"Har kisi ke paas to dil hota hai. Lekin sab...DILWALE...nahi hothe." (Everyone has a heart, but not everyone has a lovely heart." A review.

                  

I went to watch this film in December, and my my my! *wipes away tears from ze romantic memories.* WHAT a mushy film. I like a good love story. The one that makes your insides feel all warm and snuggly like a marshmallow on fire.

So when I first chose to watch this film, I thought that it would be like a...'Simran and Raj' but 20 years on from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The Big-Hearted Ones will take the Bride). Here's a clip below of Kajol and Shah Rukh in their Blockbuster Hit Song "Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeah Jaana Sanam" (When I Saw You My Darling...), prancing in a field full of marigolds. 

Dilwale... Yeah. Dilwale... was SO not Simran and Raj's story 20 years on. They are the same people, but not at the same time. Kind of like how a relationship matures as you get to know someone. Initially, there's butterflies, and mystery and excitement, and then you start thinking of all the serious stuff. In a funny way, Dilwale... could be seen as a sort of ...EXTENSION of DDLJ.  

To put it simply, Dilwale is basically a modern version of DDL, to fit modern life. We don't have the 'khandaan' dinners and forced marriages in India, because...well, everyone is quite busy these days. And we're a bit more forward-thinking. We don't force anyone to marry someone from 'back home' if they fall in love with someone.  It's quite cool, because you have 'Simran', but now she's a badass feminist, and 'Raj' isn't this lovesick youngster, or the 'immature-but-really-a-good-boy-at-heart' lad. He's a Man, with an understanding of how adult relationships work. 

Plot: 'Simran' and 'Raj' entered a relationship, but both are scared initially of loyalty, the fact that they have both been so independent, and now suddenly this romance is turning their world upside down. After a few battle of the sexes, some deep conversations and much bickering, the pair finally realise that they've met their match. But then...that would be too easy. Bollywood likes to complicate things. And the movie needs to run for another 2 1/2 hours. How to fill the time?! So. A major misunderstanding happens whereby Kajol breaks ALL contact with Shahrukh. But years later, their younger siblings fall in love, and figure out that deep down, both their older siblings love each other immensely, testimony to the fact why they haven't entered ANY relationship since. 

The moral of the story

I KNOW it's *just a movie*, but every story has a moral to take away. Watching Dilwale made me realise that egos, misunderstandings, and insecurities are bad bad things for a relationship. It also taught me that as humans, we take time to develop trust and loyalty for someone; it really doesn't happen overnight. 

Raj and Meera's siblings act as mediators to analyse and question the relationship. To look at it objectively and think 'That's what went wrong. We need to get these two together. They're both so blind.' It taught me that the people around you, especially your family, know you like no one else does, and are most likely to tell you what you need to hear. They'll push your buttons,  to make you actually admit what you feel. Look at 'Raj' and 'Meera's siblings. They reunited their brother and sister, knowing full well that both are stubborn, but that they would both lose out on the love of their life if misunderstandings weren't cleared, and something wasn't done about it.