Ishan Khatter is a bundle of energy, and be it emotions or dances, or the romantic episodes, he excels and impresses. On the other hand, debutant Jahnvi Kapoor tries hard to emote but keeps a wooden face for the most part, and when you would expect the girl to express beautifully, all that we get to witness is a deadpan expression from her, and she looks pretty in the songs, and that's it. Ashutosh Rana is menacing and leaves a striking impact. Ankit Bisht and Shridar Watsar are adequate.
The Music was composed by Ajay - Atul duo and they have done justice to their role. Zingaat, Pehli Baar songs are appealing, while the background score by John Stewart blends well with the mood of the movie. Cinematography by Vishnu Rao captures the rustic locales of Udaipur, differentiating well between the simple lifestyle of Madhukar, and the rich and lavish environment of Parthavi.
Editing by Monisha Baldawa could have been taut, as the first half drags with several pointless episodes. After succeeding with two original scripts, this time around, Shashank Khaitan has decided to adapt the story penned by Nagraj Manjule, and while the original, Sairat, was written in a poignant manner with realistic episodes, and the love sequences being lovable, Dhadak ends half-baked and artificial. Many episodes are farcical too.
However, Dhadak looks plastic and artificial right from the word go, as the romantic track looks more cheesy and cinematic rather than being realistic, and while Ishan Khatter tries hard to save the sinking flick with his energy, Jahnvi's emoting skills dampen many scenes, and the actress has miles to go, to carry forward the legacy of her mother, yesteryear dreamgirl Sridevi.
While the first half looks more of a fashion parade with both the leads from contrasting backgrounds of life flaunting their style quotient in colorful and glossy looks and attires as opposed to the central theme of the movie, the second half, which must have been engaging, showcasing the hardships in the life of the couple which they overcome despite differences, continuing to love each other, is presented in a half-baked manner, leading to the audience not able to connect to the couple emotionally.
Sairat's biggest strength was its close to reality portrayal of the land and its people, and the caste-based violence, and the horrors of honour killing, while Dhadak's way of presenting the same in a filmy manner, makes sure the culmination of the movie does not haunt the viewer, while it was supposed to be, and makes the viewer feel that it has ended after all. All said, despite good technicalities and fine music by Atul Ajay and earnest effort from Ishan Khatter, Dhadak fails to beat the heart.
