Dil Chahta Hai

Without a doubt this movie is probably the best coming of age flick around, it has terrific acting and an incredibly touching plot that keeps you going throughout the whole film. I think the reason I love this film so much is because, everyone in some way could relate to it. When you're a pre-teen and have a close group of friends and face something so intense together, there's that special bond that no matter how much you loose touch with each other, one day, you just think of them and that one incident. The acting is just phenomenal. All-star cast. All-good film. The story is great - plenty of laughs to be had here, with sad moments, too. The acting is A-Grade

Less is more in Farhan Akhtar's 'Dil Chahta Hai'. Strip away melodramatic plots which always drag on longer than they are supposed to. Get rid of unbelievable protagonists who have all the answers and can fight off a horde of villains. Have no 'villains' to speak of, with the exception of the dude engaged to the girl you fancy, who acts like a bit of a prick.

Build a story about the people you spend most of the time with - your friends, your dawgs, your posse, and ponder how you guys are going to sort out the really important things in your life. Like falling in love. Cracking on your friend who seems to fall for every girl he sees. Or your sensitive friend Sid who is in love with a much older woman - is he crazy? Wince as two of your best friends get into a very heated argument which splits them up and wonder what you will do now that you're caught in the middle. Hope for love and friendship to find a way through to reconciliation.

Make a smart movie, without elaborate dance pieces set to a sweet soundtrack that remains in the top 10 a year after the film's release. In fact have a song that parodies the 'running around trees' segment that every other Hindi film since the 1950s has had and that the guys at school used to kid about. I mean, guys don't express their love for girls that way! Keep out guns, drugs, politics, strife, and family melodrama. Lace up your script with generous doses of humor which brings to light the hereunto underused Saif Ali Khan. Finally make sure the 'heroes' have shown some growth at the end of it. Of course it's been done to death in LA. That it could have been done so well in Mumbai is the astonishing thing.

Finally, make reality cool again. Whatever your heroes wear, however they cut their hair, right down to the way they interact has to be believable. Make short hair and a goatee beard the national craze amongst guys. Put some real thought into color coding and matching outfits and give a laid-back style to the proceedings.

Welcome "Dil Chahta Hai". The film that has had the largest influence of the look and hopefully the story of the biggest Bollywood films to follow it. A film that many people have been able to relate to. It seemed so obvious until Farhan Akhtar did it. Now watch how his ideas permeate through Bollywood.

Here's looking forward to "Don" in 2006.

I am not a fan on Hindi movies at all, but since I decided to study in India, learn a little Hindi and whatever else, I have expanded my Hindi film repertoire from just Lagaan and Amar Prem to include Dil Chata Hai.

The story is simple – at first, and is largely interspersed with a lot of English. Even I could understand the story without any subtitles. (Although you might turn it on for intense moments of extreme speed Hindi) Three spoilt rich best friends grow up, and in doing so, learn that their relationships between themselves, women and their families becomes tense as they mature and travel.

"What the Heart Wants" is a sort of theme that persists throughout the film. One friend is stuck to a girl he cannot get, another to an older woman, and the last one is just struggling with many girls he cannot choose between. For a Hindi film, the dance-music numbers are not terrible (but of course not great) and the music without the dance is quite nice, with a lot of meaning attached to it. So after a major fallout they realize many things separately, and learn about their own relationship in turn.

I recommend this film to anyone as a primer to Bollywood films – I know I used it as one. High marks for this film since it beat the Bollywood standard of being completely incoherent and inane, although still sticking to the three plus hours.

"Can what the Heart Want be controlled?" RATING: 9/10

After a string of Bollywood stinkers, this film was a breath of fresh air! Upon first glance, it might seem like the story has been rehashed from the plotlines of several other Indian films. But the presentation blew me away! Yes, I agree that Dil Chahta Hai has been heavily influenced by the Hollywood style of filmmaking. But it still retains the same passion and romanticism that has become a Bollywood staple ever since the beginning, thus making DCH a thousand times better than other "Hollywood-wannabees".

Another thing that you might notice while watching the film is that there is not much of a plot. It just... floats along. But that's what makes it great; you never know where the next scene might lead you. What ties the story together is the bond of friendship shared by the three main leads. All the performances were terrific, especially Aamir Khan, who is probably the most respected actor of his generation.

Ultimately, what's great about the film is that it connects to the youth. The depiction of youth is so dead-on and realistic that you would be disgusted at the way youth is treated in other Bollywood films, where every college student aside from the hero/heroine are party-going idiots or jittery nerds! In DCH, however, the people talk like how they're supposed to talk, and nothing seems unrealistic about their personality. While watching the film, it becomes quite evident that Farhan Akhtar belongs to a breed of young, talented directors. What they lack in experience, they make up with an ambitious vision and raw talent.

If you haven't seen the film yet, go watch it. You'll be surprised at how much hope is still left in Bollywood.

I stumbled over this film on late night TV and immediately ordered the DVD. It's a corker! Fresh, invigorating, romantic, bizarre even!

They don't make films like this in the West - and more's the pity but hence the freshness. The three lead actors are gorgeous - so it hardly matters that they must be the oldest students in town. The cinematography is beautiful - especially in the Australian sequences. The song and dance routines are as welcome as they are surprising.

As with all Hindi films, it is pure melodrama of course. The ability to suspend one's disbelief is a necessity. But that aside, it has all the attributes of a good old fashioned Hollywood romance. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl... etc., times three.

The core theme of friendship is a delight - as are the subtle homo-erotic overtones of Akash and Sid's relationship. Intended or not, I wouldn't have minded if they'd ended up together - but this is Bollywood remember!

All in all, fantastic fun which I plan to watch again and again. Highly recommended.