This is Akhtar’s weakest film yet, because she tries to tell too many stories at once and tells none entirely. Besides the performances, what keeps this ship afloat is the cinematography. Carlos Catalan’s camera is the actual fly on the wall that tells you everything you need to know about this poor little rich family.

Every member of the literally big ensemble cast in DDD, comes together to make it feel like a family. You have a quirky Punjabi clan and their oddball friends dancing and singing to some great music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. They’re in good looking locations with fancy clothes and luxurious ambiance. It’s an exclusive peek into the lifestyle of the rich and famous. There’s a decent well-rounded story as well. It’s the perfect exotic weekend getaway.

Apart from the spectacular performances and stunning locations ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ has its moments of fun, laughter, drama, tears and romance. So go on, plunge in. Zoya Akhtar’s movie is a delightful watch.

For those who like the glossy world of fiction that was Akhtar’s terrain in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Dil Dhadakne Do may be just the lavish fix you want. If you’re a fan of Luck By Chance, however, you may find yourself shedding a tear as you long for the director who so skilfully blended wickedness, style and insight into a heady, charming mix.

There’s nothing wrong in making a rich film about hollow ‘rich’ problems.
That she generates empathy for characters whose introspective sessions happen in luxurious suites and velvet bathrobes instead of cramped flats doesn’t make this a lesser representation of mournfulness. These folks are victims of their own becoming, and it’s as compelling to watch, if not more, than a caricatured rags-to-riches journey.

…is a good entertainer for the multiplex-frequenting audience. It will be liked by the youngsters and the classes more than the mass audiences. Business in the cities will be good on the strength of audiences of multiplexes and premium single-screen cinemas. However, business in smaller centres and in lesser single-screen cinemas will be dull. All in all, it will fetch some profits.

It is very easy to get carried away when your star cast is filled with such gems. However, the director has done a great job handling every character. Ranveer Singh’s comic timing and witty dialogues keep you entertained throughout the film. Special mention to Pluto Mehra. Believe it or not, the dog is the only character that connects with you till the end. A little stretched and dragging, the movie could have done better if the redundant parts were taken out. Overall, you should watch this movie at least once!

Pretty but never dazzling, busy but never riveting, glib but never wise, Dil Dhadakne Do never does find its sea legs.

Anil Kapoor is an absolute delight as the self-obsessed and manipulative Kamal Mehra and he is ably supported by Shefali Shah as the ostrich wife, who ignores being getting ignored. But the film belongs to Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh and they excel as siblings who stand for each other. For once Ranveer channelises his energy well and Priyanka goes beyond the pout to embrace a character that every much like the film is a gorgeous cross between stupid and smart.

Family drama is given a new dimension here with Zoya Akhtar laying out perfect solutions to a messed-up family. It’s her sheer unmatched quality that this two-flick old director possesses, while dealing with the subjects of relationship. She doesn’t coerce the judgement over what really the key should be for lucrative living but simply chalks out the modern dots in a breezy manner.

For all its efforts, Dil Dhadakne Do doesn’t have one standout sequence that lays bare the nastiness that fester in some families. The Mehras are mildly troubled rather than seriously dysfunctional. They have one crucial scene together, inspired partly by The War of the Roses, when Kabir decides to end the lies once and for all. Like other such scenes, this one too suffers from the butter-knife treatment when it actually needed a razor.