Style over substance

The bad guy gets tired of the evil ways and seeks to move on with the next waiting page of life. In the middle of nowhere, he digs a whole to bury his gun like he had buried his books so many years ago when life had chosen the mightier than pen gun for him. Kya cliché hai.

Before we go too far ahead, Shaad Ali’s style statement ‘Kill Dil’ is a tale of deception, defiance and heartbreaks in the midst of the rude and crude world. Orphans thanks to their benefactor become faces of the underworld and are successful criminals who live life at its tenterhooks. Love comes as the major unsettling factor and since the heart has its own reasons that the mind will never know, the turbulence leads to the point of no return.

Two buddies by fate and childhood: Dev (Ranveer) and Tutu (Ali Zafar) deserted by their parents are picked up by the local crime lord Bhaiyyaji (Govinda). Initiated by circumstances into crime and pitch forked by success they build a successful career in crime without punishment. All is fine till a life effecting chanced encounter with Disha (Parineeti Chopra) throws the equilibrium into turmoil.

Dev now has to live a schizophrenic existence where he has to hide the good from Bhaiyyaji and evil from Disha. Not before long, he chooses love over the demands of his career and even becomes an insurance agent. He breaks the golden rule: “One must never attempt to fake reality in any manner (Ayn Rand).” The result is tragic heartburn and guns shots all around. Tears echo the gun shots, relationships thither to the demands of circumstances…….To quote Moris West: “There is left only the black magic of violence and even then the language of the mad ferments it…. . We are guilty because we all cooperate with the illusionists.” This exactly is the twist that Shaad Ali tangentially touches. For once the male bonding is taken for granted and no time is wasted on establishing it. Tutu who helps keep the two worlds of Dev going stands accused of helping the illusion survive till it gets fatal but here, the filmmaker (read main stream ) refuses to push the envelope and prefers the safe area of Bollywood compulsions.

It is surely an interesting film. To begin with you get to seeing Govinda playing a negative role. Unfortunately when the sets are more impressive than the script you do not have the actor doing anything earth shaking. Being loud is not being villainous and this is completely lost sight of. The dancer in the man is still as sharp and reliable but the evil face is yet to become appreciably visible. Personally speaking Ranveer Singh fails to translate his emotive tribulations and is physical to a point of self destruction to the demands of his role. Ali Zafar is cool collected and if only well directed could have been the main stay of the film.

Now it is Parineeti. Notwithstanding a very filmi character, she predictably oozes life to the script. She reiterates that it is time listless characters are not handed over to her. She is too precious to be doing inane roles. The Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy combine with Gulzar give you some very soulful songs which have the added advantage of Shaad’s stylised picturisation. The film has its moments. Sadly they are few and far between.

• Tittle :Kill Dil
• Cast :Govinda, Ranveer Singh, Ali Zafar and Parineeti Chopra
• Direction :Shaad Ali
• Genre :Action
• Rating :**1/2
• Like :Moments of style and Parineeti
• Unlike :Form over content