Amore in alto mare

Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar make a stunning team together. Reema is a genuis; Zoya added her brilliance. This is a highly messed up story of an even more messed up family. It all happens on a cruise, where they bring everyone's life to the table without roaming into the past and get things even more messed up to create gigantic conflicts.

This is a story about family issues. One of Zoya's favorite genres including adventure; travel and trips to be honest.

I have known Zoya well, the films she chooses, her usual casts. There is hardly any movie where she has disappointed. If there is any, pardon me, I haven't watched.

The casting was amazing here. Ranveer, Farhan, Priyanka, Massey, they were exceptional. Anil, always, is. It was magnificent to see, how they brought everyone's life, little things, issues, social issues, to the table to make things completely messed up on a cruise trip. I am repeating messed up these many times since this is the second most messed up Hindi language movie I have watched in my whole life, first one, Welcome, being my all time favorite.

It was very slow burn. Few things weren't even required although the first fifteen minutes was just the introduction where they revealed only important things. Cunningly, they kept creating conflicts from then only to solve all at once at the climax.

This was really a tough story to write and direct, a job well done I must say.

Few more things, it was a brave and very good decision by Zoya not to cast her favorite actress in this movie. Two, I loved Galla Goodiyan song and the choreography along with the song's timing.

The song with Ranveer and Anushka was completely futile.

Loved the movie. Thank god I did not see the movie with high expectations and did not watch it in 1st week of it's release. If I had then I would have gone with ZNMD sort of expectations and would have felt otherwise, I got mixed reviews from friends and different web forums so went with low or no expectations and I was like wow, I did something good for me to watch this piece.

Enter the world of rich families with familiar problems of all classes. misfit couples, spoiled brats, ego classes, not speaking of problem until it's killing point, return of Exs, gossips, love & trust between sibling & friends, smart plans, foul plans, loud celebrations, ruling parents and most importantly follow your heart situations. I hope I did not miss anything.

This movie had everything I was looking for, 170 minutes it was long and I have habit to watch how much time is left to complete any movie, I did the same this time too, but wanted to see this movie even more, it was that sort of magic created on screen.

Acting wise everyone topped each other. I did not like Ranveer, but boy he managed to earned lot many more fans from this movie alone. PC looked gorgeous and acted fabulously. Anil Kapoor and his wife Shefali gave run for money to all young leads. Wanted to see more of Farhan and Anushka somehow they were underused. Rahul Bose did well as expected but more was needed from him to have a deep impact of how was he with his wife. Rest all actors filled the gaps so well.

Music could have been better, this is first time I felt the movie had less songs than it was required, two of the songs I liked and will be there on my playlist.

Loved the ending, and it has potential to have part 2, as what happened with all leads plus all side characters as you have invested in them as their built up was quite nice.

Movie had number of funny moments, so you catch your breath and then again lose it in quite a few situations. So movie keeps you engaged in those 170 minutes of run and entertains very well.

Zoya - I am your fan now, you did wonderful ZNMD and again you had your unique way of handling family drama, hats off to you lady. Awaiting for more from you. Please do not take another 4-5 years to come in :)

Preserving wealth is a lot of hard work. When a man has labored life long to project enviable luxury, it's essential that he appears to relish it with his family and flaunt it among his friends. Footing in a large bill every single day for a group he requested to come along on a scenic Mediterranean cruise to celebrate his 30th

wedding anniversary, Kamal Mehra (Anil Kapoor) feels the pinch of keeping appearances.

A self-made billionaire, he's still in touch with his middle-class values when it comes to matters of the money. Everything else is as superficial as it gets -- be it his jaded marriage to ace cupcake- chomper Neelam (Shefali Shah), his tediously old- fashioned expectations from kids Ayesha and Kabir (Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh) or his relationship of convenience around his equally catty tycoon friends.

Zoya Akhtar's breezy outlook and aversion for melodrama are something I've constantly appreciated in all her previous films.

Her latest Dil Dhadakne Do retains this virtue whilst exploring the woes of well-heeled lifestyles without turning them into caricatures of a dysfunctional family.

Farhan Akhtar's pat dialogs contribute significantly -- they're the best takeaway from this cruise confection. As is the spot-on timing they're delivered in.

In one fine scene, Ayesha is discussing incompatibility issues in her marriage with her mother. The latter brushes it off arguing how her husband (Rahul Bose) provides her with everything she needs. And there you have it -- "Aisa tha toh phir meri mall se shaadi kar dete (If that was the case, you should have married me to a mall ?"

In another, a hysterical Kabir goes on a spontaneous spree of puke-themed jokes ranging from 'Vomatino' to 'Louis Vomiton.'

One cannot say the same about the voice-over provided by Aamir Khan for Pluto Mehra, the darling mastiff pet of the Mehras. His sagacious captioning of scenes (in Javed Akhtar's words) robs Dil Dhadakne Do of much of its delicacy and caters to Bollywood's annoying tendency to 'see, what just happened there?'

For a script that's bold enough to sail without a plot, simply as a whimsical slice of freewheeling vacation and untapped impulses, Dil Dhadakne Do is surprisingly stale in fleshing the circumstances of its protagonists.

Bickering parents, daughter trapped in a loveless marriage, son whose heart is not in running the family business, progressive ex-flame around the corner, free-spirited Londoner facilitating a long- due coming-of-age, competitive uncles and their matchmaking-obsessed wives -- all these are lamentably one-note or familiar facets from her past work.

It's an eclectic group of impressive actors led by Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Shefali Shah, making sure they own their respective parts.

Right from the moment Kapoor delivers his first punch line clad in a pair of spiffy golf pants to the final scene seizing his vivacious, winsome grin, he crackles the screen with his portrayal of a deliciously calculating Punjabi patriarch.

Alternately refined, bumbling, rascally and vulnerable, Kapoor is the life of Zoya's opulent multistarrer. Though unfairly neglected to highpoint her live-wire co-star, Shefali bites into the part of his disenchanted sounding board just as avidly as her diet in the movie.

I've always found Ranveer Singh's excessive energy to be a major deterrent but here he contains it so deftly making his low on ambition, dry-humored albeit tender Kabir a delight to watch. Easily his most realized, assured and nuanced delivery.

Priyanka Chopra's Ayesha invites judgment in her submissiveness and silence as a self- deprecating achiever who allows her husband to think he 'allows' her to work. All the more so because she doesn't look the part even if her chic styling is right on mark.

Also cast against type, Rahul Bose has more success in getting the tone of his chauvinistic mamma's boy (a terrific Zarina Wahab) just right.

Farhan Akhtar and Anushka Sharma remain at the periphery triggering romance, realization and rebellion into the complex Mehra kids. Even if their role isn't as meaty, their lovely, likable persona infuses quick, believable chemistry. There are occasions when Zoya digs into their darker spaces -- pity sex, history of infidelity only to retreat back into the safety of all that is cosmetic, chirpy just like the Mehras.

Clearly, the leisurely-paced family dreamed isn't in a rush to get anywhere.

Cinematographer Carlos Catalan's sublime visuals, whether he's capturing the gorgeous ocean, majestic heritage sites, Zoya's expressive cast, the lavish breakfast buffet of freshly baked goodies, are effortlessly attractive.

Unfortunately, it doesn't lead up to anything distinct. Despite all the gyaan Pluto belts out, the movie wraps up hastily in a rather unfulfilled, problematic manner. Except that the actors play out the ensuing irrationality with such infectious gusto, it doesn't bother straightway.

Zoya Akhtar's Dil Dhadakne Do unravels like an entire season of soap opera condensed into a nearly three-hour movie that observes the clichés surrounding the affluent through wit and warmth but is, ultimately, too facile to rise above the charming fluff.

Zoya Akhtar is an unusual film maker. In all her three films, she tells stories of the urban rich Indians. People who have all the money but have something missing in their lives which makes them incomplete.

She is not interested in telling the stories of the poor or middle class which is great because every second Indian film maker is telling us a story from there. And she is no Karan Johar who also makes films about the rich but in an Ekta Kapoor style, over the top melodramatic.

DDD is the story of the Mehras. From the outside, a very successful and happy family. But through the eyes of their dog, Pluto, its one huge dysfucntional family. Their business is running huge losses. Mr & Mrs Mehra don't get along because of Mr. Mehra affairs away from home. Their daughter, Ayesha is unhappy with her marriage and their son, Kabir is a pilot and not interested in the family business.

Mehra's 30th wedding anniversary is suppose to a happy reunion of friends and family but slowly turns into a disaster as the family falls apart when the cracks begin to appear on surface.

DDD is one of the best films in recent times I've seen which talks about the Indian family system and beautiful highlights the flaws as we are now in the 21st century. Men are suppose to work and women are suppose to take care of home and give birth to babies.

As my summary says the movies is good in parts because Zoya, Reema and Farhan create some very interesting & thought provoking premises in the film such as Ayesha's fight with herself and then with her family, Ayesha and Kabir's bounding, on women empowerment and selfishness of parents. Women will love this film because there's a lot spoken about the role of women today.

Somehow while connecting the dots, the three somehow fail to make a complete good film. The film slows down at times and then there is Pluto's commentary which starts to irritate because its spoils some good moments. Javed Akhtar is great writer and I loved his poems in the ZMD. But here is comes down as plain preaching at times.

And then the climax. Its hilarious but also stupid. Yes, we all love a happy ending but climax goes a bit over the top.

However, the music is nice, not many songs and some beautiful camera work by Carlos Catalan. However, the main strong point of the film is the performances.

The cast sink their teeth beautifully because the characters are so well written. Never such wonderful characters of screen.

Anil Kapoor as Sr. Mehra is at his best. Once a successful business man now in trouble, a scheming businessman, a man who shameless flirts in front of his wife and a man who fails to see that his heir is his daughter and not is son, Kapoor is superb and gives one fine performance after a very long time.

On the other hand, Ranveer Singh who plays Kabir put another wonderful performance. His comic timing is superb and is unapologetic about his family. He is a man who knows is limits and openly admits that his sister Ayesha is a heir to their father's empire and not him. Check out the scene in the clinic. He'll leave u in shock and splits as he confronts his parents.

Shefali Shah nicely plays the suffering wife and mother of two who cannot find her own identity and in somewhere a failure.

However its Priyanka who stands out. She lives and breathes Ayesha. A successful entrepreneur, somewhere neglected by her parents and cannot meet the expectations of her husband and in laws. She finds comfort in her younger brother and decides to speak when the time arrives to save herself. Hats off.

Farhan and Anushka in their small roles drives important points on how society needs to change with the times.

The rest of the cast is excellent. Rahul Bose as Ayesha's husband is the perfect chauvinist and he is unapologetic about it. His mother played Zarina Wahab hams it beautifully. Wish Zarina does such roles because she did this so well. And the rest, put the dose of the Punjabi culture in every scene.

Its not a bad film but could have been a great film.

The people who are saying this movie is not good clearly don't know anything about films.Dil Dhhadakne do is one of my favourite films.It is inspiring,beautiful,funny and just a full package.The film has a soul and is just a masterpiece from the director Zoya Akhtar.