Dia (2020) :
Brief Review -
The old love triangle with a modern histrionic touch. Not for the sensible people who know the importance of life. You know these old love triangle formulas from the ancient days of cinema, with films like J'Accuse (1919) and Sunrise (1927) setting a benchmark, whereas a blockbuster like The Flesh And The Devil (1926) setting a formula of a love triangle with friendship. Of course, not every love triangle can become as legendary as Casablanca (1942). The formula Dia tries is not that old. It's somewhere in the 60s and 70s flicks of Bollywood, which were inspired by old Hollywood flicks of the 30s and 40s. Taking it further, the 1992 Bollywood movie "Deewana" had the same formula, but it just made a commercial blockbuster out of it and nothing else. The same story was retold in Marathi cinema with "Kunku" (1994), which added a particular mic-drop burn in the end and is, in my opinion, one of the best in the business till date. Dia is close to that film, but it gets too overdramatic and showcases life as a useless thing. As if it means nothing. Don't get the girl/boy you loved at your young age? Let's finish life. How easy and childish it is. On an interesting note, I don't know how many people noticed that the first 40 minutes of Dia did try to make an Indian version of the French sensation "Amélie" (2001). Well, I don't worship that Jean-Pierre Jeunet's flick like others, but it's a good film after all. Dia had the same vibes in the beginning when her character was self-narrating and planning things. Her boyfriend dies, and she decides to commit suicide. Well, that's only to add 5 more minutes to the runtime because we all know a heroine does not die at halfway. Come on, we are watching a 2020 flick, not 1920. She finds a new friend, who later becomes her boyfriend, but when things are off to a new beginning, her old boyfriend returns. You know those daily soap formulas, no? No one is dead unless you see his body burning in front of your eyes (sometimes they survive that crap by adding lookalikes or twins). Well, Dia has it before you can gather info from any TV serial. Things become complicated, of course, and naturally, one of them has to sacrifice love. For a change, you have two of them here, but only to follow overbuilt drama and emotions. You didn't have to stretch it till the wedding; you didn't have to stretch it till the last moment of the train. Can't you understand that these things are called overdramatic in the internet era? Someone's death should look and feel like a tragedy. Did I feel it while watching Dia? No. That too, after seeing two deaths. Why? Because they showed life is a kid's game. You can take it away anytime you feel low, just like we see children crying out loud for a toy because it means the whole world. Let's get over the immaturity. We make films for grownups, not for teenage amateurs. Dia lies far behind sensible cinema. Watch it if you believe that a two- to three-month-old love is bigger than a 100-year-old life. Rest, the formulas are known and predictable.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
The old love triangle with a modern histrionic touch. Not for the sensible people who know the importance of life. You know these old love triangle formulas from the ancient days of cinema, with films like J'Accuse (1919) and Sunrise (1927) setting a benchmark, whereas a blockbuster like The Flesh And The Devil (1926) setting a formula of a love triangle with friendship. Of course, not every love triangle can become as legendary as Casablanca (1942). The formula Dia tries is not that old. It's somewhere in the 60s and 70s flicks of Bollywood, which were inspired by old Hollywood flicks of the 30s and 40s. Taking it further, the 1992 Bollywood movie "Deewana" had the same formula, but it just made a commercial blockbuster out of it and nothing else. The same story was retold in Marathi cinema with "Kunku" (1994), which added a particular mic-drop burn in the end and is, in my opinion, one of the best in the business till date. Dia is close to that film, but it gets too overdramatic and showcases life as a useless thing. As if it means nothing. Don't get the girl/boy you loved at your young age? Let's finish life. How easy and childish it is. On an interesting note, I don't know how many people noticed that the first 40 minutes of Dia did try to make an Indian version of the French sensation "Amélie" (2001). Well, I don't worship that Jean-Pierre Jeunet's flick like others, but it's a good film after all. Dia had the same vibes in the beginning when her character was self-narrating and planning things. Her boyfriend dies, and she decides to commit suicide. Well, that's only to add 5 more minutes to the runtime because we all know a heroine does not die at halfway. Come on, we are watching a 2020 flick, not 1920. She finds a new friend, who later becomes her boyfriend, but when things are off to a new beginning, her old boyfriend returns. You know those daily soap formulas, no? No one is dead unless you see his body burning in front of your eyes (sometimes they survive that crap by adding lookalikes or twins). Well, Dia has it before you can gather info from any TV serial. Things become complicated, of course, and naturally, one of them has to sacrifice love. For a change, you have two of them here, but only to follow overbuilt drama and emotions. You didn't have to stretch it till the wedding; you didn't have to stretch it till the last moment of the train. Can't you understand that these things are called overdramatic in the internet era? Someone's death should look and feel like a tragedy. Did I feel it while watching Dia? No. That too, after seeing two deaths. Why? Because they showed life is a kid's game. You can take it away anytime you feel low, just like we see children crying out loud for a toy because it means the whole world. Let's get over the immaturity. We make films for grownups, not for teenage amateurs. Dia lies far behind sensible cinema. Watch it if you believe that a two- to three-month-old love is bigger than a 100-year-old life. Rest, the formulas are known and predictable.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.