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
