In Chand Mera Dil, there is a scene where two characters stare at one another, the world around them ceases to exist for just a moment as they share this moment. This one moment encapsulates all that Chand Mera Dil attempts to be; An epic long-lasting love story created throughout two people’s emotions as they experience love, life, expectations and trying to figure themselves out. Chand Mera Dil arrives at some emotionally high moments very well, it also does not find a lot of success achieving emotional balance trying to simultaneously cover many plot points at once. The movie provides enough warmth in its story to make audiences feel invested in their heart.
Under the direction of Vivek Soni, Chand Mera Dil opens as an adolescent-style fantasy that explores college love, featuring the unlikely couple of Aarav (Lakshya) and Chandni (Ananya Panday) through traditional Bollywood “Romantic” tropes such as shared longing looks/feelings, passionate love declarations and meaningful vows. However, the film does not remain purely romantic after its opening scenes; after establishing the romance between the main characters, the plot development quickly adds a dramatic element through the introduction of issues such as emotional baggage, maturation, obligations and the realities of life after “the initial spark”. This transition goes from a typical college love story to a more serious drama about emotional scars and maturing into adulthood.
The screenplay is the primary weakness of the film, which often appears torn between its desire to tell an idealistic romance that resembles a Karan Johar movie and a more realistic depiction of real relationships. It addresses numerous themes: trauma, relationships, marriage, expectation and personal growth, but frequently does not know how to give each theme sufficient space to develop. There are parts of the film where the emotions had much power, but then there were also parts of the film, as a result of poor pacing or using melodrama, where we feel the film is trying too hard to create a strong emotional impact on the audience in every scene.
Despite having significant issues with the screenplay, Vivek Soni is to be congratulated for the ambition he displayed in directing the film; Chand Mera Dil has stunning visuals. The film very clearly displayed how love should feel in films, the composition, soft lighting, and music provided sufficient energy to create an idealistic atmosphere. As a result of all of this visual finesse, even when there were problems with the flow and continuity of the movie, you hardly ever felt like you were removed from the overall emotional context of the film.
Performance-wise, the film belongs largely to Lakshya and Ananya. Lakshya continues to demonstrate an organic presence on screen and evokes emotion through genuine sincerity and restraint rather than overreaction; his quiet intensity is a key attribute in romantic drama. Meanwhile, Ananya Panday shows the level of confidence displayed in her recent performances; the emotional aspects of the character were comfortable for her and she executed vulnerable moments with authenticity. While Ananya will not likely be remembered for a breakthrough performance, she is able to embody the character of Chandni with sincerity.
Then there is the chemistry, which is probably the most important aspect in any romantic movie. The duo of Lakshya and Ananya really worked well; their chemistry is not over-the-top or instantaneously iconic, but rather a developing chemistry that continues to grow in your mind. They do have some scenes where the two share moments that are very believable due to the fact that you care about them as a couple; this is very true when considering all of the promotional material that was used prior to the release of the film.
Chand Mera Dil is not your traditional love story. It fumbles around and may get lost within its many emotional entanglements. However, underneath all of this confusion lies a film that has something to say, and that is about how love evolves and, at times, becomes painful through the passing of time only to find a way to endure.
Chand Mera Dil is a film that may not touch the moon, but still manages to catch enough moonlight along the way.
Rating: 3.5/5
