Dil Dhadakne Do (transl. "Let the heart beat") is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language family comedy drama film directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar through Excel Entertainment. The film features Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, and Farhan Akhtar, with Aamir Khan providing a voice-over narration. It follows the story of the Mehras, a family with problems who gather for a 10-day cruise trip to celebrate their parents' 30th wedding anniversary and eventually work through their issues.
Zoya Akhtar created the film to focus on the relationship between a brother and sister. She aimed to show a realistic sibling connection, different from the exaggerated portrayals often seen in Bollywood films. She wrote the script with her friend and longtime collaborator Reema Kagti, while Farhan Akhtar wrote the dialogue. Most of the filming took place on the Pullmantur Cruises ship MS Sovereign as it traveled through the Mediterranean and Europe, as well as on land in France, Spain, Italy, Tunisia, and Turkey.
The film's music was composed by Shankar, Ehsaan, and Loy, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It was released worldwide on June 5, 2015, and received positive reviews from critics. They praised the performances of Kapoor, Shah, Chopra, and Singh, as well as Akhtar's direction, the music, cinematography, and costumes. However, some critics noted that the film's long runtime and final scene were weaknesses. Despite this, the movie was a commercial success, earning 1.44 billion rupees (equivalent to 2.2 billion rupees or $26 million in 2023) with a budget of 550 million rupees (equivalent to 830 million rupees or $9.8 million in 2023).
At the 61st Filmfare Awards, Dil Dhadakne Do received five nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for both Shah and Sharma, and won Best Supporting Actor for Kapoor. It also earned nine nominations at the 2016 Screen Awards, including Best Film and Best Director (Zoya Akhtar), and won two awards: Best Supporting Actor (Kapoor) and Best Ensemble Cast.
Plot
Kamal Mehra is a wealthy businessman from Delhi who built his own company, AyKa, which is close to going out of business. He has a difficult relationship with his wife, Neelam, and their children, Ayesha and Kabir. Ayesha runs a successful travel business in Mumbai but is unhappy in her marriage to Manav Sangha, who is controlling and does not get along with her family. Kabir works in his father’s business but dreams of becoming a pilot.
Kamal and Neelam invite their family and friends on a 10-day cruise across the Mediterranean Sea to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. Their guests include the Sood family. Kamal and Neelam plan to arrange Kabir’s marriage to Noorie, the Soods’ daughter, in exchange for her father, Lalit, investing in AyKa to save the company. Kabir falls in love with Farah Ali, a dancer and performer on the cruise from London. Noorie develops feelings for Rana, the son of the Soods’ rivals, the Khannas. Ayesha wants to end her marriage to Manav but faces pressure from her family to have children, though she has been using birth control without anyone knowing. Sunny Gill, the son of Kamal’s manager, Amrish, joins the trip. Sunny is a childhood friend of Ayesha and Kabir and was once in love with Ayesha, but Kamal paid for Sunny’s scholarship to Yale to end their relationship. Now a successful journalist, Sunny still respects Ayesha’s independence and supports her. Ayesha’s parents do not support her decision to divorce Manav.
Neelam sees Kamal flirting with another guest and struggles with her decision not to leave him despite his past dishonesty. Ayesha kisses Sunny, surprising both of them. Kabir creates a fake engagement plan with Noorie and Rana to win their families’ approval. Farah learns about Kabir’s planned marriage to Noorie and leaves the cruise. Kamal sees Noorie with Rana and realizes Kabir and Noorie are not truly together, which causes him to have a heart attack that is later found to be caused by gas. The Mehra family has an honest discussion about Kamal’s past infidelity, Neelam’s sacrifices, Ayesha’s divorce, and Kabir’s dream to become a pilot.
Kabir accuses his parents of being hypocritical and reveals he is in love with Farah and wants to leave the family business. He suggests Ayesha should be allowed to continue with her divorce. Kamal and Neelam refuse, claiming marriage is a lifelong commitment. Kabir becomes angry, pointing out that the family has known about Kamal’s past dishonesty and Neelam’s choice to stay for reputation. Neelam tells Kamal she had no choice because her family would not accept her back. Kamal realizes his mistake and asks for Neelam’s forgiveness. Kamal confronts Manav for mistreating Ayesha and orders him and his mother to leave. Kamal and Neelam agree to divorce and apologize to Ayesha.
Farah is fired from her job for being in a romantic relationship with a passenger and is told to leave the ship. Kabir learns about her dismissal after the cruise begins. He tells Sunny about Ayesha’s upcoming divorce and publicly rejects his planned marriage to Noorie, allowing her to be with Rana. Kabir jumps off the ship to swim to shore, believing his family will save him. Kamal, Neelam, and Ayesha get into a lifeboat with help from friends. Ayesha asks Sunny if he will wait for her, and he replies, “Forever.” The family rescues Kabir and searches for Farah while being chased by the ship’s crew. The Mehra family is shown to be happier and closer together.
Production
In March 2012, Excel Entertainment shared news about its upcoming films, including a new movie by Zoya Akhtar. This film would follow her 2011 movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Reports said she was writing a script and filming would begin in December 2012. Akhtar denied these claims, stating she had not yet started writing her next script. In May 2012, media reported she was already working on the script. By July, it was said the story focused on siblings, partly inspired by Akhtar and her brother, Farhan Akhtar. Farhan later said the film was not based on their real lives and was entirely fictional. In November 2012, Akhtar confirmed she was still writing the script and that the film would be a family drama.
Akhtar wrote the screenplay with her longtime friend Reema Kagti. She wanted to create a family drama centered on a brother-sister relationship, which she felt was not well shown in Indian films. She believed such relationships were often portrayed in a way that did not reflect real life. Akhtar wanted to show how brother-sister bonds are important and how families can be both flawed and unique. She said, "The beauty of families lies in their flaws."
When asked if the film was based on her life, Akhtar said it was not. She explained the characters were inspired by people she knew, such as friends and families, and observations from books and news. Kagti and Akhtar also noted they studied people at wedding parties in Delhi while writing the script. They added a dog named Pluto to the story to help bring the characters together. The film includes 25 characters and the dog.
Akhtar and Kagti chose to set the story on a cruise ship instead of a hill station. They said this would keep the characters together, symbolizing how families are stuck with each other on life’s journey. The film’s title, Dil Dhadakne Do, was chosen because it is catchy and references a song from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
In May 2012, media reported that Kareena Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor were cast as siblings. Later, Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif joined the cast. In June 2013, Ranbir left due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Ranveer Singh. Kareena also left after her cousin’s departure, saying she could not commit to the three-month filming schedule. Priyanka Chopra was cast in her place. Anil Kapoor joined the cast in October 2013 to play Chopra and Singh’s father.
Farhan Akhtar confirmed he would act in the film in December 2013. Anushka Sharma was cast as Singh’s love interest in January 2014. Madhuri Dixit, Tabu, and Raveena Tandon were approached for the role of the mother but declined. Shefali Shah accepted the part. Newcomer Ridhima Sud and Rahul Bose joined the cast later.
Aamir Khan’s voice was used for Pluto, the dog, but this was leaked before the film’s release. Javed Akhtar originally provided Pluto’s voice, but Akhtar asked Aamir Khan to take over after watching the film. Khan agreed, saying he was honored to be part of the project.
Zoya Akhtar spent a year convincing Anil Kapoor to join the film. Farhan Akhtar also spoke to Kapoor about the role. Kapoor finally agreed when Javed Akhtar approached him on his daughter’s behalf. Kapoor described his character, Kamal Mehra, as a powerful businessman who puts his family’s needs aside for his business.
Shefali Shah described her character, Neelam Mehra, as a strong but complex woman who hides her true feelings. She said the role was one of the best scripts she had read. To prepare, she studied Neelam’s history and personality.
Priyanka Chopra described her character, Ayesha Mehra, as strong yet unsure about love and marriage. She had to lose weight after playing a boxer in Mary Kom (2014) to fit her new role.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Dil Dhadakne Do was composed by the group Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, and the lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar. The album includes five original songs. The vocals are performed by Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Sukriti Kakar, Siddharth Mahadevan, Shankar Mahadevan, Yashita Sharma, Manish Kumar Tipu, Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Vishal Dadlani, Divya Kumar, and Alyssa Mendonsa. The album was released on May 2, 2015, by T-Series.
Release
Dil Dhadakne Do was one of the most exciting movies in 2015 because it featured many famous actors and was directed by Akhtar, who had previously made successful films like Luck By Chance and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. On July 21, 2014, almost a year before the movie was released, the first-look teaser poster was shared. It showed six main characters and their family dog sunbathing on a cruise deck, but the poster did not reveal the actors' faces, making people curious about who they were. A few days later, a full poster was released, showing the actors from the front. In April 2015, seven character posters, including one for the family dog named Pluto, were shared. These posters created a lot of excitement for the film. The trailer was highly expected by the media because the story was kept a secret.
To highlight the film’s theme, Akhtar and Kapoor invited friends and family to a private screening of the trailer. The official posters for the movie’s theatrical release were shared before the trailer. The official trailer, which was almost three minutes long, was released on April 15, 2015, and was viewed more than one million times in less than 24 hours. The media praised the trailer, calling it promising. Alaka Sahani of The Indian Express described it as "overwhelming" and noted, "The top view of the cruise line with the ocean in the background, beautiful foreign locations, and stylish people make for strong visuals. However, beneath the surface, the story focuses on a family struggling to appear normal to the world."
Dil Dhadakne Do was released on June 5, 2015, in 2,300 theaters worldwide with a budget of ₹580 million. According to Box Office India, the film was expected to do well in major Indian cities but predicted to perform even better overseas because of its unique story. Distributed by Big Home Entertainment, the movie was released on DVD in all regions on August 30, 2015, as a two-disc pack in NTSC widescreen format. Bonus content included behind-the-scenes footage and deleted scenes. A VCD version was also released at the same time. The Blu-ray version came out on September 5, 2015. The film first aired on Indian television on October 24, 2015, on Zee Cinema.
Reception
Dil Dhadakne Do received positive reviews for the cast's performances, humor, cinematography, music, costumes, and direction. However, some critics noted that the film's length and ending were not well received. In a 4-star review for Mumbai Mirror, critic Kunal Guha called the film an "emotional roller-coaster" and compared Zoya Akhtar's direction to that of Woody Allen and Wes Anderson. He praised the cast's performances. Rajiv Vijayakar from India-West gave the film 4 stars, calling it "entertaining with stellar performances" and complimenting Akhtar's direction and writing. He noted that Akhtar captured emotions well and provided insightful views on relationships. Srijana Mitra Das of The Times of India gave the film 4 stars, praising the lead actors' performances and writing. She wrote, "A few parts could be tighter, but these are small issues on an otherwise beautiful experience." Shubha Shetty-Saha of Mid-Day gave the film 4 stars, calling it both entertaining and deeper than it seemed at first. She especially praised the performances of Chopra and Singh, saying they created one of the best sibling relationships in Hindi films.
A reviewer from Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3.5 stars, praising Akhtar's direction for making the film look effortless. Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times also gave the film 3.5 stars, commending the performances of Kapoor, Shah, and Chopra, as well as the film's high production quality. She noted the film's beautiful settings, such as ships, towns in Turkey and Greece, and stylish fashion. Rachit Gupta of Filmfare described the film as a "spunky comedy" and said the lead actors' performances were the main reason for its success. Sonia Chopra from Sify gave the film 3.5 stars, calling it a film with a "robust heartbeat" and praising Akhtar's ability to create real characters. She noted the film's mix of romance, social themes, and interesting settings.
Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave the film 3 stars, saying that despite its flaws, the performances of Kapoor and Ranveer made it enjoyable. He praised Kapoor's acting and Ranveer's emotional range. Film critic Rajeev Masand of News18 gave the film 3 stars, calling the lead actors' performances "absolutely riveting" and praising the humor in the screenplay. However, he criticized the film's pacing and ending, calling them "silly." Mayank Shekhar of ABP News gave the film 3 stars, saying the film was "too long" and "too slow," but noted its realistic portrayal of relationships and life. Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave the film 3 stars, calling it "too simple" but praising its charm.
Ritika Bhatia of Business Standard said the film had enjoyable moments but was too long. She called it "ambitious" but "meandering." Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters called it Akhtar's weakest film, saying she tried to tell too many stories. Sarita A. Tanwar of Daily News and Analysis gave the film 2.5 stars, saying it would have been more enjoyable if it were shorter and more focused.
Dil Dhadakne Do had a strong opening, collecting ₹100 million on its first day. It earned ₹120 million on the second day and ₹140 million on the third day, totaling ₹360 million for its opening weekend in India. The film had the highest overseas opening of the year for an Indian film, collecting ₹195 million in its first weekend abroad. It debuted at number 9 on the UK box office, earning $330,000 in its opening weekend. The film's total worldwide opening weekend was ₹675 million, making it the top worldwide opener for an Indian film at the time.
On its first Monday, the film's earnings dropped 40%, collecting ₹57.5 million. It earned ₹550 million in its first week in India and over ₹980 million worldwide. In its second weekend, it earned ₹100 million. During its theatrical run, the film grossed over ₹1 billion in India and ₹450 million worldwide, totaling ₹1.45 billion globally.
Accolades
The movie Dil Dhadakne Do received many awards, especially for its actors. It received 5 Filmfare nominations and won the award for Best Supporting Actor, given to Kapoor. The film was nominated in 9 categories at the 2016 Screen Awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Akhtar, and Best Actress for Chopra. It won two awards: Best Supporting Actor for Kapoor and Best Ensemble Cast. At the 2015 Stardust Awards, the film received 5 nominations, such as Actor of the Year – Female for Chopra and Actor of the Year – Male for Singh. It won three awards: Best Supporting Actor for Kapoor, Best Supporting Actress for Shah, and Best Costume Design.