Esmayeel Shroff's 'Dil... Akhir Dil Hai' addresses issues of ageism and sexism that arise when the woman in the relationship is older than the man. The film is about the relationship of a man who is forced by circumstances to marry the woman who had a an elder-sister-like presence in his life prior to the forced marriage. As such, he struggles to see her in a different light while he encounters Sapna, the more the 'ideal' woman. Thus, here it is not only the issue of Kusum being older but mainly the change in relationship that is Vimal's key conflict. The struggle is well depicted especially through Kusum's yearning and Vimal's neglect. One can easily relate to Vimal's dilemma and the questions that are raised.
Shroff does occasionally stray away with silly subplots and typical Bollywoodish sequences that could have been done without or at the very least, toned down. Things go heavily haywire in the second portion where it turns out that Vimal is a chauvinist narcissist and all he wants as a wife is someone who would work as a servant and satisfy his lust in bed. As such, I did not like the rushed ending and how all of a sudden Vimal is attracted to Kusum and they get back together. I would have preferred the alternate ending where he leaves everything to Kusum and ends up alone (which he deserves).
The songs are pleasant to the ears and most of them contribute well to the story and the overall flow of the movie.
Naseeruddin Shah is quite good and Rakhee is brilliant. Their pre-interval scenes together are the highlight of 'Dil... Akhir Dil Hai'. Both actors are skillfully restrained and Shah has very good chemistry with the two leading ladies. Parveen Babi is vivacious and charming. She definitely fits the part of the fiercely independent modern woman to the T. While Rakhee carries the first half, the second half is Babi's.
With an interesting theme, 'Dil... Akhir Dil Hai' had potential of being an engaging movie about complex relationships but it is the sloppy second half and the rushed, dissatisfying ending that brings it down. On the plus side, it does have its strong moments (most of them in the first half), nice songs and good performances.
