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What happened after Simran boarded the train, dripping with love for Raj in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge? Life. Life happened. Marriage, responsibilities, children…you get the drift. And that, in one line, is Chand Mera Dil, which talks about how love is tested in different ways.
The story revolves around Chandni (Ananya Panday) and Aarav (Lakshya), who meet at a college in Hyderabad, fall in love, and soon find themselves dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. She decides to keep the child, the two get married and…it all goes downhill from there. One argument, born out of mounting frustration, turns physical, and what follows is best discovered when you watch the film yourself.
Directed by Vivek Soni (also the writer), I have got to give Chand Mera Dil one thing: it's consistent. The first 30 minutes make you facepalm just as hard as the last 30. Love stories are meant to be sappy, and I am all for it. But that doesn’t mean we should be subjected to college students texting each other “I just hugged you” and “I just hugged you back” in the middle of a lecture.
And that, right there, is one of the film’s biggest shortcomings. When the love story itself fails to convince you, how are you expected to invest in the marriage that follows? How does their pain truly connect with the viewer?
But wait. There is a film here. A genuinely interesting one, buried somewhere between the cringe-filled beginning and the exhausting end. Whenever Chand Mera Dil shifts its focus to life after the honeymoon phase, it comes alive. The moment the conflict kicks in, the film pulls you in and surprises you with genuinely solid drama.
The second half thus begins on a promising note. And then the makers get carried away, seemingly unaware that the film is entering its climax with an almost empty fuel tank.
Lakshya delivers a genuinely sincere performance in a role that demands a great deal emotionally. When he breaks down on screen, the anguish seems real. But what’s a love story without chemistry? Locking lips, unfortunately, is not enough. Ananya Panday emerges as the weaker link here. She looks pretty and performs well in the heavier emotional scenes, but in the romance department, her efforts fall considerably short.
The music by Sachin-Jigar is nice, and two tracks stood out for yours truly: Ishaq Nibhaavan and the title track. But if the makers were aiming for a Saiyaara-like effect, it's not quite there.
Overall, Chand Mera Dil's central conflict- the man's moment of violence towards his partner- is bound to spark conversation. Love has no place for violence. But love is also, at times, about second chances. It’s complicated and messy. Just like the flaws which prevent this film from being an easy recommendation. Ughh.
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