'Dilwale' review: Flawed movie survives because of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol

Film: Dilwale
Directed by: Rohit Shetty
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Boman Irani, Vinod Khanna, Kabir Bedi and Johnny Lever
Ratings: ***

What it's about: The USP of Rohit Shetty films is that they are family dramas with big dollop of drama and action that appeals to children and adults alike. However, Dilwale at it's crux is a love story. It's as much about cars blowing up, as about hearts breaking. There are two parallel love stories. One is Veer (Varun Dhawan) and Ishita (Kriti Sanon) and the one that began many years ago. Raj (Shah Rukh Khan), son of a don, meets and falls in love with Meera in Bulgaria. But they are driven apart because of their families. Tragedy strikes both lovers and they return to their homeland. Many years later, they are still both single and their siblings decide to get them together. Kali and Meera have another secret between them that they don't reveal to their brother Veer and Ishita. Meanwhile Raj's dark past comes to the fore every time Kajol and Vir are threatened and he ends up making an enemy of Local hood King (Boman Irani). But it all ends well. The family that fights together, stays together.

What's good: Dilwale is a love story that relies heavily on the chemistry between Kajol and Shah Rukh and that works. They still have the magic and you can't help but sway to the music that plays in the background every time they cross paths. Shah Rukh Khan plays the adopted older brother rather well. Remember Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham with Hrithik? In Dilwale too the scenes between him and Varun bring warmth to the heart and smile on the lips. Whether he is romancing Meera, playing the big brother or bashing skulls as Kali, it all comes to easily to SRK. The film works because of him and Kajol, who delivers an utterly moving and believable performance whether she is spewing fire or ice from her eyes. The films has many funny moments (when Vir confessed his love story to Raj) but there aren't as many as in Rohit's Golmaals and All The Best. The funniest scene of the film comes from Pankaj Tripathi and Mukesh Tiwari when they reveal the Raj's past to Vir and Ishita. The action scenes are very well shot, no one does that better than Rohit. Kriti Sanon looks pretty and does her best with the role she has. 

What's not: It's time to do away with the hero's sidekick friend. It's just a nuisance. the whole angle of Vir's friend (Varun Sharma) and especially his justification scene of why he steals (because it's expensive to have a girlfriend) will make you cringe. While it's ok to be inspired by films, it's not ok to lift scenes from TV shows (the five-minute-romance from How I Met Your Mother and movies (the I-love-you message on placards from Love Actually). You expect it in a Bhatt film, but not in a Rohit Shetty film. He is a honest filmmaker. Like he said Raj's dark past is nothing like Tiger's in Hum. The only connection between Dilwale and Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi is the garage. However, the Dilwale story is a big let down. You can see it all coming, (except Kajol's identity)  the siblings connection, the shootout between the two fathers, and even the climax scene with King. Even Boman Irani could not save the fruity character he played. Varun comes off as too enthusiastic. His character is aimed at being a people-pleaser but it fails. You also wonder why are the characters always going in and out of churches for "Christmas party" and church wedding when none of them belong to that faith?

What to do: Dilwale is flawed, but it's right for those who believe that love does conquer it all, actually.