Dil Se.. Reviews

• Pure Magic!

  
  By A10SVPVEYO9UOG on 2004-01-01
  Dil Se is a movie that captures you on so many levels. The actors are wonderful and it's a pity that Shahrukh Khan is not better known here in the USA, because he is pure magic. Maybe if you think of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro combined with someone with great moves, who can really dance, you just might come close to describing Shahrukh.

  As one of India's huge Bollywood stars, Shahrukh has one of those marvelous subtle faces that can simultaneously express multiple layers of feeling. In one moment he is handsome, seductive, and in the next he is vulnerable, awkward, and compellingly ordinary. His enigmatic, little boy, rascal smile will steal your heart.

  There are two famous actresses in Dil Se, but Manisha Koirala plays the heroine, a lovely mountain peasant girl. At age 12, she saw her family gunned down by soldiers who then raped her. She walks in a world warped from pain and frozen emotion most of us could never comprehend and, along with her fellow terrorists, has become a suicide bomber.

  Shahrukh meets her by accident and mistakes her aloof cold manner for siren mystery. As she shuns his advances at every turn, he - a rather spoiled radio journalist - is driven deeper into his desire for her. That desire becomes obsession - Dil Se. She cannot become whole again to return his love, and he cannot endure life without her. He begs her to take him with her, and so she does.

  What draws me to this film is not just profound spontaneous depth of the actors and their willingness to show a wide range of feelings, but Dil Se made it apparent to me how stiff and mechanical my own culture has become. Even the Bollywood musical numbers are somehow fun, fresh and captivating. The sheer beauty of the photography is stunning and Manisha has the power to be a rough desert girl, a sophisticated beauty, or the most classic odalisque of the French painter Ingres.

  On the back of the DVD it says: Ancient Arabic literature classifies love into seven different shades...HUB...their eyes meet, it is like a touch...a spark...Attraction. UNS...the touch of the eyes was as if, it was infatuation. ISHQ...the flame of the body is felt, his breath starts igniting...Love. AQIDAT...Reverence...she touches him like a whisper, as if silence is mixed in here eyes...he prays, knelt down on the floor, a little consciously & a little unconsciously...IBADAAT...he is entangled on her path...entangled in her arms...Love turns to worship. JUNOON...his living is an Obsession...his dying is an obsession...apart from this there is no peace...MAUT...let him rest in the lap of Death...let his drown his body in her soul... DIL SE...a journey through these seven shades.

  Perhaps it's only poetic illusion and sweet madness, but if so - play on! I love this movie, Dil Se.
  
  

• Interesting story, great dance sequence.

  
  By AE6HAW4AC3DI0 on 2006-09-06
  While not much of a fan of Bollywood movies, I got this DVD after hearing the music in the opening credits of the Hollywood movie "Inside Man". The music is catchy, so I looked it up on the web and found that it was from this movie.
  
  The song, "Chaiyya Chaiyya", has an excellent rhythm and wonderful sounding lyrics (although I don't understand the language). But the dance scene on the train is nothing short of incredible. The energy of Shahrukh Khan and his obvious enthusiasm along with an excellent job of filming and superb editing make the entire scene a joy to watch. While the video quality falls short of Hollywood standards, the the music sound quality is excellent (especially if you have a Dolby digital sound with a subwoofer).
  
  As for the rest if the DVD, I found the story to be absorbing enough to maintain my interest through out the entire 2 hours and 40 minutes. There are four other songs besides "Chaiyya Chaiyya" which also add to the experience. I will probably investigate other Bollywood movies after seeing this. They have something to offer to even the most selective movie fan.
  
  

• The Power to Haunt: The Breaking of Human Beings

  
  By A1P2CJ6B2LVM4V on 2006-07-23
  Dil Se was conceived as the finale in Ratnam's trilogy of films on the subject of Terrorism, following Roja and Bombay. But while the former films were constructed as social docu-dramas emphasizing liberal humanism and a multicultural utopia, Dil Se culminates this theme in an entirely separate genre. Ratnam's screenplay deftly sets up our expectations and then quickly proceeds to obliterate them. The film is, at first glance, simply a social drama. Many critics have tried to categorize Dil Se as a social film or as a film on Terrorism--some have even gone so far as to call it "separatist propaganda." To imply such an idea is to deny the central theme of the film: Love. Dil Se is essentially a film about the phenomenon of Love, executed in fiercely unconventional and unsentimental fashion.
  
  If Lamhe ushered in a new genre of anti-social love stories, Dil Se substantiated the genre by epitomizing what had never been seen in a Hindi film: the anti-romantic Love Story. Lamhe was anti-social and anti-establishment in that it rejected outright the traditional sexual and moral status quo by merely inferring that it could ever be conceivable for a woman to love a man who was in love with her mother. Despite its rejection of traditional morality, Lamhe remains a deeply romantic movie. Dil Se is anything but. It is constructed not to convey the triumphant bliss of Love, but its devastating helplessness. It is a Love Story in its truest sense, where the traditional context and protagonists are equally subdued, told against the backdrop of terrorism wherein the central female figure is herself a humanized terrorist. Sadly, this many viewers have failed to recognize.
  
  Long before Shah Rukh Khan reduced his career to a sad shadow if its former self, he was consistent at proving in film after film that he was willing to take artistic risks and broaden the definition of the Filmi Hero. Dil Se was and remains the great experiment of his career. Here he is a young lover, but one who must contend with Love, instead of reveling in it. His fondness for his fiancée, Preity, is buried under his passion for Meghna, his obsession. Clearly, he finds her both beautiful and enigmatic, and without much hesitation, he follows her throughout the war torn land of Ladakh. Smart move? Probably not. But never do we second guess his decision because we believe that he is so utterly bewildered by the shadowy creature that is Meghna.
  
  Preity Zinta, in her debut role, is both refreshing and natural, giving a spontaneous performance that oddly never seems out of place in a morbid and pensive film. Her delivery is always natural, and never does she make the mistake of trying to 'act with emotion.' True, she has the most conventional role of the three leads, but she lends balance to the story which could have ended up being more esoteric and surreal than it already is. Irrespective of Khan and Zinta's effective performances, both the superstar and the debutante are given characters far less substantial than that of Meghna, played by Manisha Koirala.
  
  In a role of almost no dialogue, Koirala conveys literally volumes. Through her stifled body language, her forbidding expressions disclosing an unnamed identity, and an unknowable language of sadness spoken through her eyes, she conjures a darkly beautiful portrait of the ghostly survival of suffocated humanity. She is the greatest example of human (and humane) artistry in a film burgeoning with the message of humanity. You will notice as you peruse through the various customer reviews of this film that Shah Rukh Khan gets mentioned quite a lot, Manisha less so. One cannot help but wonder why. Shah Rukh Khan may be the box-office draw that helped get the film made, but Dil Se is Manisha Koirala's film. Make no mistake about it.
  
  Koirala's performance goes far beyond merely propping up the tender terrorist as a victim of circumstance: the actress digs into the character and pulls out the skeleton, bloodied and broken, and harangues the audience with a brilliantly lucid portrayal of a dark and disturbed avenger. Regardless of whether the claim that it was too vague or esoteric is indeed true, Dil Se remains an artistic benchmark for the triumph of Koirala's portrayal of Meghna in what can only be called a transcendent performance. Every element of Meghna's broken humanity is summoned by Koirala to conjure a portrayal that is breathtakingly skinless: the emptiness of the eyes, the somber visage swallowed in pain, the almost whispered dialogue, and a body language bespeaking a lifetime of defeat. There is no greater praise for an actor than to be told by a viewer that they had forgotten that the actor was acting. When a performance becomes so convincing, so emotionally naked, and so singularly manifest, the actor disappears--literally--and one forgets that they are watching a performer and not a character. This is the miracle of Koirala's Meghna. There is no Manisha Koirala on the screen. None whatsoever. What we see is the character, and only the character, so perfect is this performance. This is one of the greatest--if not the greatest--pieces of method acting ever accomplished in Hindi cinema. This is the kind of performance which, if Hindi Cinema were more cerebral and more conscious of artistic aims, dance queens like Madhuri Dixit and Aishwariya Rai would never pass muster as actresses. Alas. Part of the greatness of Koirala's performance is that she plays Meghna as a shadow, an almost ghost-like figure whose movements are untraceable and whose thoughts are impenetrable. She is a human being who rejects her humanity and has forgotten how simply 'to be', an existential quandary which Hindi Cinema almost boastfully ignores.
  
  The beauty of the film lies not so much in the actual love story, but in the director's ability to put a human face on terrorism. The mood is somber, the cinematography astonishing, and the perfect performance of Koirala makes Dil Se a startling piece of cinematic poetry. The film stands in a class of its own as a modern masterpiece, and can be considered fodder for only those that are willing to incorporate sadness and starkness into their movie-going experience. Others will find it too harsh.
  
  

• A Solid Film

  
  By A18MBO1U4DPY20 on 2005-05-01
  First Off, Dil Se has nothing to do with the title. It's not your standard love film or nothing like you'd think or expect. The songs to this movie are just awesome and add to the flow of the movie. I'd probably say they're better than the movie itself.
  Anyhow, the film is a huge respect earner. Shahrukh Khan adds to this movie a fruitful flow of his own. His character is that of an average man just like you and me but one who actually believes in knowing everything he wants to. His reasoning in the movie is second to none , he does everything he can to get his love and more. Anyhow, I might make the movie sound small by making it sound like a love story but then yes it is a love story.
  
  Dil Se is about a journalist/radio jockey falling in love with a women with a mission. There was a time when Manisha Koirala could act and Dil Se certifies that. I dont think any of our other beloved heroines could have played her role in the film as potently. The second half of the movie has some scenes of Shahrukh being chased by some legal authorities.The kind of 5-10 impact of terror that is displayed during those scenes is enough to certify the agony one must feel. The song AIYE AJNABI is one of the few songs that make this movie a winner.
  
  SRK is shown as a radio jockey describing his brief meeting with a stranger he never spoke to,he only wish(es) he did.I'm not gonna spoil this for people who haven't seen it. Some say the end of the film was nonsensical but I think it's not for the weak hearts. I must admit I was a bit taken aback by the thunderous conclusion but then it fits a realist's edge of reasoning.
  
  A great film.
  
  Those who enjoyed this film must watch "Bombay" or for the younger audience "Yuva"
  Mani Ratnam is genius.
  
  

• Lyric subtitles

  
  By A3TTDFKBXOXJ3G on 2005-06-26
  How is it possible that there are no Lyric Subtitles in this dvd? That's absurd!
  
  
• Regarding Quality of DVD
  By AYTYND5YOWIQI on 2007-03-29
  The delay in the subtitles is maddening - by the end of the film you've learned the timing and can sort out who says what relatively well. I agree with the other reviewer that was dismayed with the lack of subtitles for the musical numbers - a great loss for those of us who aren't fluent in the spoken dialects.
  
  Sadly, this is the worst transfer to video/dvd of a modern film I've ever seen - there were points where the sound cut out, and there were spots and lines on the film as though it had been reeled a thousand times. (This isn't a criticism typical of Indian/Bollywood films, as I've seen many others...)
  
  Most of the dvd menus don't work (the main one does though, thankfully), but I was able to get around by using the return and menu buttons on my remote.
  
  All that said, the film is captivating. The 'embedded music videos' are enthralling - the film is worth buying for them alone. Get the soundtrack, too!!
  
  3 stars is for an average between the quality of the dvd and the quality of the film.
  
  
• Awesome Cinematic Experience
  By A3K3K53RQJEDIW on 2003-03-21
  If you fear watching a foreign movie with subtitles, this movie simply won't matter, it's worth reading! The culture and problems presented in Dil Se are worth watching for their beauty and complexity. It's actually quite funny as well. Just don't be prepared for a classic hollywood film. The end might dissapoint, but it's worth it ten-fold.
  
  
• A Bad Bad Movie...... A true waster of time
  By AP1L3FRNKKRCT on 2006-09-07
  Ok, so keeping the fact that the songs in this movie kick butt, which standalone take only about 30-60 minutes to listen too, the movie (other than the not so surprise, "surprise ending) is an absolute dud.
  First of all, the movie comes with an in your face, this is what we think the facts should be about the history of the disputed area of Jammu and Kashmir and don't really care what the truth might be. As offensive as that might be to people whose lives have actually been affected by the stubbornness of india over the dispute, we will let it go and move on.
  Secondly, it seems that the writers, director, producer all lack the balls to actually say that this is the matter of Kashmir. Until the mention of "Cargill" comes you can't be sure where this is happening in india. I mean, let's face it... with 26 states and 21 insurgencies the greatest "democracy" in the world can't really boast a country with peace and harmony and hence it really becomes a wild guess game for some time in the movie to figure out who actually are the "Terrorists/Freedom Fighters". Even in the movie at points this paranoia of the people shows where the officer of intelligence asks "Who do you work for" and then names 4 insurgencies with fluency ;).
  Third, and kinda tying into the first, the fact of the matter is that up till ~1960 the government of india (Including Nehru) claim that Kashmir is a disputed area and a referendum in accordance with the UN resolution should be held. The Movie decides to forget this fact in the beginning by shahrukh saying "They are my countryman, they are just a little mad". My dear all, truth of the matter is that Kashmir is no more a part of india than Bangladesh is a part of Pakistan. So the Kashmiris are not indian and they are not "Just Mad". They are beyond pissed and want their right to choose delivered.
  Lastly, there seems to be confusion throughout the movie about the religion of the girl. She does some pooja paat like movements in the mundir like place, but also is on her way to becoming a shaheed. Now one true indication of a true Muslim, he/she will never bow to anyone but God Almighty.
  Of course, this review would be incomplete if I don't mention shahrukhs acting which in its sameness from one movie to another is as unique as Motorola razor these days. Not to mention the blatant disregard by the director in establishing any character at all. One minute the girl is covering all her body, the next she is showing her belly. In the beginning shahrukh is getting his butt beet by the same guys who he suddenly and with some excellent moves beets up at the end.
  All in all I must say that the waste of time that I felt after watching this movie was so great that I promised myself that if I can save anyone else from such a severe feeling of loss, I will attempt it. So here it is, I hope it helps y'all.
  
  
• Nothing like I expected
  By A3QC8MLOCJEL5T on 2007-01-13
  I sat down to watch this thinking it would be a stereotypical Bollywood flic. I was way off in this assumption, to my pleasant surprise. I was once told that Indians hate movies with sad endings. The ending here could be considered happy or sad, it is debatable. I was sickened at one point, but the movie was also very beautiful, contained terrific music and dancing, an interesting story line, and it touched on some socio-political-historical issues.
  
  It was musically, theatrically, and emotionally stunning. In my opinion this is a must see movie for a mature audience. You have to have patience for a movie this long, worthwhile for the introspective.
  
  
• My first true Bollywood experience really opened up my eyes (and ears)
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2007-05-19
  Before watching "Dil Se.." ("From the Heart") the closest I had come to seeing a Bollywood movie was "Bride and Prejudice," which had the virtue of being in English. However, if you are not reading the subtitles because the characters are speaking (and singing) in Hindi, then it does not really count. I picked "Dil Se.." for my first true Bollywood experience for the simple reason that it has the song "Chaiyya Chaiyya" in it. I first heard the song in the opening sequence of Spike Lee's "Inside Man," and finally downloaded it. Discovering that it was originally in this 1998 film I decided to find out what the catchy song is all about. The joke ended up being on me because watching the movie only gave me a vague inkling on that score and I had to head to the Internet to satisfy my curiosity.
  
  I remember hearing that the great thing about Bollywood movies was that when you went to the theater and wanted to see a musical or a romance or an action film or any other genre, that is exactly what you were going to see regardless of which theater you walked into. Now I know what they meant. Amarkanth Varma (Shahrukh Khan) runs into Meghna (Manisha Koirala), and is immediately smitten by her. But they go their separate ways and he bemoans the shortest love story of all time before the film launches into the big "Chaiyya Chaiyya" production number:
  
  He whose head is in the shadow of love
  Will have heaven beneath his feet
  Whose head is in the shadow of love
  Walk in the shadow.
  Walk in heaven, walk in the shadow.
  
  There's a friend who is like a sweet fragrance,
  Whose words are like poetry
  Who is my evening, my night, my existence.
  That friend is my beloved!
  
  Amar works for All India Radio and has been sent from New Delhi to the northern provinces where he starts finding out about a separatist group engaging in acts of terrorism to secure a free and independent state. When it comes to politics Amar knows nothing, and he gets quite an education in that regard in this movie. I have only a general understanding of the disputed areas of Kashmir and Jammu, and it seems to be that the film is using the politics as a dramatic backdrop rather than actually taking a stand on the issues (the plague on both their houses would be another way in which "Dil Se.." is reminiscent of "Romeo & Juliet"). Meanwhile, Amar's obsession for Meghna is failing to make much of an impression on the mysterious woman, who hints at a tragic past that forestalls the possibility of love. The assumption that the political and romantic elements of the film are intertwined is correct, but like Amar we have to wait for things to be spelled out for us before it is clear how everything comes together. There is also your standard love triangle complication when Amar becomes engaged to Preity (Preity Zinta), who seems to be everything that Meghna is not, in ways both good and bad.
  
  That is the basic set up of the film, which leads to fist fights and explosions, shouting and weeping, singing and dancing, and the proverbial much much more. There are only five songs in "Dil Se..," but each is a major production and since they are not translated how they add to or comment upon the action is completely lost on me (even now that I have sought out translations of the songs on the Internet). They almost function more like commercials, providing breaks in the narrative, and there is a sense in which the story would be more riveting without the musical digressions. It would also be a lot less fun, which is of some consequence in a film that runs 2 hours and 43 minutes. I do not know how representative of Bollywood director Mani Ratnam's film might be, and I am only now become aware of the requisite stages from "hub" (attraction) to "maut" (death) are key to the formula, which only tells me that the happy ever after ending of "Bride & Prejudice" may well be another aberration from the Bollywood model. Just do not ask me what American movie most reminds me of this entertaining conglomerate of cinematic elements because I seriously do not have a clue.
  
  
• LUUUUVUN' DIL SE
  By A3OX7UKU4KVI4F on 2004-05-13
  Dil se was an absolutley awesome movie. the colors, the drama, the music, the dancing...there's no way to beat it! You have to see it!
  
  
• A masterwork
  By A1WYPCT741R5HD on 2008-03-03
  For people not brought up on Indian films, this might be a bit of a stretch - but set aside your expectations and you might be blown away by this one. The story: The portrayal of the inner world of terrorists is very convincing and consistent with recent research (the peer group pressure being the strongest influence on suicide bombers). More than that, it's a powerful liebestod, a love-death story of life in the midst of war. The music by AR Rahman: amazing. The dancing: this is what first caught my attention; it's simply astonishing. The choreographer Farah Khan seamlessly melds classical Indian and European styles, Sufi, and Western modern dance from Duncan to Tharp. She can do anything, and so can these performers. And throughout the film there is fabulous cinematography in service to the music, dance, plots and subplots - and doing justice to the beautiful scenery of Ladakh. Acting: Superb by all. Now to the negatives... if you're not used to Indian films you must relax and let go of your expectations. The integration of different moods (from silliness to tragedy) isn't something we're used to anymore (though you find plenty of that in, say, Shakespeare) - but this juxtaposition is unavoidable and constant in real life, as Indians know. Then there's the length: reset your inner time clock. Scenes go on longer and sometimes the acting seems over the top. Like most Hindi movies it's long (remember the fuss about that when the movie Gandhi came out?) but this length (as with that other great movie) allows an experience that goes deeper that we're used to, too. Altogether, this struck me (as a longtime film buff) as an extraordinarily original film: a masterpiece on all fronts.
  
  
• Only AR Rahman is Dil Se...
  By A2IAWMDW6G60AN on 2006-08-01
  AR Rahman is India's best Music Composer today. Not a debatable fact!
  
  I'm just tired of SRK's mopping acting...he cries best only in Yash Chopra & Karan Johar's films.
  
  Manisha Koirala is beautiful and brilliant in this movie. Wonder where has she gone away to nowadays...
  
  Preity looked plump but cute...not bad for her first film!
  
  Alrite...going back to the soundtrack...love Sonu Nigam's renditions...Tu hi tu satrangi re, tu hi tu mann rangi re! :)
  
  
• The music is the best thing about this movie
  By A20LGHIKS1B93W on 2008-03-02
  I'll make this short and sweet for those who don't want to read through ten pages of adoration for Shah Rukh Khan.
  
  I'm an American who loves Bollywood movies to the point that I don't really care to watch much from Hollywood anymore. Add to that the fact that I am a HUGE Shah Rukh Khan fan and adore almost everything he does. Even so, I just don't care for this movie. I bought it for the songs, and I feel that they are such winners that it doesn't really matter that I don't like the actual film that much.
  
  Buy this and watch the movie once... if you like it, then you'll be happy. If you don't like the movie, you can always just play the songs and you'll still be happy. The music videos are simply outstanding.
  
  
• Made me, my sister, and my mother cry.
  By A2A7P6YEI66VB6 on 2008-03-11
  I got interested in this movie after listening to the 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' remix from the Bombay Dreams soundtrack and then finding the original 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' clip on YouTube.
  
  I got this movie as a present for my birthday and I'm really happy I did. The movie was beautiful and tragic.
  
  My sister and my mother who have never seen a Bollywood movie before and aren't really much interested in Bollywood watched it and loved it.
  
  This movie sealed my love for Shahrukh Khan, and started my Bollywood DVD collection. And while Preity Zinta wasn't the main female lead in the movie, she was really great and was perfect for the role.
  
  

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