Dil Se is one of the films that would never get made outside India, I guess; especially in the western world, viewers would be totally puzzled by the lack of logic that governs most of the film. And yet, it's a totally compelling movie, perhaps precisely because we do not understand what strange kind of obsession is driving Shahrukh Khan's character to follow the mysterious Meghna (Manisha Koirala), despite the fact that she is obviously not interested in him, and despite the fact that he is putting himself in real danger. On the other hand, Meghna herself seems to be driven forward by some kind of obsession, one that also remains a mystery to the viewer until about half way through the film.
The mixture of obsessive love story and political thriller is not as absurd as it may seem at first, for it is the same force that is driving the main characters, and it is driving them towards the same conclusion.
Performances from both Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala are solid, but both have had better moments in other movies.
However, the A. R. Rahman score is among the most impressive he has written so far, and Santosh Sivan's cinematography, especially during the musical numbers, is close to genius; the dark mood that permeates images, music and acting from the first scene makes you wonder from very early onwards as to what end this movie may be brought. It's probably not what you expected, but it makes perfect sense. You won't be disappointed.
The mixture of obsessive love story and political thriller is not as absurd as it may seem at first, for it is the same force that is driving the main characters, and it is driving them towards the same conclusion.
Performances from both Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala are solid, but both have had better moments in other movies.
However, the A. R. Rahman score is among the most impressive he has written so far, and Santosh Sivan's cinematography, especially during the musical numbers, is close to genius; the dark mood that permeates images, music and acting from the first scene makes you wonder from very early onwards as to what end this movie may be brought. It's probably not what you expected, but it makes perfect sense. You won't be disappointed.