After a long time, here's a film that does justice to the people whose stories are never heard or written about, notes Divya Nair.
Bollywood just delivered a blockbuster with Saiyaara.
Now, we have Dhadak 2.
First things first. When I first watched the trailer, honestly, I cursed.
I thought they were going to ruin another brilliant film with a cheap remake. But Dhadak 2 proved me wrong!
My humble suggestion: Those who have watched the original Tamil film, Pariyerum Perumal should probably leave their biases behind before entering the theatre and watch Dhadak 2 as a fresh production.
When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty: This is the disclaimer the film begins with.
Here, you are warned that this is not a love story or an easy film for the faint-hearted.
Siddhant Chaturvedi plays Neelesh Ahirwar, an aspiring law student who gets through a top law university on a reservation quota. His classmates include students with surnames like Upadhyay, Verma, Agarwal, and, of course, Vidhi Bhardwaj (Tripti Dimri) and Raunak Bhardwaj (Saad Bilgrami).
Director Shazia Iqbal has done her homework well and gets the characterisation right.
In his first lecture, when Neelesh identifies himself as just Neelesh or Neelesh BA LLB, he doesn't spell it out. But you are aware that he is not proud of his background, what his parents do, or where he lives.
When someone asks where he lives, he would rather say Vijay Nagar, not Bheem Nagar.
As advised by his principal, Neelesh chooses to stay out of politics and activism so he can focus on his dream of becoming a lawyer.
But not a day goes when he is not reminded of his caste or lack of privilege.
The beauty of Dhadak 2 doesn't lie in giving a voice to the harassment and bullying, but also in capturing the quiet, everyday fight for survival. Like when his neighbour casually asks Neelesh if he got in through quota, he retorts, 'donation?' and that puts him in place.
Alongside Neelesh's struggle, there are so many parallel stories of India that would usually get buried in the less important pages of a newspaper.
There is a fixer (Saurabh Saxena) who wouldn't mind killing an innocent Dalit boy or a young upper caste girl simply because one of them dared to fall in love beyond the burden of their caste. Worse? He calls these cold-blooded murders 'samaj seva'.
There is a fearless student, who is fighting for a Dalit fellowship who tries to reason why reservation is relevant even after so many years.
And there is Vipin Sharma as the Dalit father who fought so he could work as a nautanki (trans-dancer).
Each story is presented with earnest intent, and that's why the incidents tug at your heart.
Each time Neelesh is abused, perhaps the intensity is not as hard-hitting as the original, but the impact is the same.
It is designed to make your blood boil, and each time he fights back, you'd want to grit your teeth and punch back too.
Siddhant is a startling actor and delivers one of his career-best performances even with his limited range of facial expressions.
He is not as raw or emotionally deep as Kathir, but he can make you wince and angry when he is in pain.
Dhadak 2 punches your gut right where it hurts. And that is the success of the film.
Several scenes will make you instinctively stand up and applaud the writers.
Like when his activist senior says, 'Tumhari ladaai bhook se nahi, haq se hai.'
Or when his principal gives him life-altering advice.
Or when his dad reminds him of his larger purpose, 'Tum kis ke liye ladh rahe ho?'
Vidhi is the feisty opposite of Neelesh, who lights up his otherwise uninspiring life.
Tripti breathes energy into the film.
Her emotional scenes are the best -- from the awkward first kiss to the way she expresses her aggression and angst against her orthodox family.
This is a performance-heavy film, and the chemistry between characters is as organic or awkward as it can get.
While Dhadak 2 has its intense moments, there are so many light-hearted scenes as well.
Dhadak 2 doesn't preach, but reminds us of the privilege some of us have and also the lack of it.
After a long time, here's a film that does justice to the people whose stories are never heard or written about.
Dhadak 2 deserves to be celebrated, watched, and streamed in as many theatres in India and abroad so more people, including the less privileged, find the courage to live and tell their truth.
Dhadak 2 Review Rediff Rating: 
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