A still from the movie, 'Dil Bechara'.

Gulf Today Report

Let us just pretend I am not dying. That line does become more than a film dialogue when Sushant Singh Rajput utters it at one point. It sounds eerie, is ironic given the sadness it exudes and, in retrospect, would seem to have a discomforting note of prophecy somewhere.

Late Sushant Singh Rajput's film ‘Dil Bechara’ left everyone emotional when it premiered on Disney Plus Hotstar on Friday. Directed by Mukesh Chhabra and also starring Sanjana Sanghi, the film is an official Hindi adaptation of Hollywood film ‘The Fault In Our Stars’.

Within minutes of the release, Dil Bechara witnessed viewers taking over the OTT platform to watch Sushant's last film, due to which the site reportedly got crashed for some time. On the other hand, the film also broke the record as its IMDb rating climbed to 10 within half an hour of the release. With over 21,000 votes, the current IMDb rating of Dil Bechara stands at 9.8.

Rhea Chakraborty, girlfriend of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh, remembered him with an emotional post on the release day of his last film on Friday.

"It will take every ounce of strength in me to watch you. You are here with me, I know you are... I will celebrate you and your love, The Hero of my life.. I know you will be watching this with us," Rhea shared on her verified Instagram account on Friday.

Sanjana Sanghi in "Dil Bechara” has a special message for her late co-star Sushant on the day of release of his last film.

Referring to Sushant as Manny, his screen name in the film, Sanjana wrote on her verified Instagram account: "My Manny, I hope you're looking over us, blessing us, and smiling upon us as we are, looking up at you, searching for you, in equal parts awe and disbelief.

"As @castingchhabra so correctly said, how could both our debut films ever be his last? Life is just so not fair."

"Thank you for giving us the strength in ways known and unknown to somehow brave through this incredibly tough path. We can feel the strength every minute. It's the only silver lining amidst so many dark clouds."

"The day apparently has come. It's #DilBecharaDay. Here's praying for peace, positivity and calm to each and every one. Milte hain.”

"Dil Bechara" can perhaps never be regarded or dissected as just another Bollywood film, whatever its cinematic quality or flaws. This is the last time Sushant connects with his fans doing what he did best – acting – and he does so in a film about death. Watching him go, you are reminded once again he was an artiste who could simply, effortlessly turn a mundane scene into something endearing.

Indeed, mundane is the word that comes to mind. Mukesh Chhabra's directorial debut plays out like an action replay of the original film it is an official remake of. For the love of laziness, Chhabra and his screenwriters have actually copied several scenes ditto from "The Fault In Our Stars".

Sushant and Sanjana strike up as much chemistry as the tearjerker melodrama lets them. They are Emmanuel Rajkumar Jr (Manny for short) and Kizie Basu -- which explains the film's original title "Kizie Aur Manny" -- and their love story starts off hinged on the tested formula of 'opposites attract'.

The normally withdrawn Kizie is suffering from thyroid cancer and she finds solace visiting graveyards to watch funerals of strangers. Soon enough, though, a rush of comic drama hurtles into the narrative, when Kizie bumps into the effervescent Manny, who is in remission after osteosarcoma left him with a severed leg.

Manny's buddy JP is suffering from glaucoma, and their dream is to make a Bhojpuri film inspired by Rajnikanth hits. Manny asks Kizie if she would be the heroine of their film. Although she dismisses it as a joke initially, she is irresistibly drawn to Manny's exuberance.

In a nutshell, "Dil Bechara" looked promising with its advantage of a saleable imported story material, plus good acting and songs, besides the overwhelming memory of Sushant Singh Rajput that makes every frame seem just that much more special. Yet, the original storyline is lost in translation as the makers resort to mindless rehashing. Somewhere, you feel Sushant should have had a superior final bow.