So the day has finally come, July 24. The date marks last time we will Sushant Singh Rajput entertain us in a new film, as Dil Bechara makes it way to its OTT release on Disney+ Hotstar. The movie marks the directorial debut of casting director, Mukesh Chhabra. For his first film, Chhabra remakes the Hollywood hit, The Fault in Our Stars. The original starred Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort in the lead roles, and was adapted from John Green's novel by the same name. Sanjana Sanghi is the female lead. Dil Bechara Premieres on July 24 on Disney+ Hotstar, Sushant Singh Rajput's Fans Request Everyone Not to Download Movie From Pirated Websites.
Dil Bechara, which has been in the making for two years, has seen some troubled production woes, including #MeToo allegations against both its director and its lead actor in 2018. While the charges against the director was dismissed a couple of months later, Sushant was reportedly unfairly targeted by a malicious smear campaign that also dragged young Sanjana Sanghi in the picture. Sanjana herself refuted the claims. Sanjana Sanghi Clarifies Rumours Around Leveling #MeToo Allegations Against Sushant Singh Rajput.
Now that the film is finally seeing the light of the day, it comes with the emotional baggage of being Sushant's last film, after he died by suicide on June 14. With the media and certain celebs obsessed with spinning stories (mostly fake) around the actor's demise for their own agendas, true SSR fans would use Dil Bechara to bid a bitter-sweet farewell to one of the most talented actors Bollywood has ever seen.
And while you are doing so, here are five things you should be prepared for while watching Dil Bechara (minor SPOILERS ahead)
The Emotional Roller-Coaster
Just like the demise of Sushant hangs over Dil Bechara, so does it affects any article on the film. For those who are unaware, the movie is about two cancer-afflicted teenagers who find solace in each other in their shared fates, and try to live their lives in best fun way possible. The trailer have already shown as Sushant's character being this extra-cheery guy, who hides his mortality behind his enthusiastic persona. There is no doubt that our hearts will be heavy, even though we get to see Sushant in all smiles. With the tragedy looming in the premise itself and the thought that this is the last time Sushant would be impressing us, please don't forget to keep the tissues close to you.
The Return of Serious Romance
Serious Romance looks to be a dying genre in Bollywood. We have romantic comedies, we have romantic action thrillers, but hardcore romance is not getting much love from the audience, as it once used to. See the fates of films like Laila Majnu, Zero, at the box office. Sure, Kabir Singh was a superhit, but it has a lot to do with the misogynistic portrayal of its protagonist that felt populist and the controversy surrounding the film. But serious romance as a genre is steadily losing favour with the audience. Now Dil Bechara comes on Disney+ Hotstar without the baggage of box office expectations. The OTT platform has made the movie free for all, so many are sure to watch it for Sushant. With so many people watching the film (and hoping it turns out to be good), we are crossing our fingers hoping that viewers would also regain their love for the genre.
AR Rahman's Music Winning You Over
If you have heard the soundtrack of Dil Bechara, you know that AR Rahman has composed a winning album here. It may not be his best work, but the album is definitely better than some of his recent scores. Even though the film has a sense of tragedy embedded both in its story and overall, the music is surprisingly chirpy, and we can't wait to see the full picturisation of our fave tracks like "Taare Ginn", "Main Tumhara", "Mera Naam Kizzie" etc.
Saif Ali Khan
While the focus would naturally be on Sushant and Sanjana, the two leads, we often forget that Saif Ali Khan is also there in the movie. While kept completely out of the promotions, including the trailers, Saif's presence in Dil Bechara is an open secret though. The details of his role aren't available, but most probably, he will be stepping into the shoes of Willem Dafoe's character, the mysterious author of the heroine's favourite novel.
The Heartbreaking Finale
This section is a huge spoiler for those who haven't seen the original film or read the book. So tread cautiously. In both the movie and the book, Ansel Elgort's character is the one we see passing away because of his disease, even though the viewer is always under the impression that it would be Woodley's character who would do so. The climax of the film has her dealing with the absence of the one true love of her life, as she finds out something huge he has done for her before he leaves (which has to do with Dafoe's character). Since Sushant will be playing Elgort's character, well... do we need to finish this sentence?
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2020 05:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).