Two Fridays
Two distinct stories
Two extreme treatments
Two contrarian approaches
Tere Ishk Mein came first, and then came Dhurandhar, and both movies are complete antithesis of what you expect from Bollywood films when it comes to romantic and spy genres.
Three decades back there was DDLJ that defined how Bollywood would look like for next 20 years at least when it came to the romantic genre. A few months back YRF themselves changed the grammar a bit as they came up with a different kind of love story with Saiyaara. It was the story of a young couple in love and audiences lapped up to it. However, if that was all sugary and mushy, Aanand L Rai’s Tere Ishk Mein – which released 10 days ago – showed how toxicity can develop even in the midst of extreme love.
The weekend gone by has taken an even further extreme. Dhurandhar is unlike any spy film that has been seen before. YRF is churning out one spy universe film after another, so much so that they all have now started looking the same with the fatigue factor setting on. On the other hand there is a brand new treatment that has been meted out in Dhurandhar. Violence is the core of this well researched film and while you do flinch at many scenes, director Aditya Dhar seems to be undeterred.
My personal view about both the films? Tere Ishk Mein is well made, well directed, but actions of the two protagonists seem questionable, very very questionable. Why is Kriti Sanon, an aspiring doctorate in psychology no less, taking Dhanush for a ride? Why Dhanush, belonging to a very humble background, is still pursuing Kriti, so much so that it turns out to be equivalent to harassment? One can still agree that both are in college and in their early 20s but then why indulge in such toxicity to the extent of burning down their own lives when they are presumably in their early 30s? Why not just let go?
As for Dhurandhar, a very well researched film, why is there so much gruesome violence? Would the film have been any lesser if a man wasn’t skinned alive or another’s head wasn’t smashed to pulp? Did we really have to see a head being blown away from the body or crashed to bits against a signboard? Isn’t the subject matter and the treatment of the layered drama exposing the underworld of Pakistani intriguing enough to keep audience attention intact? But then guess Aditya Dhar wanted to take a hold-no-approach.
What’s the audience thinking though?
Well, they have indeed not just adjusted to, but in fact lapped up the toxicity and the violence at display. They are far more accommodative of what the characters are going through in their heart and mind. They seem to be far more adaptive to the visuals on screen that are not for the faint hearted, either for the ones in love or are receptive to gruesome violence.
Tere Ishk Mein will enter the 100 Crore Club today/tomorrow. Dhurandhar will enter the 200 Crore Club in the second weekend. Both the films – antithesis of what you expect from a love story or a spy thriller – have been accepted by the audiences.
This is now cinema.
This is new Bollywood.
And audiences at large aren’t complaining!
