Dhak Dhak Movie Review:
From the trailer, you can figure out that the movie is going to be about four women from different walks of life who are embarking on a journey to Ladakh on their motorcycles. Empowering. Redemption. Self-Discovery. These are the central themes one can make out from the trailer. And this is what the Dhak Dhak movie is about but it has much more to offer.
Starring Fatima Sana Sheikh, Dia Mirza, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Sanjana Sanghi, the movie is directed and written by Tarun Dudeja. The movie shows four women from very different backgrounds whose path converges on the chaotic streets of Delhi. Shashi Kumar Yadav or Sky (Fatima Sana Sheikh) plays the role of a YouTuber, who is passionate about travel and photography. She wants to redeem her identity that got tainted due to a scandal. She aspires to cover the Barcelona Auto Expo but with her tarnished image she needs something that helps her secure the position.
In search of stories, her path crosses with Manpreet Kaur Sethi or Mahi (Ratna Pathak Shah) who dreams of traveling on a bike to one of the highest motorable roads. She sees that Sky can help her realize her dream and the two soon become a team. They meet Uzma (Dia Mirza) also called as “Jugaadu Mechanic” in the trailer who grabs the opportunity to travel with the two women to prove to her husband that she also deserves to have ambitions. Joining the three ordinary but peculiar ladies is Manjari (Sanjana Sanghi), an extremely obedient and protected daughter of a single mother, who is marrying a man that she has never met. She has never traveled solo before and sees a golden chance to live her life to the best in the group of three ladies.
So, the four women embark on a journey to Ladakh on their Royal Enfields, filled with hope, anxiety, passion and self-confidence. Although the four women are strikingly different from each other, what binds them together is the challenges they encounter in the patriarchal and prejudiced society that they live in. Whether you are modern, traditional, young, old, passionate, or obedient, the environment of our society is such that it leaves no women from the clutches of stereotypes. Although Uzma’s character was stereotypical in some places, I did not find it problematic. They could have challenged the idea differently. If you have watched Modern Love: Mumbai’s episode where Fatima Sana Sheikh plays the role of a Kashmiri Muslim woman, you will see the kind of portrayal I am hinting at. The series gave the message it wanted while abandoning some of the set stereotypes of pop culture.
Anyhow, the movie is quite heart-warming. I feel like the purpose of it was not limited to a bike ride of four women who found it empowering. It was also about the journey of life. You never know what you are going to find along the way, but you will never find out if you don’t keep going. The movie deals with the protagonists’ vulnerabilities, self-discovery and identity but it doesn’t become a boring monologue on women’s empowerment. Rather, these themes are subtly blended into the movie with different hues of other elements that don’t let the charm of the movie be dull.
However, the movie could have been better on several fronts. It had amazing actors backed with a refreshing approach to empowerment. The cinematography was on point as well. Nevertheless, the use of several generic tropes along with a patchy story lessened its potential. What saves the movie are some of the sequences that stand out. One of them is when the woman eats substance-loaded cookies and loses control of themselves. What follows are lovely scenes of shared giggles and laughter as they share stories about orgasms, kisses, condoms and other experiences that are often brushed under the carpet.
Conclusion-
The movie is refreshing and a good watch. However, is it worth taking your time off to specially watch it? I doubt that. The title is Dhak Dhak but you can really see all the Dhak Dhak challenges the characters might face from afar. There are no unpredictable sequences as such. It is mostly a linear tale with some of the used tropes to bring out an empowering story. Will you go to watch it? Let us know.
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