DIL TO PAGAL HAI
I have included this film here partly for a personal reason, in that it was the first Hindi film whose sets I visited, spending a few months with the production unit. It is also a film that has grown on me since I first saw it. Its music has remained hugely popular, not least through its remixes, and the style it created has been much copied in recent years.
The major criticism of the film was that there was no real story and the most of the characters did not seem to have any family connections. The absence of family is not unusual in other cinemas outside of India, and the intention here was to create two modern, urban characters with no obligations to anyone but themselves. The storey is that of the backstage Hollywood musical- and the film was, unusually advertised as a musical- where the hero’s goal is to get his show on the road. In keeping with this genre, the second heroine is in love with the hero, while he is in love with the first heroine, who replaces her when she incurs an injury. These features were Indianised as the first heroine’s presented as a traditional Indian woman, largely signified by her dress, but also by her willingness to reconcile her own desire to family duties while the second prefers sportwear and her family lives overseas.
The opening sequences were fast, establishing the film’s dilemma-love is predestined: someone, somewhere is made for you- than cutting quickly to happy couples the straight top performer. The film continued at this level, providing plenty of enjoyment with its glamour froth romantic intensity jokes strong performances and of course the song and dances.
Yash chopra took a gamble on a new music director Uttam singh a violinist trained in western and Indian music whose major success here was repeated later with Gadar. Yash was keen to modernise his unique visual aesthetic of glamorous realism’, which he did through the set designs of sharmishta Roy and the costume of designer Manish Malhotra. While Farah Khan worked as the dance director (Choreographer) for several songs, Shiamak Davar added a new style to the staged songs.Lata Mangeshkar with her songs and cameraman Manmohan Singh.
Shah Rukh was not criticised by the audience but although he gave a greta performance it was not his film. As yash chopra’s alter ego, he is in charge but mostly from a distance Karishma’s performance was acclaimed but her costumes were thought too skimpy, They are cool they are appropriate and the audience was kept at a distance closing in only on her face. Madhuri was criticised for being too old and not as slim as usual but she looked like a woman, not a girl and her acting and dancing were excellent.
This film which fans enjoyed but did not love as much as some of Yash Chopra’s other work, will be seen in the future as a landmark film, Yash Chopra has set the pace for younger generation of film-maker who have to run to keep up with him,
It was this film that Yas Raj began International distribution of their own films and selling VHS and then DVD’s of film that they fir suited their banner. This proved to be the beginning of a new era for the company which eight years later has expanded its distribution in India and overseas set up a music business and constructed a purpose-built studio into which all their work will be integrated.