Production banner Dharma Productions on Friday (July 11) unveiled the trailer of Dhadak 2, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri in the lead. Directed by Shazia Iqbal, the film is a follow-up to 2018’s Dhadakand a remake of filmmaker Mari Selvaraj’s 2018 Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal.
In the trailer, we are introduced to Siddhant as Neelesh, a Dalit student at a law college, who goes on a haunting journey filled with insurmountable difficulties for being in a relationship with Vidhi (Triptii), a student from an upper caste. At one point, Vidhi tells Neelesh, “I thought all of this was a matter of past,” to which he responds, “Those who never go through it feel like that, Vidhi.”
While retaining the spirit of the original source material, director Shazia seems to have tailored it to reflect the social landscape of the remake’s setting. From the trailer, Dhadak 2 promises to be a bold and intense socio-political romance drama that takes a powerful stand against casteism.
In a statement to the press, director Shazia called Dhadak 2 an emotional reckoning of today’s youth. “It’s rooted in reality and asks questions that we often shy away from in cinema. Neelesh and Vidhi’s story is about love, but it’s also about survival, identity, and what it costs to be true to yourself in a world designed to silence you. Working on this film was an incredible experience, and I can’t wait for everyone to watch it,” said Shazia.
Shazia has adapted the story, screenplay and dialogues along with Rahul Badwelkar. Karan Johar, Umesh Kumar Bansal, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Meenu Aroraa, Somen Mishra and Pragati Deshmukh produce the film under the banners of Dharma Productions, Zee Studios, and Cloud 9 Pictures. Dhadak 2 is slated to release in theatres on August 1.
2018’s Pariyerum Perumal marked a milestone in Tamil cinema’s anti-caste wave, spearheaded by filmmakers like Pa. Ranjith and Mari Selvaraj. The film starred Kathir and Anandhi in the lead roles. Dhadak, which was also released in the same year, also tackled casteism. Starring Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, the film was a remake of the Marathi hit film Sairat, directed by Nagraj Manjule.
It is to be noted that Dhadak 2 was recently in the news for undergoing extensive modifications to get the censor clearance. Scenes and dialogues featuring caste-based discrimination were removed or modified as per the instructions of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).