Do Deewane Seher Mein

Though shot tastefully, the screenwriting and treatment are bland and overstretched. It is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali production where the flaws are charming, but the spark is missing. And the words that add spice to the proceedings have been muted. Conversations on body positivity and inclusivity in fashion are not new. Similarly, with the advent of private news channels, the purity of language is no longer a concern in living rooms and boardrooms. So when the makers hang the story on the twin pegs, the conflict seems overstated. The mental block, though real, remains on paper. When Shashank suggests what seems easy to others, it becomes a mountain to climb for him; it rings a bell, but the sentiment seldom seeps through the screen to grip you. While it avoids being overly melodramatic, it also shies away from deeper confrontation with the city’s harsher realities.

He earlier made MOM [2017], which was a gripping revenge saga, while YUDHRA [2024] was a slick action entertainer. Meanwhile, DO DEEWANE SEHER MEIN is miles away from these two films. There’s no violence; in fact, the male protagonist doesn’t have a beard and respects women. As a result, DO DEEWANE SEHER MEIN is like a breath of fresh air. The narrative style is a bit like that of K-Dramas, while the depiction of Mumbai gives a fond déjà vu of SAATHIYA [2002]; the only difference being that as per the changing times, the characters travel in the Metro and not in the local trains. Both are insecure in their own way and how it plays out makes for a dramatic watch. But the real strength of the film is that viewers would be able to relate to the characters and their dilemmas.

However, the screenplay does lose its grip in places, and the film begins to feel stretched. Conflicts arise but are resolved almost too conveniently, denying the audience a deeper emotional pay-off. Just when you expect the narrative to dig further, it retreats into safety. Further, the excessive advertisements at the beginning disrupt immersion, and noticeable censorship cuts slightly affect the flow. Performance-wise, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Mrunal Thakur carry the film with sincerity. Siddhant captures Shashank’s internalised insecurity with subtle restraint, while Mrunal brings quiet fragility to Roshni. Their chemistry feels organic. Their silences speak louder than their dialogues. They make you root for these characters even when the writing falters.

But the rest of it is a drag. Good actors are arrayed across dining tables and ghar ka aangans delivering the usual dialogue about shaadi, ladka, ladki, sambandh: imagine a fine ensemble — which includes Joy Sengupta, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Mona Ambegaonkar and Ila Arun– getting stuck in a rut like this.