I am not a fan on Hindi movies at all, but since I decided to study in India, learn a little Hindi and whatever else, I have expanded my Hindi film repertoire from just Lagaan and Amar Prem to include Dil Chata Hai.
The story is simple at first, and is largely interspersed with a lot of English. Even I could understand the story without any subtitles. (Although you might turn it on for intense moments of extreme speed Hindi) Three spoilt rich best friends grow up, and in doing so, learn that their relationships between themselves, women and their families becomes tense as they mature and travel.
"What the Heart Wants" is a sort of theme that persists throughout the film. One friend is stuck to a girl he cannot get, another to an older woman, and the last one is just struggling with many girls he cannot choose between. For a Hindi film, the dance-music numbers are not terrible (but of course not great) and the music without the dance is quite nice, with a lot of meaning attached to it. So after a major fallout they realize many things separately, and learn about their own relationship in turn.
I recommend this film to anyone as a primer to Bollywood films I know I used it as one. High marks for this film since it beat the Bollywood standard of being completely incoherent and inane, although still sticking to the three plus hours.
"Can what the Heart Want be controlled?" RATING: 9/10
95% - Audience
8.1Plot summary
Three young men Akash, Sameer, and Siddharth are close friends, but their tastes and characters are completely incompatible. So when Siddharth falls in love with a much older woman, Tara, a woman who has been unsuccessful in keeping her marriage intact as well as alcohol-dependent, widens the rift between the trio, forcing them to part company. Years later, the trio will be re-united, they will be much mature and understanding, but will they still accept Siddharth love for Tara, especially when they themselves have fallen in love with women around their respective ages?
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Movie Reviews
Dil Chata Hai - What the Heart Desires
AAMIR- the best actor in bollywood
Without a doubt this movie is probably the best coming of age flick around, it has terrific acting and an incredibly touching plot that keeps you going throughout the whole film. I think the reason I love this film so much is because, everyone in some way could relate to it. When you're a pre-teen and have a close group of friends and face something so intense together, there's that special bond that no matter how much you loose touch with each other, one day, you just think of them and that one incident. The acting is just phenomenal. All-star cast. All-good film. The story is great - plenty of laughs to be had here, with sad moments, too. The acting is A-Grade
Three times the angst and three times the usual numbers of fools in love.
A typical Bollywood romance involves a man and a woman who are in love but there, of course, are obstacles in their way that must be overcome by the end of the film. "Dil Chahta Hai" is different because instead of the usual couple there are three couples--and the obstacles seem larger than ever--so large that it drives three close friends apart.
When the movie begins, Siddhartha (Akshaye Khanna) is at the hospital. His love, Tara, is dying and Sid hopes that his two old friends join him. Then, the film jumps back to the past--when the three guys had just graduated from school and were looking forward to their lives.
Sid's relationship with Tara is first in the film. He's an artist and is hopelessly in love with her but Tara is damaged goods. She's lost her daughter to her ex-husband and while she blames him for this, it's clear she's an alcoholic. Sid's falling for her is NOT healthy and this leads to a falling out with his friends-- particularly Akash.
Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) is a complete failure at love--so much so that his friends joke about this. However, this lovable loser falls even harder in love with a woman his parents are trying to arrange a marriage with--and he foolishly says he didn't want it before he met this beautiful lady. She hears him say this and feels free to marry a man she's already in love with...so what is Sameer to do?
As for Akash (Aamir Khan),he's a cynic about love. He gets girls all the time but it means nothing to him. So why is it so important that he be with Shalini--particularly when Shalini has a very jealous fiancé already?!
How these stories all work together is very nice--even if the audience already knows that somehow it will all work out....well, at least for Akash and Sameer. We already know that Sid is screwed! Overall, this is much better than the typical Indian romance-- particularly the wonderful portion where Akash pledges his heart to Shalini (it will make your heart melt--so be sure to have some Kleenex nearby!). Well worth seeing and a much more complex love story than usual!