Dhadak: Shah Rukh Khan's Devdas, Salman Khan's Tere Naam - 5 Popular Romantic Movies of 21st Century With Tragic Climaxes; Can Janhvi Kapoor - Ishaan Khatter's Film Make it This Big?
Dhadak, produced by Karan Johar and directed by Shashank Khaitan, is scheduled to release on July 20.
When Sairat came out in 2016 and turned out to be talking point, many of us non-Marathi-speaking viewers were curious to know what the deal was all about. And then we saw and was blown away by the love story that director Nagaraj Manjule had in store for us. Both the leads, Akash Thosar and Rinku Rajguru, were excellent in their first roles, and the movie had some much for us to care for their romantic saga. However, it was the climax that made us go numb in shock. SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't seen the film (and planning to watch the upcoming remake Dhadak); it doesn't end well for Archi and Parshya, the protagonists of Sairat, who gets killed by the high-caste family of the girl for eloping with a lower caste boy.
We have seen tragic endings before. But what makes Sairat's ending so shocking, is how the couple had just managed to find their happiness in an alien city after battling ego hassles, adjustment issues and struggles of leading a married life. Only for it all to end at a sword's edge.
So having seen Sairat, we do think that Hindi remake Dhadak, starring debutant Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, will also aim for going for a similar climax (otherwise what's the point of the whole idea?). Now we don't expect Dhadak to outclass Sairat, but for those who haven't watched the Marathi blockbuster, may end up being moved by the remake.
Now love stories with tragic endings is a concept in Bollywood as old as the hills. We have seen and cried over movies like Sadma, Ek Duje Ke Liye, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Muqaddar Ka Sikander etc. Even in this century, we had some big hits in the genre. Let's revisit five such popular, huge movies of the 21st century that ended in killing either one or both of its romantic leads.
Devdas
Sanjay Leela Bhansali adapts Sarath Chandra's famous work for the big screen. Shah Rukh Khan plays the titular protagonist, who drowns himself in booze after losing his childhood love, leading to a very dramatic, morose conclusion. The movie was a huge hit and cemented Bhansali's love for grandeur and tragic endings.
Tere Naam
Salman Khan inspired a legion of his fans to ape his weird haircut. But the love story of Radhe and Nirjara (played by a demure Bhumika Chawla) has some touching moments and a depressing ending. Tere Naam, which is a remake of the Tamil hit Sethu (starring Chiyaan Vikram in his breakout role), is perhaps Salman's last good romantic movie and is still remembered for some good songs.
Aashiqui 2
Not many know that Aashiqui 2 is an unofficial remake of a 1976 Hollywood movie A Star Is Born (which itself is getting remade by Bradley Cooper with Lady Gaga in the lead). The love story of a talented singer and her alcohol-addicted mentor boasts of some amazing songs and a tragic climax, that ends with Aditya Roy Kapur's character committing suicide so that Shraddha Kapoor's character can focus on her career.
Fanaa
Even though Aamir Khan and Kajol had worked in Ishq before, Fanaa was the first time these two were paired together romantically. However, the movie didn't lead to a happy ending. Aamir Khan who plays a terrorist in disguise gets shot down by his betrayed lover, played by Kajol in the climax of the film. But even with that depressing ending (or happy, if we see the fact that she killed a terrorist), the movie earned big bucks at the box office.
Bajirao Mastani
We already told you about Bhansali's knack of tragic endings. Going by the same trend, Bajirao Mastani, featuring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra, also ends with both Bajirao and Mastani dying at the same time. Even his other romantic movies like Goliyon Ki Raasleela...Ram Leela and Padmaavat didn't resist killing off its protagonists.
Dhadak has got enough promotional buzz for being Janhvi's debut (especially after the tragic demise of her mother, the late Sridevi), Karan Johar's production and of course, being Sairat's remake. The movie is expected to have a decent opening weekend. All we have to see is Dhadak can match upto the successes of the ones we have listed above. Dhadak, produced by Karan Johar and directed by Shashank Khaitan, is scheduled to release on July 20.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 19, 2018 02:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).