Ozean der Träume: Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)

Ozean der Träume: Dil Dhadakne Do: Directed by Zoya Akhtar. With Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ranveer Singh. The Mehra family must contemplate over their way of living and their love lives while on a cruise celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.

“Preserving wealth is a lot of hard work. When a man has labored life long to project enviable luxury, itu0026#39;s essential that he appears to relish it with his family and flaunt it among his friends. Footing in a large bill every single day for a group he requested to come along on a scenic Mediterranean cruise to celebrate his 30thu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ewedding anniversary, Kamal Mehra (Anil Kapoor) feels the pinch of keeping appearances.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA self-made billionaire, heu0026#39;s still in touch with his middle-class values when it comes to matters of the money. Everything else is as superficial as it gets — be it his jaded marriage to ace cupcake- chomper Neelam (Shefali Shah), his tediously old- fashioned expectations from kids Ayesha and Kabir (Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh) or his relationship of convenience around his equally catty tycoon friends.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eZoya Akhtaru0026#39;s breezy outlook and aversion for melodrama are something Iu0026#39;ve constantly appreciated in all her previous films.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHer latest Dil Dhadakne Do retains this virtue whilst exploring the woes of well-heeled lifestyles without turning them into caricatures of a dysfunctional family.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFarhan Akhtaru0026#39;s pat dialogs contribute significantly — theyu0026#39;re the best takeaway from this cruise confection. As is the spot-on timing theyu0026#39;re delivered in.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn one fine scene, Ayesha is discussing incompatibility issues in her marriage with her mother. The latter brushes it off arguing how her husband (Rahul Bose) provides her with everything she needs. And there you have it — u0026quot;Aisa tha toh phir meri mall se shaadi kar dete (If that was the case, you should have married me to a mall ?u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn another, a hysterical Kabir goes on a spontaneous spree of puke-themed jokes ranging from u0026#39;Vomatinou0026#39; to u0026#39;Louis Vomiton.u0026#39;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne cannot say the same about the voice-over provided by Aamir Khan for Pluto Mehra, the darling mastiff pet of the Mehras. His sagacious captioning of scenes (in Javed Akhtaru0026#39;s words) robs Dil Dhadakne Do of much of its delicacy and caters to Bollywoodu0026#39;s annoying tendency to u0026#39;see, what just happened there?u0026#39;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor a script thatu0026#39;s bold enough to sail without a plot, simply as a whimsical slice of freewheeling vacation and untapped impulses, Dil Dhadakne Do is surprisingly stale in fleshing the circumstances of its protagonists.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBickering parents, daughter trapped in a loveless marriage, son whose heart is not in running the family business, progressive ex-flame around the corner, free-spirited Londoner facilitating a long- due coming-of-age, competitive uncles and their matchmaking-obsessed wives — all these are lamentably one-note or familiar facets from her past work.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s an eclectic group of impressive actors led by Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Shefali Shah, making sure they own their respective parts.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRight from the moment Kapoor delivers his first punch line clad in a pair of spiffy golf pants to the final scene seizing his vivacious, winsome grin, he crackles the screen with his portrayal of a deliciously calculating Punjabi patriarch.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlternately refined, bumbling, rascally and vulnerable, Kapoor is the life of Zoyau0026#39;s opulent multistarrer. Though unfairly neglected to highpoint her live-wire co-star, Shefali bites into the part of his disenchanted sounding board just as avidly as her diet in the movie.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIu0026#39;ve always found Ranveer Singhu0026#39;s excessive energy to be a major deterrent but here he contains it so deftly making his low on ambition, dry-humored albeit tender Kabir a delight to watch. Easily his most realized, assured and nuanced delivery.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePriyanka Choprau0026#39;s Ayesha invites judgment in her submissiveness and silence as a self- deprecating achiever who allows her husband to think he u0026#39;allowsu0026#39; her to work. All the more so because she doesnu0026#39;t look the part even if her chic styling is right on mark.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlso cast against type, Rahul Bose has more success in getting the tone of his chauvinistic mammau0026#39;s boy (a terrific Zarina Wahab) just right.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFarhan Akhtar and Anushka Sharma remain at the periphery triggering romance, realization and rebellion into the complex Mehra kids. Even if their role isnu0026#39;t as meaty, their lovely, likable persona infuses quick, believable chemistry. There are occasions when Zoya digs into their darker spaces — pity sex, history of infidelity only to retreat back into the safety of all that is cosmetic, chirpy just like the Mehras.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eClearly, the leisurely-paced family dreamed isnu0026#39;t in a rush to get anywhere.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCinematographer Carlos Catalanu0026#39;s sublime visuals, whether heu0026#39;s capturing the gorgeous ocean, majestic heritage sites, Zoyau0026#39;s expressive cast, the lavish breakfast buffet of freshly baked goodies, are effortlessly attractive.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUnfortunately, it doesnu0026#39;t lead up to anything distinct. Despite all the gyaan Pluto belts out, the movie wraps up hastily in a rather unfulfilled, problematic manner. Except that the actors play out the ensuing irrationality with such infectious gusto, it doesnu0026#39;t bother straightway.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eZoya Akhtaru0026#39;s Dil Dhadakne Do unravels like an entire season of soap opera condensed into a nearly three-hour movie that observes the clichés surrounding the affluent through wit and warmth but is, ultimately, too facile to rise above the charming fluff.”