Veteran filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has heaped praise on Dhadak 2, calling it “an extremely brave and powerful film” that reminded him of the golden age of Hindi cinema. Drawing comparisons with legendary filmmakers like Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, K A Abbas, B R Chopra, and Yash Chopra, Kashyap described Dhadak 2 as a reminder of what mainstream cinema was originally meant to be.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, Kashyap lauded director Shazia Iqbal and the film’s lead actors, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, for crafting a powerful narrative that holds up a mirror to the realities of caste and class in India.
“In what is the most searing mainstream debut that I have seen in a very, very long time, @shaz.3.0 holds a mirror to us of what India really is outside of our bubble that we live in,” he wrote, sharing posters and stills from the film.
“Aided by terrific performances from @tripti_dimri, @siddhantchaturvedi, @saurabhsachdeva77 @saadcasm_ @priyanktiwarii, @itsharishkhanna, @manjiripupala @vipin.sta and writing with #badwelkar, brilliantly shot by @sylvesterfonseca,” the filmmaker added.
Kashyap lamented the lack of socially relevant themes in contemporary mainstream Hindi films. “The film captures the conversation that we avoid on a day-to-day basis. This is what mainstream cinema was meant to be, and this is what great filmmakers like Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, K A Abbas, B R Chopra, Yash Chopra, and so many used to do”.
“We forgot to make mainstream films of social relevance. They got relegated to independent art house cinema. This is what Tamizh cinema and so much of cinema from south still does,” Kashyap added.
“Dhadak 2 is a punch in the gut. My driver, who went with me, wept at the end of it and hasn’t stopped talking since. An extremely brave and powerful film from @dharmamovies. See it for yourself. I won’t say much. Congratulations to the whole team,” he signed off.
Dhadak 2 tells the story of Neelesh (Siddhant Chaturvedi), a Dalit law student who falls in love with his upper-caste classmate Vidhi. The film explores the systemic barriers the couple encounters.
