Dil Bechara

Sushant Singh Rajput's turn as Manny dominates nearly every account, with viewers pointing to specifics rather than generalities — the walk he built for the character, the way his entry scene lands, the eyes doing the work, the line he delivers to Kizie that many say has stayed with them. Sanjana Sanghi draws warm notice too, several praising the tenderness she brings to Kizie, though a handful judge the supporting cast merely adequate by comparison. A. R. Rahman's songs come up constantly, described as soul-touching and endlessly replayable, and viewers repeatedly frame the film as a blend of humour and heartbreak rather than pure tragedy.

Comparisons to The Fault in Our Stars run through the responses in both directions. Many who know the book or the Hollywood version argue this adaptation improves on them, crediting the screenplay and the Indian cultural texture — a mother travelling along, the choice of vehicle, the local setting. Others find the transposition clumsy, singling out the swap from an unfinished book to an unfinished album as a change that never quite holds up, plus cheesy dialogue, plot holes and rushed sequences. Debutant director Mukesh Chhabra gets credit from admirers and blame from detractors for the same material.

The loudest fault line is not about craft at all but about whether grief is doing the grading. A vocal minority argues openly that the outpouring reflects Rajput's death rather than the film, one urging newcomers toward Sonchiriya, Kai Po Che and Chhichhore as the better showcases; harsher voices call the writing weak, the songs irritating and the story predictable. Many enthusiastic viewers concede the point in advance, insisting their reaction is to the performance itself, while a large share of comments turn away from the film entirely toward Bollywood nepotism and the actor's memory.

Written from the reviews Rankquant collected for this title, and AI-curated from them. Opinions are the reviewers', not Rankquant's.