DAAWAT-E-ISHQ (2014)

BollySitter Recommended Age:                7+

BollySitter Family GO Factor:       3.0/5.0

The Review Monk TRM Score:   5.1/10.0

Directed by:    Habib Faisal

Starring:          Parineeti Chopra, Aditya Roy Kapur, Anupam Kher, KaranWahi

Written By:     Habib Faisal, Jyoti Kapoor

Language:       Hindi

Music by:        Sajid-Wajid

Produced by:   Aditya Chopra

Lyrics by:        Kausar Munir

Running time: 123 mins

Genre(s):         Social Drama, Romantic Comedy

BollySitter says

An overall clean film that is appropriate for viewing with kids in the 7+ age group. The name (and the previews) of the film are a misnomer as the film is more about the evils of the dowry system prevalent in India than it is about food. Due to the complex underlying social theme of dowry, younger kids may find the film boring.

Content

This is a film with a social message, depicted in a light-hearted fashion and garnished with a half-baked love story. It revolves around a girl who joins forces with her father and decides to con a rich boy and his greedy dowry-demanding parents. Little does she realize that, on the way, she will actually fall in love with the boy himself – a large-hearted, lovable owner and chief chef of a small-town Indian restaurant.

Violence 

There is a sequence of mild violence in the climax of the film. A character threatens to shoot a girl with a gun. There are no menacing undertones in the threat and the overall impact of the scene is rather amusing in nature.

Intense & Frightening scenes

There are no intense or scary scenes except a mild one in the climax where a character threatens a girl with a gun.

Sexuality 

There is no sexuality in the film, except for the end credits song where the lead pair is shown dancing amidst various couples hugging or kissing each other. There is nothing objectionable in the song overall and no close-ups are shown either.

Language 

The language remains mild throughout the film and nothing that would be objectionable for the kids, except in one sequence where a male character refers to a female character as “Chudail” (witch) There are a few sequences where people are insulted and unceremoniously thrown out of the house.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

No drinking, drugs or smoking is depicted in the film.

Attitude/Behavior

The female lead is depicted as a strong character, who shares an extremely warm relationship with her lovable father. She stands up to injustice and never shies away from fighting for a cause. The male lead, although equally respectful towards his parents, is also shown as someone who understands the plight of the poor. He is shown as someone who believes that the foundation of marriage should be laid on trust and love and not on dowry money. Everyone in the film believes that one of the guaranteed ways to a person’s heart is through his/her stomach.

Discussion points

Families can discuss the evils of the dowry system in India. They can tell kids how they need to stand up against people who believe in this ill-tradition. Parents can also talk to kids how defrauding people out of their hard-earned money by lying is not a good thing. At the end of the day, life is always about being honest, caring and understanding towards the people around you and especially towards the ones you love.

Bechdel Test 1/3

There is only primary female character in the film and all conversations she has with other female characters revolve around men and dowry demands. Her character, though, is shown to have an independent and progressive thinking. She has an understanding of complexities of the old traditions and is not afraid to strive towards making a positive change.

For the quality of the film, check out the reviews @ http://thereviewmonk.com/movie/daawat-e-ishq/