title track are the plus points.

Is the story background the Kashmir conflict or the North eastern conflict? Since both these conflicts are so different, It has caused lots of confusion.

The conflict in this movie is not about Kashmir, Its about the conflict in the North East (Assam Region). They speak Assamese and several mention of the North east. However, they do go to Ladakh (This may have caused some confusion along with the allegory to Sufism).

If this was about Kashmir, then its a terrible depiction since the Kashmir conflict is primarily due to Pakistan and Its terrorists operating in Kashmir Not home grown resistance (There is that part too...but they are very small). And Pakistan loves to portray the Kashmir problem as an indigenous groups uprising. This is more like the home grown resistance from the Indian state of Assam and that area.

In India where there are so many terrorist bombs going off in different places so frequently, people in India have little patience for being sympathetic to the alleged "victims".

In India, everyone is a minority. A Tamil person has his/her own grievances, so does a person from Benga and Punjab and hundred other "Victims". So when you have a nation that is so diversified and yet pluralistic and democratic, where different ethnic groups have their representatives in the Parliament, if any minority has an issues, they need to use that legitimate process to address their grievances. So the rest of the minorities (The rest of India) are not going to be too kind to the "we are the ONLY minority and we are the only one with a Problem and hence we want to secede" groups.

for me, this movie was a total WTF! No wonder this movie failed miserably in India.

But if you watch this movie like its happening in some far far away land and not based on any real world conflicts, then you may have a movie here.

This is a haunting film. Everyone raves about the music and cinematography (which of course are excellent), but I wanted to write about the often maligned plot. After seeing Dil Se for the second time, it was easier to see how the seemingly irrational actions of the characters were a result of their life circumstances. I understood much better why Amar was compelled to pursue Meghna; if you've ever been in love with the wrong person, you'll understand too. Meghna is like many other damaged people I've known: capricious, confused, sometimes cruel to others, but in the end her own worst enemy. Both know that their paths are not supposed to join (and pay lip service to that fact), but find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. This is evident by Amar's reaction to seeing Meghna at his engagement, and again in Meghna's attempts to convince herself to feel nothing but fiery patriotism. It is this relentless attraction that forces the shattering scene at the end of the movie--there is no other way for them to be together. This is a very thought-provoking movie, but it does require you to think--not the sort of thing to watch mindlessly while munching on popcorn. It will move you to your core, if you let it.

"Dil Se" is poetry. Although it is a Mani Ratnam film, the hand of Santosh Sivan is all over it, especially in the music videos. Sivan's artistry and Ratnam's genius, when combined with the sizeable dramatic talent of Shahrukh Khan and an amazing soundtrack by A. R. Rehman, is almost perfect. Even Manisha Koirala is good! Preity Zinta also stands out in a smaller role as SRK's reluctant fiancee. This is not your typical Bollywood film, and this showed at the box office, but that's not a bad thing. This film shows more artistry, more integrity, and more "dil" (heart) than most recent offerings from both the east and the west. "Dil Se" is a really great film.

Mani Ratnam's yet another movie on terrorism is blended with romance and guns. Manisha Koirala is brilliant with subtle emotions throughout the movie. You can only feel for SRK's character that is turmoiled by her mystery and no answers. The songs and cinematography are top-notch. There are multiple scenes in the movie where the lighting is unique and natural as with the surroundings, and it stands out. The drawback is you feel the romance is overloaded rather than the terrorist angle in this movie. The screenplay shifts between both ends and the terrorism part is not as convincing as in his earlier movies.

This film was not a hit in India. This is not surprising as it was not a typical Bollywood film. This is not to say that it is a bad film. It has a good story, good performances, mind blowing music and very good ending. Unlike most Hindi films, "Dil Se..." is not loaded with dialogues. Most of the "talking" is done through expressions. Leaving the audience to think for themselves. Perhaps this is why Indian audiences did not embrace this film and Indians living abroad did. ManiRathnam proves with this film that like Shekur Kapoor he would not be out of place in Hollywood making big budget films that captivate the audience. A must see!

The Manisha Koirala dance scene on top of the train makes this movie worth seeing, not because of anything sexual, but just because it is a dance scene on top of a moving train (and supposedly spontaneous.) INSTANT CLASSIC.

As a farm boy from the heartland, it is hard to believe I could fall in love with a Hindi movie about love and terrorism, but I found myself unable to resist the magnetism of this movie. This movie has dance sequences reminiscent of Michael Jackson at his peak, breathtaking scenery and a love story to rival anything seen in Hollywood. Deriving the bulk of my knowledge of Indian history from the movie "Gandhi" I was surprised to learn of the unhappiness and dissent in India portrayed in this movie. This movie is complex in its scope but simple in its soul. It is about love.

See this movie for a lot of reasons, but the love story is reason enough.

"Dil Se" is easily the most cerebral film churned out by commercial Indian cinema in the last decade. It is not presented as a separatist polemic, nor should it be considered as such (as a lot of myopic viewers have done). Nor is it a film about terrorism. It is essentially a love story told against the backdrop of terrorism. Mani Ratnam is at his best, producing what can only be called surreal realism. Many of you may have forgotten, but once upon a time Shah Rukh Khan was a good actor, and this is easily one of his best performances. Preity Zinta is the only glimmer of relief in this heavy handed tale of darkness and despair. This was also her first film. Rahman's songs are his career best, each of the six tracks more replendent than the last. Above all, however, Dil Se belongs to the luminously gifted Manisha Koirala, who delivers a crushing and skinless portrayal of a reluctant avenger. In a role of almost no dialogue, she speaks volumes through her reticent glances and a body language that is burdened by sorrow. It is a sin that such dramatically gifted actresses like Manisha, Tabu, Juhi, Nandita Das, etc. are relegated to competing for potboiler non-roles that crown glamorous dance queens like Aishwariya, Amisha, Madhuri and ilk the top of the heap. India has great actors- the film industry just doesn't know how to utilize them.

The main highlight of the movie was no doubt the sound of the movie, if you watch this movie in digital dolby, you wont find a better sounding Hindi movie ever.

The characters are very real, with the background of the sets very real, nothing filmy about it. The movie has a distinct aura, since the love story is running in background, with the viewer glued to unfolding mystery about the heroine(manisha koirala). She exude vulnerability, revengeful, and the docile of the commoner. She fits the role to the T. So can be said about shahrukh khan(best movie ever, after Kabhi Haa Kabhi naa). Shahrukh walks effortlessly through the role, being very real in the depiction. So are all other characters in the movie.

Choreography cannot be even better. All songs have certain magic, new, innovative, very impressive and music mind boggling.

Highly recommended by me, see and listen in digital dolby sound system, this is the best sounding movie ever.