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Haal-e-Dil
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'Haal-e-Dil' - Maul a Dil

By Nikhil Kumar
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Now, here’s a love story that could actually maul many a dil and haul on many a dimaag.

‘Haul-e-Dil’…oops… Haal-e-Dil is supposed to be the dream launch of producer Kumar Mangat’s doted, somewhat bloated daughter Amita Pathak . And the other two debutants – Nukuul Mehta and Adhyayan – get a free piggyback on this dream launch in which Mangat seems to have let loose his purse strings for his daughter’s sake.

In

a bid to create a magical romantic fable, the writer, and director ( Anil Devgan ) – instead of straining their brains – choose to conveniently lift portions from all the Hindi romantic hits of recent times. No attempt has been made to be different or original (how dare we ask them to), even in the copy-paste endeavour. The result is a collage of usual romantic clichés that have by now become potent substitutes for sleeping pills.

The film tells the story of Sanjana (Amita) who is in love with her rich classmate Rohit (Adhyayan).

Shekhar (Nakuul), a flirt with a constantly roving eye, has a crush on Sanjana on a train ride from Mumbai to Shimla. Like Kajol in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge , Sanjana keeps glued to her novel while Shekhar (like Shahrukh Khan ) strums and plucks his guitar as the train to Shimla chugs through what are unmistakably the Alps of Switzerland.

Talk about originality.

Here’s more! Like Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur in Jab We Met , Sanjana and Shekhar miss their train and decide to cover together their remaining journey, which, at one point, inexplicably takes them to the wilderness of a jungle where they encounter a Veerappan-like creature.

As the plot comes out of the woodwork and finds its way back on the track, Shekhar expresses his love and goes on a hunger strike for seven days in front of Sanjana’s house to prove his love. If anything, I say the guy truly has the making of a social activist.

But hey! What about Rohit, the rich, dreamy-eyed guy who is Sanjana’s original love? Expectedly, that’s where the melodrama comes in.

‘Haunt-e-Dil’…oops…‘Haal-e-Dil’ is far, far, far from a dream launch any enterprising producer could have hoped to give his daughter. I feel sorry for Amita – whose performance is comparatively better than her looks – because she is wrongly cast in the role of a dream girl opposite two guys who doubtlessly look younger than her. A girl like Amita would suit character roles, rather than usual heroine stuff.

While Nakuul has the lead role and plays it confidently, Adhyayan seems to have got a raw deal. And yes, he needs to see a good barber, pronto.

And those desperate to catch some sleep need to see this flick, pronto.

Rating: *

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