The helpless heart) is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age tragedy romance film directed by Mukesh Chhabra in his directorial debut, and produced by Fox Star Studios, with a script written by Shashank Khaitan and Suprotim Sengputa.
Fox Star Studios acquired rights for an Indian adaptation in 2014, after which it underwent four years of casting and screenplay changes.
The film received critical acclaim, with praise for the running time, the performances of Rajput and Sanghi, direction, story, characterisation, soundtrack, cohesion and screenplay.
2016: Twenty-one-year-old Kizie Basu is fighting thyroid cancer when she meets 23-year-old Immanuel "Manny" Rajkumar Jr., who has previously suffered from osteosarcoma and is in remission.
JP's finished film premieres in an open-air theatre to a heartwarming response from the crowd, which consists of Kizie and Manny's friends and family.
In the final scene of his film, Manny breaks the fourth wall and directly speaks to Kizie, telling her to live life to the fullest, to which she replies "Seri".
[13] In late 2016, the film was considered for debutante female lead for Sara Ali Khan, who backed out[14] and her mother confirmed the project to be shelved.
[33] At the 2018 Jio MAMI Mumbai Festival, Former UTV studio head Rucha Pathak, Chief Creative Officer of Fox Star Studios, India stated that it took four years to write the script of "Kizie Aur Manny", as the "Word to Screen Market" is really bringing the world of cinema and literature together.
Pathak added that the change was to embody the theme emerging out of the title track composed by Rahman and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya.
Sanghi also joined cancer support groups and spoke to many young survivors to understand the psychological and emotional impact that an illness can have on those who get diagnosed.
She found resemblance with her real life motherly behaviours into this role, extending the "dormant mother-in-waiting went into full-on active mode".
[40] Principal photography commenced in Mumbai on 29 June 2018,[41] where Rajput shared a promotional still titled "New Beginnings" from the sets on Twitter.
[43] Post his recce, Chhabra mentioned, "I needed a place with a small town vibe and had heard a lot about Jamshedpur.
"[43] By August 2018, Farah Khan choreographed a dance number for Rajput (later deciphered as the title track "Dil Bechara").
[33] In mid-October 2018, Chhabra was suspended of services by Fox Star Studios,[45] on account of allegations for sexual harassment amidst #MeToo movement in India.
[58] Rahman's association with the project was announced by March 2018 and Sony Music Entertainment acquired the record rights by July 2018.
[61] The title track served as the lead single followed by the soundtrack release by the record label Sony Music India on 10 July 2020.
[93] On 1 September 2021, the film was made available to stream exclusively on Disney's corporate sibling Hulu, for subscribers across United States, as Hotstar ceased its operations in that country.
[98] Saibal Chatterjee for NDTV wrote, "The film will obviously always belong to Sushant Singh Rajput – on the money all the way, his performance demonstrates exactly why the chops he possessed weren't ordinary."
Sushant Singh Rajput is top notch, charismatic in light moments, makes you moist-eyed in emotional parts.
"[102] At Scroll Magazine, Udita Jhunjhunwala reviewed in positive: "Sushant Singh Rajput's final film is a moving experience.
"[103] In his review for The Hindu, Kennith Rozario said the film was a surreal experience that bridges reality and fiction although quite shallow in its storytelling.
[104] Also, Stutee Ghosh of The Quint pointed "This one is 1 hour and 40 minutes and the rush to get to the denouement robs the film of its magic making it an average affair which is a pity."
[105] Critic Baradwaj Rangan, whose review was published in Film Companion, titled: "A Watchable-Enough Romance That Offers A Small Sense Of Closure To A Big Tragedy".
Reviewing at the OTT platform Arre, Poulumi Das stated: "Dil Bechara is not the most complicated or ambitious film but it does meet its own expectations.
It is by no means a perfect film but it is not one without feeling"[106] Critic and author Anna M. M. Vetticad stated: "Dil Bechara subtracts from the positives of the original with its slipshod rewriting, sloppy editing, and ordinary production quality."
"[107] Critic Shubhra Gupta for The Indian Express acknowledged the film as "equal parts dirge and catharsis", assigning it 2.5 starts (out of 5).
"[111] In her review for The National, Aarti Jhurani praised the film length, calling it a sweet story is worth a watch for the myriad characters" She awarded a 4.5 score on a scale of 5, noting Sanghi's effortless portrayal of Kizie and Sushant Singh Rajput's bowing out with a bang.
[112] Tanul Thakur of The Wire remarked "Dil Bechara's initial segment shows that it's a smart, sharp movie.
"[116] Hannah Abraham of Cultured Vultures summarised: "While transposing the idea for Indian audiences, much of the subtlety, nuance and emotional depth of the original film seems to have seeped through the cracks."