One particular scene is silent and says it all about Chand Mera Dil. The young guy is completely exhausted, and he’s all but a hollow shell with his emotions all but gone because they are already dead. No hysterical music, no hysterical breakdown, just sheer numbness. That moment is a perfect example of what this film will be. It starts out as a sweet, pretty college love story, but then it becomes something much more bruised and rich in emotion.
The first half was rather flat. The pacing is slow, too much emotional setup and teaser, which gets the patience of the audience all the time. The film threatens to lose you your investment on a number of occasions. However, as the fallout of one heedless choice starts to run into these characters’ lives, the writing tightens up. The emotions are more tangible, the performances improve and the movie finds its soul.
Lakshya is the strongest in the film; Ananya Panday is actually wonderful by being so vulnerable which requires much more than glamour from her. Chand Mera Dil is emotionally honest and a lot of things are rough around the edges and too long in parts, but still, the impact’s not out of the way.
It’s as if this film is for people who are willing to give up on relationships prematurely, who don’t have to deal with tough talk, and who don’t value commitment. The authors are definitely trying to defy that attitude. In the dreamy beginnings of the story, two youths gradually fall in love in college. It’s all gorgeous, fresh and cinematic. Their chemistry flows naturally, and there’s a softness and comfort in the air.
But the film soon tells us that risk-taking has its repercussions. One impulsive moment and all that has changed, both characters are thrust into an alarming situation endangering their future, their careers and their relationship.
However the first half is still the least strong. There’s a good bit of patience, even too much, in the screenplay in trying to examine the childhood trauma, insecurities and psychological scars. There’s some scenes that feel like a length, and the build-up of emotion sometimes just feels repetitive. There are also scenes that are too movie like, the type that you automatically end up thinking, “this has to be in a film.” For this reason, the film fails to keep up the pace in the beginning.
This is the half in which it all comes together. The emotional writing is more focused, the acting is more believable and the consequences begin to have real impact. The film totally won me over there. A few scenes are tenderly heart-wrenching, while others are emotionally exhausting. I, in all honesty, didn’t think the story would have come this far after the very slow start, but it has.
I was most pleased with Ananya Panday. It’s likely to be one of her best outing yet. In scenes that are emotionally charged and where her character is in a frenzied state, she definitely brings out feelings of fear, confusion, and emotional pressure. She’s very vulnerable at times, sometimes it is real and sometimes not at the dramatic moments when she is more intense.
Even there is one Bharatanatyam performance scene that could have been much more convincing if it was prepared. Inability to use the technical equipment is evident on the screen. She does, however, manage the emotional aspect of the character well and her screen presence is perfectly appropriate for this modern Gen Z character.
But the truth of the film’s emotional heart lies with Lakshya. He plays the full-time with excellent control. His personality gradually changes from that of an innocent student to a broken young man burdened by responsibilities, isolation and fatigue. What I was most impressed with was how he portrayed depression and helplessness in a natural way, but not melodramatic.
I remember one scene in particular that will stick with me long after the film was over. When a broken man walks towards him looking for some anger or confrontation, Lakshya’s character responds quietly saying, “All the emotions inside me are dead, whatever you do, you can’t hurt me anymore.” The line is coming in strong, but it’s not delivered with a dramatic fury, it’s done with a numbing restraint.
When the film delves into responsibility from the male point of view, it becomes all the more interesting. The main character realizes that he has made a mistake, and he now has to deal with the consequences of his actions. The maturity of their emotions really impressed me. Meanwhile, the movie also evokes the anxiety and strain faced by both parties involved with great sensitivity.
Some scenes will be pretty raw for anyone who has ever been in a heartbreak, confusion, or overload situation at a young age. Even those moments that perfectly convey the feeling of being on your own for holding a child for the first time as a father are present here. These scenes are warm, fearful, tender and vulnerable.
At the end, the film could have been shorter as the climax lasts too long. By this time, the audience knows what is going to happen, and the story continues to stall en route to the inevitable conclusion. This is where the runtime of almost 2 hours and 20 minutes starts to wear on. The ending of the film could have raised the impact way more than it did.
One other drawback is the audio track. There was a lot more music that this emotional film could have done with – at its most pivotal moments. The songs are reasonable but not the sort that create the buzz among the audience. Many of the average romantic dramas are huge hits just because of chartbuster albums. Here, the music is not quite as high as it is in the above.
What I also didn’t expect to hear of was the reported cuts of censorship. It was estimated that the kissing scene was cut, and that it was approximately 1 minute and 32 seconds long. That seems like too much because there’s a lot of emotional baggage to intimacy in this story. At times, censorship is more of a hindrance to realism than a help to viewers.
Chand Mera Dil works well even with its flaws as it ultimately chooses honesty over false glamour. The first hour is a bit of a patience test but when reality does get into the picture, this is a very interesting and moving film. But even with that, I’d still suggest viewing it accompanied by another to use as conversation fodder after the film concludes, as it is a great film to have themes about love, mistakes, responsibility, and emotional growth to discuss after.
Rating: 3.5/5
