The truth is for me, there is no way to doan unbiased review of Dil Bechara. I found it hard even to watchthe trailer of the film. It dropped on July 6th, around three weeks afterSushant Singh Rajput’s death on June 14th. It was difficult to see him play a jovial cancer patient,laughing, dancing and wooing his co-star.
His dialogue, "Janam kab lena hai,aur marna kab hai, hum decide nahi kar sakte... par kaise jeena hai,woh hum decide kar sakte hain" it took on a whole new meaning. Every frame reminded me, of what was lostand what could have been. Sushant was that rare thing –a strong actor with star presence and this was apparent from his first film Kai Po Che! I loved his performance inShuddh Desi Romance.
I wrote in my review that his character,“the irresistibly goofy Raghu” is “easily the most charming guide in Hindi cinema,since Dev Anand’s Raju in Guide”. I was one of the few fans ofDetective Byomkesh Bakshy. His work in MS Dhoni: The Untold Storyand Sonchiriya was terrific. Even in uneven films like Kedarnath, he held his own.
I didn’t know Sushant well,but I interviewed him several times over the years, the last being for the promotionsof Chhichhore in September. He was smart, candidand always ready to experiment. In December 2016, he featuredon our first FC Unfiltered. We recorded the showwith students at Jai Hind College. In 2017, we shot a show in which he tried to explainhis enigmatic tweets and Instagram posts.
This wasn’t to promote a film,or to talk about his journey. He took out time only to tryand explain how he thinks. Sushant’s death is a loss for Hindi cinema. The circus which has followedhis passing is equally sad.
Instead of respectful introspectionand trying to figure out how we can all do better, what is mostly on display is rank opportunism. The possibility of real change has been hijackedby personal agendas and settling scores.
It’s ugly and utterly graceless. In such a vitiated atmosphere, it’s impossible for me to see Dil Bechara in isolationand gauge it on its own merits. I have no wish to contribute further to the noise. I wish director Mukesh Chhabraand his team all best for their film. I hope the troubled journey of Dil Becharafinds a happy ending. And Sushant, wherever he is,finds a semblance of serenity.
