Dil to Pagal Hai (The Heart
is Crazy)
Director: Yash Chopra
Music: Uttam Singh; Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Year: 1999
Running Time: 2 hrs 59 minutes
In many ways this film is as placid and non-threatening
as a gurgling patient fully medicated on a strong dose of Quaaludes. Like
many of the recent Yash Raj films (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dilwale Dulhania
Le Jayenge, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham) this film has glowing production
values and a sentimental underbelly that is as soft and mushy as an orphan
tot’s sad tale. Unlike some of those films though, this plot generates
absolutely no tension and very little of an emotional stomach punch as
the ending is literally quite predictable from the opening credit sequence
and the viewer just waits for the pieces to gently fall into place.
Generally, Hindi romantic films have a villain
that creates a myriad of seemingly irresolvable problems for the lovers
- often a disapproving father or a spiteful rejected suitor – but there
is none of that in this squishy “be happy” film. Everyone here is quite
lovable without a grumpy bone in their body and the only real villain is
simply bad timing. The film though is more than saved from its dramatic
blandness by an absolutely captivating musical score that weaves in and
out of the story continuously and some very ingratiating performances from
three of Bollywood’s biggest stars. In fact these elements are more than
enough to make this a real pleasure to watch and to have earned the film
seven Filmfare Awards and ten Zee Cine Awards. It is akin to gorging yourself
on chocolate ice cream and finding out it is artificial and has no calories,
but it still was great fun getting it all over your face.
After a credit sequence that seems to suggest
that there is someone for everyone out there somewhere – you just have
to find them, the film immediately launches into a large snazzy Las Vegas
like musical stage number with Karisma Kapoor leading an army of background
dancers into six costume changes. Karisma looks great in each and everyone
of them and though I have to confess to not having found Karisma all that
attractive in pictures I have seen of her – sort of a turtledove face –
I found her very appealing in this film as a modern day girl (interpret
that as wearing tight clothes and halter tops!) with just enough attitude
to be on the right side of sweet and adorable.
Shahrukh Khan manages a dance troupe and he envisions
his next project being centered on a fantasy girl called Maya. He doesn’t
know who she is, but knows that out there somewhere is a dancer who can
project just the right image of beauty and innocence. The camera then immediately
zooms to a Madhuri Dixit dancing solo in a field for no particular reason
and it doesn’t take a sprocket scientist to figure out that she is likely
the one destined to play Maya. Of course they don’t have a clue as to the
other’s existence and the film has to go through the motions of bringing
them together with some faux crisis – she gets engaged to Akshay Kumar
(in a guest appearance) and Karisma has big old moon eyes for Shahrukh
– but in truth the plot is mainly an excuse to provide some really wonderful
music and some terrific dancing.
There are eleven songs and each one is excellent
and continues to grow on you as you listen to them. The choreography tends
to be simple but effective in a number of the songs with the opening number
(“like a silent thief, that first look of love took my heart away”) and
the rain drenched Koi Ladki Hai (“I know a girl and when she smiles it
rains”) being particularly big splashy numbers. Two of the numbers are
instrumental and showcase the excellent dancing of Madhuri in one and then
Madhuri and Karisma in another. This second one is the deliciously titled
Dance of Envy in which Karisma walks into the dance studio, rips off her
jacket to display her fine form in halter and shorts and challenges Madhuri
in a dance off. The title number is catchy as hell, though I am still trying
to figure out how Akshay’s and Madhuri’s little day outing ended up in
Germany!
My rating for this film: 8.0
Song
1
Song
2
Song
3
