- Date of Release: 03 December 2021
- Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Disney + Hotstar
Tadap
RATING
Introduction
Bollywood and its love affair with remakes continue. Not only did we see remakes in 2021 but the trend will continue in 2022 as well. While the producers clearly feel that it is a profitable venture for them but the cinephiles like me would be at a loss simply because we would be exposed to the same story again. I understand that there would be a section of the audience(and a large one) who have difficulty in watching films with English Subtitles. But that said, the creative crisis is a real thing for Bollywood in today’s times. With the industries from South doing well, this might just be a good wake up call. But to balance things there have been some good remakes too like Kabir Singh. With that I finished watching the new Hindi film Tadap which premiered on hotstar, 2 months after its theatrical release. An official remake of the Telugu film RX100, does Tadap manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
An official remake of the Telugu film RX100, Tadap is an intense love story about two very different individuals. Any more which I add would act as a spoiler for those who haven’t watched the original. While the story is good, this is a watered down version of the original. I remember watching RX100 about 3 years back and I was bowled over by the intensity and impact which it was able to create. But Tadap just does not hit home. The love stories which are intense often connect with me but this one just missed the mark. The screenplay relies on that one major twist towards the end but if you have watched the original then you would know exactly where this is headed. In RX100, the final twist was revealed right at the end but here the cards are on the table a little too early. Early on in the film, the love story which develops someone isn’t infectious enough. The comedy too is flat and to be honest wasn’t required. Things get better in the second hour which was expected given the tale but somehow I felt a tad disinterested. Overall, an average screenplay at best.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are corny and they often rhyme like a poetry. Not quite convinced that this film demanded dialogue-baazi, instead the focus should have been on creating situations and involving the audience with genuine emotions for the protagonist. The music by Pritam is pretty good and the songs almost come like a welcome relief. The BGM is decent as well. Director Milan Luthria opted for a watered down version but I am not sure if he did consciously so. But his direction lacks the spark which is required in a love story. To give you a perspective, the scene where the character of Tara Sutaria lusts on Ahaan Shetty, the original had Karthikeya shirtless watched on by a terrific Payal Rajput. But here Ahaan is seen worn a shirt which just dilutes the scene(and there are several such instances which are evident). This was an inbetween version, neither here nor there.
Performances
The performances are alright here. Veterans like Kumud Mishra and Saurabh Shukla should have had better written characters because again the impact was missing. Tara Sutaria as Ramisa is clearly a miscast. Although she does a pretty good job and looks drop dead gorgeous, it was hard for me to accept her as a scheming woman. Something didn’t seem right. Ahaan Shetty as Ishana has a towering presence but he needs to work on his dialogue delivery. The story was of a small town boy and his accent didn’t go with it. This was more of a South Bombay accent which deflated the character. But he was promising in certain scenes especially towards the end and I definitely see a potential in him to score big in the industry.
Conclusion
Tadap is a watered down version of RX100 which can be skipped if you have watched the original. Available on Hotstar.