Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania: A Modern Take on a Classic Love Story
A Fresh Perspective on Romance
As you anxiously await the resolution of the romantic entanglements in Ambala, you can't help but ponder how many adaptations, tributes, and remakes of Aditya Chopra's iconic film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, we will endure before this so-called classic is finally laid to rest.
It may seem controversial, but I believe DDLJ doesn't quite fit the definition of a classic. While it had its shining moments, the idea of it being a repeatedly recycled classic is a stretch. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (HSKD) takes the beloved characters of Raj and Simran, shakes them up, and presents them in a new light. Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, two of the most talented actors of our time, don’t attempt to replicate Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol; instead, they carve their own paths.
The protagonist, Humpty, is a character who can't seem to manage his finances wisely. He splurges on a lehenga for the girl he adores, while she reciprocates by purchasing him a dream car.
One wishes the director had allowed these two self-absorbed characters to pursue their dreams without dragging the audience along. They embody the type of 20-somethings who need a reality check rather than materialistic pursuits.
When we first encounter Humpty, he awkwardly emerges from a restroom behind a shy girl. Kavya (played by Alia Bhatt) is introduced as someone trying to persuade her father to buy her a designer lehenga for her wedding to the 'ideal' NRI.
This 'ideal' NRI, portrayed by television actor Siddharth Shukla, comes off as wooden and unconvincing. His character behaves as suspiciously as Parmeet Sethi's character in DDLJ. For those unfamiliar, Sethi played Kajol's obnoxious fiancé in the original. Here, the NRI is overly suave, resembling a model for incense sticks. The characters in HSKD lack genuine emotions, resulting in a performance that feels more like a superficial display of coolness.
The supporting characters in Humpty's journey mirror those from DDLJ but are exaggerated to the point of absurdity. The only exception is Ashutosh Rana, who delivers a dignified performance reminiscent of Amrish Puri's role in the original.
It’s evident that the debut director aims to create a revisionist version of DDLJ, similar to how Sanjay Leela Bhansali reinterpreted Romeo & Juliet in Ram-Leela. However, the creator of this revision lacks the vision to elevate the original characters beyond their initial portrayal.
Director Shashank Khaitan takes the DDLJ characters on a joyride that may be entertaining for them but offers little enjoyment or interest for the audience.
Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt stand out amidst this chaotic storytelling. Their affection for DDLJ is palpable, yet they feel like soldiers armed with ineffective weapons. The couple in HSKD resembles a less inspiring version of Bonnie and Clyde rather than Raj and Simran. At one point, when the female lead jumps into bed with a stranger who buys her the lehenga of her dreams, it becomes clear that this couple is irreparably flawed. Simran would never have acted that way.
In an interview, Varun Dhawan shared that he had a blast filming this comedy. He mentioned, 'It was a completely different experience! I had to alter my acting style and unlearn many things I had previously applied to my roles. Both of us influenced each other's performances significantly. In Humpty, she portrays a character similar to me, while I play someone more sensitive and reserved like her. This exchange was possible because we know each other so well. I feel very comfortable with Alia, and she feels the same way about me. We understand each other so well that we forget the camera is rolling. Alia has an excellent memory and is brilliant with her lines, while I prefer to improvise. By the end of filming, Alia was improvising like me. We had a lot of fun, and we hope viewers see a bit of themselves in our characters.'