Dil Bekaraar
RATING
Introduction
Being a 90s kid, one thing that gets me nostalgic is when I am transporting back to the era either through songs or some object. The era back in the 80s and 90s can be considered a golden era simply because social media was not present back then. Life used to be simple where we used to play cricket on grounds as opposed to playing cricket on Play Stations. When we were more excited about meeting friends everyday as opposed to staying in touch via Whatsapp. The conflicts was simple and so was life unlike now where it is complicated and convoluted with the uprise of social media and free internet. And for my third review of the day I have finished watching the third webseries of the weekend which is Dil Bekaraar on Hotstar, a series which is set in the 80s. Is it worth your time, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Based on a novel titled ‘Those Pricey Thakur Girls’ by Anuja Chauhan, Dil Bekaraar is a story that transports you back to the 80s. And so you have a little bit of romance and little bit of drama packaged in a sweet and telling tale of how simple life was back in the day. The story is heartwarming and will definitely put a smile on your face. The screenplay is also intelligently penned. Not only is it successful in transporting you to the 80s, it also takes clever potshots of what the current environment is in the country. The satire that is embedded in the screenplay is excellent to watch as you can easily connect the dots to the current era that we live in. It also tackles a couple of important topics but at its heart this is a Rom-Com which a lovely little love story that is weaved through the narrative. The entire series is a nostalgic throwback to the 80s(and even 90s for that matter) where journalism was alive(upto you to agree or disagree here) and the simplicity that life had to offer even with romances unlike today which is far too complicated. The proceedings will leave a smile on your face as you are invested throughout. If I had to put a magnifying glass and determine the negatives, there is a slight dip in the screenplay somewhere before the climax. But the bizarrely hilarious climax seals the fate in ensuring that you end the show on a high with a smile on your face and that warm fuzzy feeling inside you. Overall a superbly well written screenplay.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are cleverly penned and if you pay close attention then you would understand the satirical tone to them. And needless to say that they leave a lasting impact. The BGM is peppy and does its bit to enhance the drama. Some of the yesteryear’s songs are used and perfectly incorporated in the narrative. Before going into the series, I wasn’t aware that the series was directed by the prolific Habin Faisal who I am a fan of. Here his direction is absolutely top notch and the way he keeps things light and frothy and still manages to convey the message is simply admirable!
Performances
The performances are top notch. Apeksha Porwal as Mitali looks stunning and does a fabulous job. Sonali Sachdeva, Tej Sapru and Suhel Seth have plenty of moments for each one of them to shine. Chandrachur Singh as Hardik is top notch and and I continue to see him in as many shows considering the prolific actor that he is. The veteran Poonam Dhillon as Mamta is an absolute joy to watch, as is Padmini Kolhapuri as Bhudevi who is absolutely fantastic. Raj Babbar the other veteran as LN Thakur is wonderfully restrained and he delivers some of the quirky one-liners incredibly well! Anjali Anand as Binodhini(you may remember her as Saanjh from Suraj Aur Saanjh) has an amazing screen presence and is just so confident of her craft which translates brilliantly onscreen. Sukhmani Sadana as Anji is first rate and does full justice to her role. Medha Shankar as Eesh is quite brilliant herself and I wish tonwatch more of her going forward. I was very impressed with Aaditya Kapadia as Gulgul. His character was someone that I related to in terms of conflicts and he is so expressive through his eyes. He has a lovely character arc and he does a great job with it. Sahher Bambba as Debjani looks absolutely gorgeous and she is such a natural performer, someone who manages to hold your attention throughout. And then there is Akshay Oberoi who as Dylan is in the form of his life. This is perhaps the best performance of his career right on top with Gurgaon. He has another show this weekend -Illegal Season 2 and another one next week – Inside Edge 3 and rest assured he will be mentioned a lot here at Popcorn Reviewss. Overall, a brilliant act by the entire cast.
Conclusion
Dil Bekaraar is a nostalgic ode to the 80s when life was simple and less complicated. The one drawback here is that the name doesn’t justify how good the show actually is! Available on Hotstar and Highly Recommended.