Befikre boldest bull-s***: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was Aditya Chopra’s boldest film!

Aditya Chopra has always failed safe and Befikre looks like one more such venture. The only bold thing is liberal use of sex.

On September 27, 2015 Yash Raj Films owner Aditya Chopra announced his latest venture Befikre as his boldest film ever. It was a rather dramatic announcement (see the pic below) and it looked like YRF will give us a movie to remember. Unlike his father late Yash Chopra who gave us films like Deewar, Kabhi Kabhi, Kala Patthar and Lamhe, Aditya Chopra had restricted himself to romantic films. Cut to April 9, 2016 and all our hopes sank like Titanic after the first look of the film. Aditya Chopra’s idea of boldest was just not bold enough.

If his definition of boldness is skimpily dressed Vaani Kapoor locking lips with Ranveer Singh in a series of posters, then Aditya Chopra could have done without the boldness crap. Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was infact his boldest. The film was dripping with culture and Aditya Chopra was in his early 20s when he directed the film. The mother-daughter relation between Farida Jalal and Kajol, the father-son scenes between Shahrukh Khan and Anupam Kher or Shahrukh Khan trying to please Amrish Puri. That was bold. Unfortunately, that was the best of Aditya Chopra we saw – first and last. His remaining two directorial ventures in the last twenty one years – Mohabbatein and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – have been a big disappointment.

Aditya Chopra heads one of the biggest movie production houses in the country and they churn out movies with hot saleable stars. All the big names in the industry today, the three Khans including, have been working with Yash Raj and if news is to be believed 2017 will see three Khans in a Yash Raj production – in three different films (in case you thought Aditya Chopra managed a feat which only Rajat Sharma could so far). ALSO READ: Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor’s Befikre: No strings attached or soft porn?

Following the Befikre announcement, we all thought like his good friend Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra too will be graduating to more serious or meaningful cinema. The first poster came out and we kept our fingers crossed. Second poster left us wondering what exactly is on offer here. The next two confirmed our worst fears – the boldest film that Aditya Chopra was shouting from rooftops was nothing but crap. The trailer released on October 10 in Paris only re-confirmed that Yash Raj Films scion has completely lost it. There was nothing in the posters to suggest this was the boldest film ever. If Aditya Chopra meant his lead actors kissing in a film directed by him was the boldest – then yes it is his boldest. But two actors kissing and kissing and kissing and having sex out in the open – is that your idea of boldness Aditya Chopra? Why go all the way to Paris? You can find many such scenes right here in Mumbai.

In none of his past films the kiss has not been that prominent. Check the Mohabbatein poster. Shahrukh is averse to kissing in his films so his debut directorial venture Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ in case you are wondering I have not seen this one) was without a kiss and so were the next two releases Mohabbatein and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. If Befikre posters are anything to go by, they seem like Mohabbatein Part II – of course the director gets more bold here and instead of just a brush of lips you get a full fledged kissing lesson by Ranvir Singh and Vaani Kapoor. The trailer however gives you a feeling of seen it before – may be another dud by Yash Raj films Neel n Nikki.

Aditya Chopra directed Mohabbetin, which he made for brother Uday Chopra, had the same skimpily dressed Kim Sharma and Shamita Shetty. Chopra junior moved around displaying his visits to the gym over the months thinking that was all he needed to bag his next film. But lets keep that discussion for some other time.

The problem with big production houses or big directors is to make a simple film. If Aditya Chopra or Yash Raj Films were to make a Sairat – that is easy to accept as his boldest film. But recycling tried and tested formula, using a bankable star and getting the best of the location and passing it off as the boldest film is a bit hard to digest. But the tragedy with Hindi films these days is they cannot do without a love making scene or a kiss. They are a must and that is why perhaps Sairat script to a big production house would have looked completely different and lost its essence. In a way it was good that Sairat was not backed by these big production houses.

To be fair, Yash Raj Films has produced gems like Chak De, Dum Laga Ke Haisha or Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year. But Aditya Chopra the director has always played it safe and has not challenged himself. That is why it is safe to say Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was his boldest film. The lead pair do not make out in the sarson da fields, there is no kiss or item song and the characters are believable. Can we say the same about Befikre after watching the 2.41 minute trailer or the first song? Lets hold our horses till December 9 when Befikre hits the theatre and see if Aditya Chopra actually meant what he said.