'Dilwale': A cheesy fare

SRK and Kajol may be big-hearted enough to let the other stars shine in Rohit Shetty's Dilwale; but in the end it is just a look-good movie with nothing to hold on to, finds Ambica Sachin.

As umpteen movies across the years have shown us, when the progenies of two warring dons meet up, sparks are bound to fly.
It is a premise as old as Adam and Eve or Romeo and Juliet if you like; a plot so overused, you might be forgiven for squirming in your seats as Kaali (Shah Rukh Khan) and Meera (Kajol) dash into each other in scenic Bulgaria. But Rohit Shetty is made of sterner stuff.
The maverick director who has given us hits like Singham, Chennai Express and the Golmaal series (yes, we are told the juvenile series is a hit with the 'masses') once again demonstrates that when it comes to crowd-pleasing tactics, no one does it better.
So despite the fact that the plot is as bullet-ridden as a block of Emmental cheese, the sets look like part of Disney World, overflowing with flowers of every possible hue, and the lead pair fall in and out of love in an instant, we somehow come away a smile on our face.
The plot, if you can call it that is simple - boy meets girl and falls madly in lovely; a misunderstanding separates them; years later they meet up when their siblings fall in love (and behave like soul mates despite the fact they have known each other for probably less than 24 hours).
We are going to stop here in the interest of holding on to the 'suspense' and SRK-Kajol fans who are no doubt going to throng theatres to see if the old chemistry is still there. The answer is yes; Kajol looks like a dream and showcases her usual range, though in the first half she does tend to go a bit over the top.
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Varun Dhawan, as Kaali's younger brother, Veer, gives her company in histrionics and in certain scenes is so cheesy we wonder if he was brought along merely for comic relief. Kriti Sanon, on the other hand comes across like a breath of fresh air, as unpretentious and natural as they come.
As for Shah Rukh Khan, more than the romantic, heart-on-his sleeve character in the first half, it is in his turn as the brooding, bearded older and wiser ex-don that he shines. And he truly demonstrates his 'Dilwala' personality by not monopolizing the scenes and letting all the other characters shine. 
Vinod Khanna and Kabir Bedi as the warring Dons do their bit before they are done away with; Boman Irani (a staple in many SRK films) is his usual funny bit as King, though we wish there was more of him onscreen; Varun Sharma as Veer's side-kick Sidhu is overused; Johnny Lever is given more than ample screen space to raise some laughs.
Rohit Shetty is in his elements in his trademark heavy-duty action scenes - so who cares if the hero singlehandedly bashes up the goons and walks away with not a single scratch - while he falters in the romantic scenes which come across as rather shallow, specially the Veer and Ishita one.
Dilwale, however, is no match to Chennai Express; in fact there is a moment half way, when Kajol's character makes a surprising entry at a key plot point, that we sit up, expecting the movie to take off, but sadly Shetty lets the opportunity go and regresses into the trademark Bollywood formula. 
No doubt the movie is over-the top and as cheesy as they come and Johnny Lever's jokes after a point wear thin, but before you can write it off completely, you catch yourself laughing your heart out at some silly joke and in an instance you realize that is exactly what the makers are aiming for.
Watch Dilwale if you want to relive the SRK-Kajol chemistry or for laugh out moments- for you can be sure that Gauri (producer) and SRK will be laughing all the way to the bank.
Dilwale
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon
Rating: 3 out of 5
ambica@khaleejtimes.com