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This May-December Romance has awkward moments but it remains in its element from beginning to the end

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Film Review                                                 De De Pyaar De

By Sunita Vijay

Does age really matter in a relationship? Or is age just a number? De De Pyaar De makes us subscribe to not one but several contemporary aspects of relationships that never found approval in the past. It presents a range of combinations like older man-younger girl friend, father-daughter tussle, both father and son liking the same girl, husband tying raakhi to his separated wife, live-in, acceptance of various kinds of strange situational relationships, etc. A wealthy man with moneyed lifestyle living in London meets a girl, 25 years younger to him. He finds himself falling in love with her. What begins as an exchange of mere flirtatious dialogues ends up in a bond that needed to be converted into a nuptial bond, as decided mutually. The time comes to seek approval from his estranged wife and detached family (in all respects), the situation grows grim but hilarious at the same time. His kids are of the same age as his girlfriend leading to many perky but odd moments. Ashish Mehra (Ajay Devgn) after a couple of meetings with Ayesha (Rakul Preet Singh) realises that he has strong feelings for her. He seeks counselling from counsellor cum friend (Javed Jaffrey) who discourages him by saying “This is not an age gap, it’s a generation gap”. This is the beauty of DDPD. The dialogues are hilarious. The writing is crisp with plenty of funny one-liners and flawless direction. In short, this romantic comedy written and co-produced by Luv Ranjan and directed by Akiv Ali has all the ingredients to keep the audience hooked for two hours plus. Music is supportive and a couple of songs will assuage the pain of the broken hearts. Not all songs are good. Ajay Devgn seems to be in good form. He delivers mostly through his eyes and age-appropriate expressions that are mature and convincing. His abs and physique will put many among the young to shame. He bears a calm demeanour required of him. Being addressed as uncle and buddha many times in the film doesn’t erode his charm and confidence. He carries his part as a 50 years old character without an iota of insecurity, playing it without any glitches. Rakul complements him well with her courtship through her glamorous bearing and young appeal, against his confident and elegant personality. Their romantic flings are adorable; pillow fights, intimate messages, kitchen experiments, etc. Tabu as Ashish’s estranged wife is introduced in the second half. She downplays her part brilliantly. She is given the most logical, responsible and fire-fighting role – having the remedy to all dynamic issues that can be anticipated from an enigmatic situation the family is in. Tabu is a combination of talent, beauty and grace; handling her part in splendiferous manner is easy for her. In a scene when a strong woman like her breaks down in front of Ashish, she wins hearts. The chemistry between Ajay and her is elementary and comfortable. Special appearance by all-time favourite Jimmy Shergill, controversial Alok Lal and the talented Kumud Mishra add positively in the joy ride of DDPD, though their parts have not been thoughtfully written. Overall it remains a rollicking experience with eyes failing to go off Rakul who looks sprightly beautiful throughout the running and also in admiring the grace and elegance of Tabu. There are many questions that may knock later. Ashish was living alone in London for 18 years, how come he didn’t come across any partner before Ayesha enters his life! Tabu as Manju seems to be the embodiment of reason and patience. With an extraordinary quality of an understanding wife and mother, what led to their parting ways! Is the climax of the movie justifiable! It also makes one think that is DDPD all about the connect that two people form, regardless of the age and other societal norms or is it a mere whimsical presentation of an entertaining story wrapped in humour and randy dialogues that click well with the audience! The film justifies its plot very well but the fifty year oldies will never pardon Luv Ranjan for making them fall in the category of ‘old’ especially when the time is ripe to redefine the category of old, young and senior citizens keeping longevity and fitness of people in mind in the contemporary context. DDPD is not an easy topic to deal with. It may offend many but overlooking the awkward moments, the skilful handling makes it fluffy and easy. Dealing with a big age difference in a relationship where one partner is significantly older or younger can be difficult for a couple but if love is all that matters in a relationship, let’s sail in the film. For Ashish it is difficult to forget Ayesha. He mentions that he is not sixteen years old that he will miss her but the truth is he misses her a lot, she becomes his habit and the same is with her. This is where the writer makes one realise that love indiscriminately treats all in the same manner irrespective of age and one is completely drowned in its fogged zone. It is weird but it justifies its stance. I go with three stars believing in the fact that all drama begins with human frailties.