The Hearts that Dared to Beat: My Experience of Watching Dhadak 2

By Avirupa Basu

It's rare when a film makes you feel aggravated, disconcerted, and contrite, all at once. I was left feeling all of these incongruous sentiments after watching Shazia Iqbal’s Dhadak 2. It is a hard-hitting look into the rigid social hierarchy in our country and its devastating repercussions on the youth. In essence, the film is a compelling social treatise that demands to be seen and discussed by all sections of the audience. 

The plot focuses on Neelesh (played by Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Vidhi (played by Tripti Dimri), two young first-year students in a prestigious law college. While Neelesh comes from a marginalized background, Vidhi comes from a socially privileged family. The two fall in love, much to the chagrin of Vidhi’s family. The cruel and vindictive ways in which they try to torture Neelesh and how he fights back against the injustice constitute the rest of the story.

The acting in the film is particularly impressive. Siddhant and Tripti both deliver compelling performances that touch your hearts in more ways than one. You smile when their love blooms, you cry when they are torn apart, and you rejoice when you see them counter the adversities around them. The secondary cast, comprising Saurabh Sachdeva, Anubha Fatehpura, Zakir Hussain, Saad Bilgrami, Priyank Tiwari, and Vipin Sharma, also put in exemplary efforts to bring the story to life. Also, the director doesn't shy away from capturing the unsettling realities of the world we live in and the barriers that continue to limit freedom, choice, and happiness to date. We get some hard-hitting scenes like the brutal murder of a dog, non-consensual urination on an individual, harassment of a cross-gender dancer, and killings of innocent young people in the name of honor. Each of these moments is deeply disturbing, yet essential because they force us to confront the uncomfortable realities of our society. And therein lies the cinematic brilliance of the film.

The only place where the film falls short is in its ending. It is too idealistic, and doesn't stay true to the tone the film maintains throughout. Things are wrapped up quickly, whereas a more open-ended climax could have made the story even more impactful. However, for most viewers, the utopian ending could provide a faint light in difficult times, and perhaps it is precisely what Shazia aimed to convey. However, she could have presented it more effectively. 

Overall, Dhadak 2 is dark, unvarnished, and even terrifying at times. But it is in equal parts sensitive, tender, and perceptive as well. The film is a sobering exploration of love, injustice, and how joy and innocence are brutally eclipsed by societal oppression. Ultimately, viewers are left to reflect on the fragility of basic human dignity in a divided world, long after the end credits have rolled. In fact, when the lights came back on, I sat still till everyone else left the auditorium. I was numb after experiencing a range of feelings over the 120-minute runtime. I wasn't sure if I could return to normalcy anytime soon. I knew I would continue to think and think, and wonder if people somewhere were going through insurmountable torture for the sake of social hierarchy. I hoped not, and I could only continue to hope that none of the harsh moments of the film would be replicated in real life. Never.

By Avirupa Basu