The story
Dil Bechara is an adaptation of the novel The Fault in our Stars written by John Green. Emmanuel Rajkumar Jr (Sushant Singh Rajput), Manny for short, suffers from cancer. His illness keeps him away from his favourite sport, basketball. The cancer has robbed him of his leg, yet his spirit remains undefeated. It’s love at first sight for Manny when his sees Kizie Basu (Sanjan Sanghi), while simply goofing around with his friend JP (Sahil Ved). Kizie Basu is also a cancer patient. And, Kizie slowly comes out of her shell when she first meets Manny, who teaches her how to make the most of life.
The review
The film compels one to think of the sudden demise of such a fine and talented actor. The late actor has delivered the youth to some serious inspiration with some outstanding films like Chhichhore, Ms Dhoni and, now, Dil Bechara too. He has simplified the most twisted theory of life and dished it out in a manner that is fun-filled and thought-provoking.
Sushant’s character, Manny, has given Sanjana Sanghi the arc to enable her to hold the character of Kizie Basu with grace and poise. Sanjana may have played bubblier parts, but this seemed challenging and pretty much out of the box. There are parts in the film where Sanjana appears nervous, but loosens up as the scene progresses.
Saswata Chatterjee and Swastika Mukherjee who play Kizie’s parents, Mr and Mrs Basu, display their emotions just through their eyes. One can see the pain in Mr Basu’s eyes, when he knows that Kizie is battling a life and death situation in the hospital. They extend their support in the most remarkable manner when Kizie breaks down after hearing about Manny’s deteriorating health.
One of the most inspiring scenes in the film is shot in Paris. The duo sits calmly amidst the scenic vistas in the ‘city of romance’ when Manny tells Kizie, that he had taken a test, and his cancer has relapsed to the point of no return. Both Sanjana and Sushant are equally invested in that scene and moves the viewer to tears.
There are certain things that have been changed in the movie. Like, for example, in the book, Hazel Grace Lancaster wants to meet Peter Van Houten the writer of An Imperial Affliction. But, in the movie, our Kizie wants to meet singer Abhimanyu Veer, played by Saif Ali Khan. In the book she goes on a quest to find the author with Augustus. In the movie, Kizie’s quest takes her to Paris along with her parents. Kizie wants to meet Abhimanyu and ask him why he didn’t musician finish his song, Mein Tumhara. And finally when meets him, she is taken aback by his crass ways. But he’s an artiste and says nothing but the truth. Even though the context might have slightly changed, the scenes induce the same emotions as they do in the book. And, that's where good performances come in play.
Despite being an adaptation of an international bestseller, one will never find a dull or patchy moment in the film. The plot only grows on you just as naturally as the book does. However, to keep up with the nuances of the book requires a lot more that an hour and forty-seven minutes. Director Mukesh Chabbra has pieced the plot brilliantly giving the required flavour and context to the Indian audiences. Overall a must watch! Also make sure you have enough tissues while watching the film.
