So the much awaited Dhadak trailer is finally here! And as expected, it has drawn quite the diverse reactions, depending on whether you have seen its inspiration, Sairat, or not. The Karan Johar camp lovers are rooting for the movie, thanks to its visual appeal and the fresh pairing of Ishan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor. Then there are those who swear by the Marathi blockbuster, Sairat, who feel that the remake has robbed the freshness from the original and replaced it with manufactured aesthetics. Dhadak is directed by Shashank Khaitan and produced by Karan Johar.
For me, the Dhadak trailer is appealing for being so easy on the eyes, and for its playful romance between the leads. Ishaan Khatter looks really good, and he has a warm chemistry with Janhvi Kapoor. The locales of Udaipur add that special charm to the movie. That said, I have also watched and loved Sairat, so there are some issues that really bugged me about the Dhadak trailer. I have listed five of them below:
Realism < Visual Appeal
The main reason why Sairat managed to win over the audiences was due to its love story with a heavy dose of realism. Both the leads in the movie feel like someone among us, and that adds to the naturalness of the romance. There was no need for grandeur to show that their love was boundless. Here, while Ishaan and Janhvi look cute together, the movie is more defined by the visual spectacles that accompany their romance. When we see those sprawling havelis and well-embroidered clothes, we know that you can't expect a realistic story.
Wavering accent
While I do root for the lead pair in terms of their chemistry, their Rajasthani accents, that the characters need to have, go for a toss in quite a few scenes. While Ishaan looks far more composed and has a better hold of the accent, Janhvi actually looks like she is struggling with it. Also, what's with the overdose of makeup?
More Qayamant Se Qayamat Tak, Less Sairat
One of the biggest strengths of the Sairat script was how it addressed the caste politics in the interiors of the country. I agree that it is too soon to judge Dhadak by just the trailer, as it focuses more on establishing the love story than anything else. But the trailer doesn't give any hint of the caste divide, instead making it more like rich girl falls for poor boy story that we have seen in so many movies. Like someone joked, the movie is Karan Johar's idea of poverty!
No rawness
Sairat director Nagraj Manjule has plucked two newcomers out of obscurity and made them actors and then stars with the movie. Even the supporting characters, including the leads' friends, feel like people who you would meet in a village. But in Dhadak, everything and everyone looks so...how to put it, yeah, filmy! Be it the friends or the villains, everything is right out of Bollywood zone.
The choreographed Sairat
Okay, here's the Zingat song from Sairat...
...apart from the chart-busting music from Ajay-Atul, what we loved the most was the natural dance of the actors involved in the song. None of them looks like they have attended Shiamak Davar dance academy. Now check whatever glimpse of Zingat song we saw in Dhadak trailer...
...Got the point?
So yeah, it is safe to say that Dhadak has a beautiful body but the soul from Sairat is really missing. Or maybe, we are judging it too soon. So what's your take on the Dhadak trailer? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2018 05:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).