RGV’s Aag may not have fared well at the box office but Ramu hasn’t taken to a depressive state. The very next week from Aag’s release he is raring to go with Darling. That’s the spirit Ramu!
Once again RGV indulges in his most favourite genre, Thriller/Horror. However Darling would have to be a thriller/horror with a twist, it contains an exciting tinge of comedy and romance. That is what sets Darling apart from the recent releases and even though box office results aren’t the most favourable, the critics have certainly recognised this clever cinematic adventure.
Aditya (Fardeen Khan) lives every man’s dream. At home he has a gorgeous typical Indian wife (Isha Koppikar) that takes care of his household and his beautiful son. At work he has a sexy and ravishing secretary (Esha Deol) and let’s just say that being his secretary is the least likely role that she enacts in the office. However we all know that things do not last forever. When his secretary cum mistress starts nagging him to divorce his wife and get married, Aditya finally has to to tell her that he has not intention what so ever of doing this. Things get ugly and when the ice is broken, the chill is unbearable and thus begins a hateful argument during which Aditya’s girlfriend’s life comes to an abrupt end, accidentally.
One would hope that the story ended then and there but that is simply the beginning. The rest of Darling entails Aditya’s journey as his girlfriend’s ghost comes back to haunt her beloved “Darling” in search of revenge.
Darling is a project that has taken Fardeen and Esha to another level of acting. Both actors have been quite underrated and lacked projects to showcase their full talent and thanks to RGV, who is known to bring out the best in the most unrecognised actors, they finally get their due.
Esha Deol is outstanding like mentioned by countless other critics. The character was handmade for her and whoever type casted her as a pretty-girl-next-door (such as her roles in ‘Naa Tum Jaano Na Hum’ and ‘Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche’) they will have to rethink. Ankahee was a step towards the versatility that is booming inside her and Darling completes this journey to finally establish Esha as one heck of a versatile actress. From the girl next door to item numbers and now villainous roles. One can only hope that this is just the beginning and more great things are to come from Esha.
Fardeen Khan is constantly criticised for his acting but Darling has shown the actor in a new light. The role demanded some challenging scenes on more than one occasion and Fardeen performed commendably. There is still room for improvement however the actor is to be congratulated for his good effort in this movie.
Isha Koppikar isn’t given much room to perform and soon becomes a drag to watch on screen especially when she keeps repeating the same lines and that too in a monotonous tone. The actor is certainly capable of much greater things however the role just wasn’t meaty enough for her to display her talent.
The songs of Darling will be pleasing to all who love something “hatke” or someone who is accustomed to Ramu’s OSTs.
Overall, Darling is a break from the average Bollywood movies and all the current trends. There is definitely a market for Ramu movies and Darling will work well amongst those audiences. It certainly doesn’t live up to Bhoot’s intriguing storyline but it isn’t so far behind. Definitely a must watch!
