Dhadak 2

The inherent burden of watching a Hindi remake is that the original film automatically acquires a position of control and, in most cases, invincibility. The source material becomes a point of comparison and judgement: a biblical blueprint that, if not followed, reduces the subjectivity of art to the semantics of love or religion. The adaptation can either “stray” or “be faithful”; its identity can only be determined by its devotion — or a lack of it — to the original. It’s a lose-lose situation of sorts. For instance, Dhadak (2018) not only strayed from Marathi classic Sairat (2016), it was entirely divorced from reality; it invisibilised the central theme and missed the memo. Even in isolation, it was a generic and gutless poor-boy-rich-girl tale.

Somewhere near the climax of Dhadak 2, tired of fighting back constantly to claim his position in society, Neelesh- the male protagonist of the film- states, “Haalat badal sakte hai, jaat nahi (situation may change, but caste won’t)". The line hits you hard. Even as India progresses, the discrimination and politics that come along with it- will never end. Filmmaker Shazia Iqbal’s film Dhadak 2, featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, addresses the age-old caste politics that persist in Indian society to date, through reservation and quotas, disrespect, vote banks, and more. Backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, it takes up the same theme that Dhadak was set in, of star-crossed lovers, one from the marginalised section and the other from the privileged class, and the problems they face in their love story. Both films are remakes. However, Dhadak 2 soars due to its sharp writing and superb performances by the lead.