Dhadak
Dhadak is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Shashank Khaitan and produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Productions.[1][2] The film stars Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter in their Bollywood debuts as a young couple from differing social strata whose romance defies familial and societal opposition rooted in class and caste divides.[1][3] It was released on 20 July 2018 and serves as an adaptation of the 2016 Marathi film Sairat, relocating the story from rural Maharashtra to Rajasthan while altering key elements, including the tragic conclusion of the original.[2][4][5] The narrative follows Madhvi, the daughter of a powerful politician, and her lover Randeep, a college student from a modest fisherman family, as they elope and confront violent repercussions from her father's henchmen.[1] Despite its commercial intent to broaden appeal, Dhadak drew criticism for softening the caste-based brutality and realism of Sairat, opting instead for a more conventional Bollywood resolution that critics argued undermined the source material's unflinching portrayal of honor killings and social inequities.[5][6] Composed by Ajay–Atul, who also scored the original, the soundtrack featured hits like the title track, contributing to its appeal among younger audiences.[7] Dhadak achieved notable box office success for a newcomer-led project, grossing approximately ₹74 crore nett in India and over ₹112 crore worldwide, with an opening day collection of ₹8.71 crore that set a record for debutant stars at the time.[8][9] Reviews were mixed, with praise for the leads' chemistry and fresh faces but frequent rebukes for uneven pacing, superficial handling of themes, and failure to match Sairat's raw intensity and cultural specificity.[10][11] The film marked Kapoor's entry following her mother Sridevi's legacy, though it highlighted broader debates on Bollywood's tendency to dilute regional narratives for mass-market consumption.[3][6]
Origins and Development
Inspiration from Sairat
Sairat, a Marathi-language film directed by Nagraj Manjule, was released on April 29, 2016, and produced on a budget of approximately ₹4 crore.[12][13] The film achieved unprecedented commercial success for a regional production, grossing over ₹100 crore worldwide and establishing itself as the highest-earning Marathi film at the time.[12][13] Its narrative centered on an inter-caste romance confronted by societal violence, drawing from rural Maharashtra's social realities.[14] Dharma Productions, under Karan Johar, acquired the Hindi remake rights to Sairat in November 2016, partnering with original producers Zee Studios.[15][16] Nagraj Manjule received story credit for the adaptation but had no further involvement in its production.[5] The remake aimed to leverage Sairat's nationwide resonance while tailoring the story for a Hindi-speaking audience, including alterations to broaden appeal beyond Maharashtra-specific caste identities toward a more generalized rural-urban and class-based conflict.[14] Director Shashank Khaitan retained core elements like caste differences and honor-related tensions but introduced variations to suit Bollywood conventions.[17]Pre-production and scripting
Shashank Khaitan was appointed as the writer and director for Dhadak, the Hindi adaptation of the Marathi film Sairat, with production house Dharma Productions acquiring remake rights in 2016 and publicly announcing the project on November 15, 2017, via a first-look poster shared by producer Karan Johar.[18][19] Pre-production logistics focused on aligning the project with Hindi commercial cinema standards, including location scouting in Rajasthan—Khaitan's home state—to replace the original's rural Maharashtra setting, while budgeting approximately ₹35–41 crore to enable polished visuals and sets exceeding Sairat's modest ₹1.5 crore scale.[20][21][9] Khaitan scripted the adaptation independently, emphasizing interpretive differences over a scene-for-scene replica, as he described it as "not a remake" but a reimagining tailored to broader accessibility.[22][23] Key modifications decided during scripting included toning down Sairat's raw grit and explicit caste confrontations—shifting focus toward class divides—and altering the original's honor-killing tragedy to a hopeful family reconciliation, a choice Khaitan justified as fitting Hindi audiences' preference for uplifting resolutions in romance narratives.[24][25] These changes prioritized mass appeal and visual aesthetics, with higher funding allocated for lavish costumes and locations over the source material's documentary-style realism.[26][27] Principal photography was scheduled to commence on December 1, 2017, in Udaipur, marking the transition from pre-production scripting to on-location execution.[28][14]Production
Casting decisions
Director Shashank Khaitan cast debutants Janhvi Kapoor as Parthavi Rathore, the affluent landlord's daughter, and Ishaan Khatter as Madhukar "Madhu" Bhagla, the lower-caste suitor, in early 2017, with producer Karan Johar unveiling the film's poster on November 15, 2017, to launch Kapoor under his Dharma Productions banner.[29] Kapoor's selection leveraged her lineage as the daughter of actress Sridevi, positioning the project as a high-profile debut vehicle amid industry anticipation for her entry.[30] Khaitan later stated that no parental influence dictated the choices, citing the actors' inherent diligence and suitability discerned through initial evaluations, including a pivotal photoshoot that confirmed their pairing.[31][32] Kapoor's casting followed a rigorous audition spanning three to four months, initiated via an introduction through designer Manish Malhotra to Johar, who facilitated her meeting with Khaitan; the process involved repeated screen tests and acting drills that Kapoor likened to an impromptu workshop, amid prolonged uncertainty before final approval.[33] In contrast, Khatter drew on informal prior exposure from his family's industry connections— as the half-brother of actor Shahid Kapoor—opting against structured acting classes in favor of experiential preparation, including targeted research into regional dialects and dialects advised by Shahid for authenticity in the Rajasthan-set narrative.[34][35] Veteran actor Ashutosh Rana was selected for the pivotal supporting role of Ratan Singh Rathore, Parthavi's authoritative father and caste enforcer, capitalizing on his decades of portrayals of commanding, often antagonistic patriarchs in Hindi cinema to anchor the familial conflict.[36] This choice aligned with the film's need for a seasoned presence to embody entrenched social hierarchies, drawing from Rana's established typecasting in such dynamics while allowing South Indian influences to inform his approach without Bollywood's rigid stereotypes.[37]Filming and technical aspects
Principal photography for Dhadak began on November 29, 2017, in Udaipur, Rajasthan, capturing the rural and palatial settings that evoke a sense of glamour suited to the story's transposed backdrop.[38] Filming continued across various sites in Rajasthan, including Jaipur's gardens and temples such as Sisodia Rani Bagh and Jagat Shiromani Temple, to represent the protagonists' origins.[39] Additional sequences were shot on constructed sets in Mumbai studios mimicking Rajasthan's architecture, like Chittor Fort, and in Kolkata for urban elopement scenes at locations including Victoria Memorial and Howrah Station.[40][41] The shoot wrapped in early 2018, with the final schedule in Kolkata completing by late March.[42] Cinematographer Vishnu Rao oversaw the visual capture, employing a stylized, luminous aesthetic with smooth tracking shots and enhanced color grading to emphasize romantic idealism, diverging from the source material Sairat's raw, handheld documentary-style realism.[7] This approach utilized high-end digital cameras and post-processing for a polished sheen, aligning with the production's commercial Hindi cinema sensibilities rather than gritty regional authenticity.[7] Post-production, handled by editor Monisha R. Baldawa, concluded ahead of the film's July 20, 2018 release, incorporating minimal visual effects primarily for scene transitions and softened depictions of confrontations to suit broader audience palatability while retaining core dramatic tension.[7] The process involved refining action elements to reduce overt violence from the original, focusing instead on emotional resolution through cuts and subtle compositing.[7]Narrative and Themes
Plot summary
Dhadak unfolds in Udaipur, Rajasthan, where Madhukar "Madhu" Bagla, a lower-caste college student from a family operating a modest lodge, meets Parthavi Singh Rathore, the daughter of wealthy upper-caste politician Ratan Singh Rathore, during a college boat race celebration. Their chance encounter sparks an immediate attraction, leading to a passionate romance that transcends their disparate social standings.[43] The relationship faces fierce resistance from Parthavi's family upon discovery, driven by rigid caste hierarchies and concerns over family honor. Defying the opposition, Madhukar and Parthavi elope to Kolkata, where they marry in a simple ceremony, conceive a child, and attempt to establish an independent life amid financial difficulties and low-wage jobs. Meanwhile, Ratan Singh deploys hired enforcers to locate and retrieve his daughter, escalating the pursuit across cities.[43][44] Years later, with their young son, the couple returns to Udaipur seeking familial acceptance. The bid for reconciliation erupts into a brutal clash with the pursuing goons, culminating in the fatal assault on Madhukar and their child, who are thrown from a terrace, as Parthavi watches in horror.[45][46]