Starring : Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma and Rahul Bose in a special appearance.
Producer :Ritesh Sidhwani & Farhan Akhtar

Director: Zoya Akhtar
Music : Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonsa, Ehsaan Noorani

Review by : Kriti Agarwal
Rating : 3 out of 5

What's about : Every family has its secrets and problems. Since childhood, we all are taught to appear ‘normal’ and pretend that all is well in our families in front of others, who also pretend the same.

Here ,High-society hi-jinks on the high seas. Dominant males and submissive women. DDD deals with loveless marriages, sibling bonding and a host of matronly matchmakers in- a ten-day ride on a luxury cruise liner.

It’s not just about their pouts and Pradas, but about their pain as well.DDD is about "hating your parents" and compelling them to change their ways.

“Money can’t buy you everything” . Sobbing, heart-ripping extramarital affairs, bitter gender discrimination and heavy parental control. Yet, it is not preachy but breezy while sensitively making modern points.

The pertinent issue of the freedom of girl child in urban India is addressed. Bravo.

Location : a Cruise Liner Deck 7 throughout Europe, specifically in France, Spain, Tunisia, Italy  , Turkey  and parts were shot in Mumbai . cycle race between Farah and Kabir, as they navigate the city, is delightful.
Story :   A dog named Pluto is off on a cruise, delivers little homilies - as the Mehras — Papa (Anil Kapoor), Mama (Shefali Shah), Beta (Ranveer Singh), Beti (Priyanka Chopra) and Damaad (Rahul Bose) and their families and frenemies go sailing into the blue yonder. It is the 30th wedding anniversary of the estranged Mehras, and their crumbling empire desperately needs funds . So they plan a 10 days long cruise trip to attract investors like Lalit sood on a luxury yatch.  And how best to air their problems and neuroses other than over sparkling wine and beauteous foreign vistas?

There are pleasures to be had while vicariously spying on the good life. The dinky clothes, the champagne lunches, the doing-nothing-because-you-can lifestyle of the rich if- not-very-famous,  are drool-worthy.

So are the sun-drenched vistas of Istanbul. And some of the spikiness in relationships that are unraveling is very effective, especially the stuff that goes on between the blonde-haired middle-aged glad-eyed Mr Mehra, and the  stuffing-her-face-full-of-fat-and-sugar miserable Mrs Mehra: bring a real sting to their interactions; she is the best part of this film, and he is not far behind.

Where do you go when love has gone?

Ranveer tames frantic-ness well as he finds himself drawn to a below-the-decks girl (Anushka). She plays a lead dancer in a troupe, which stretches to a bunch of peroxide aunties with a nasty, gossipy tongue, and the ability of turning everything into an extended Punjabi-style kitty party, and a young couple (Sud and Massey) who fall for each other right under their disapproving parents’ eye in the most ‘Romeo and Juliet’ fashion.

Priyanka Chopra, the elder daughter has quietly tried to make peace with an unsatisfying marriage and her parents paying more attention to her brother. Her need to keep a façade of happiness intact and the loneliness she feels as a daughter who is no longer considered family because she’s married is something that many will relate to easily.

The movie explores the different kind of human relationships. Episodes unfold at a kitty party, in a restaurant, at a bar, by the pool, on a cruise ship…

The film is like a celebrity pyjama party.

Characters : 
Anil Kapoor [Delhi businessman Kamal Mehra] : Ek dum jhakaas !!! looks like a million bucks and acts too wonderfully. Terrific as dominating, steel-haired, stressed-out dad. His dances are a delight to watch; he is grace personified. Best male performance of the year .

Shefali Shah [ Neelam Mehra] : Best part of the film , stiff Neelam, whose coldness chills a Turkish hamaam, whose plasticky response to her son's worries is, "Awww, cheese toast banwayun?"

Priyanka Chopra [ Ayesha Mehra] : Delivered a power packed performance, gets every shade & emotion of the character to perfection. Though she is supposed to be Indian ,but has an American accent !! 

Ranveer Singh [CEO of AYKA Kabir Mehra] : fabulously nuanced performance. excellent ,unsure, vulnerable, sometimes weak Kabir. Combines gentleness with slow grit.

Anushka Sharma [ dancer Farah Ali] : looks ravishing and underplays beautifully, good performance .Though she is supposed to be British,but has an Indian accent !! 

Farhan Akhtar [ journalist Sunny Gill]: remarkable and excels in his layered performance. He is endearing, supremely confident and competent.

Pluto Mehra [cute Mastiff dog] :is the show stealer. Pluto is the only voice of reason among the Mehras. He knows their foibles and follies and is privy to their deepest secrets and yet, loves them unconditionally.

Pluto's 'dialogues' are written by Javed Akhtar and superstar Aamir Khan has provided the voice of Pluto.

supporting cast : Rahul Bose [ Manav] : good , Zarina Wahab [ Manav's mother] : a well thought of character sketch , Ridhima Sood [ Nuri Sood] :impressive debut , Parmeet Sethi [ Lalit sood] and  Vikrant Massey are well fit for their roles.

Pros :Direction, dialogues , Ranveer-Priyanka Sibling Chemistry,Cinematography,Script,Pluto the cute dog

Cons :  Class Appeal Only, Music, The Emotional Appeal, Slow Pace , Editing

 Music : Background score is effective. Gallan Goodiyaan & Phir Bhi Yeh Zindagi, are already a huge hit ,peppy and full of life . 'Pehli Baar' makes you tap your feet instantly , a fun track for pan-India audience. Love is in the Air –is a party song , impactful. Girls like to Swing nicely picturized.  Lyrics  are meaningful.

Highlights :

1 - The rich have their own set of problems , being buried under pressure to behave the way the society wants them to behave.

2 -Anil Kapoor asks a disgruntled Priyanka Chopra in a thundering voice: ''Tum dono young ho, successful ho, Punjabi ho, squash khelte ho…fir problem kya hai?'' -- As if being Punjabi was the last requirement to be a happy wife!

3 - Rahul Bose sums up Kamal Mehra : ''If Lalit Sood is a vulture, then your father is a hawk. You can’t describe a man better who employs his brother as the manager, and who bargains with his son about a plane. ''

4 - Priyanka Chopra, sobbing all through!!  Woman, wake up, you run a business conglomerate and have just featured in a Forbes’ list. This wasn’t expected of you.

5 -Pluto makes a valid point that good communication and commitment is the key to ideal relationships.

Behind the scenes :
When Pullmantur Broke Down :  during one of the schedules, the ship Pullmantur broke down. The team was to shoot at Barcelona where the vessel was supposed to arrive, but the ship got stuck at Masseube. The producer took the cast and crew of over 200 people to Masseube and shot the scenes there !!
 
5 Weeks In Sea, Two Months On Land : the team shot on the cruise for five weeks. Apparently, the cast and crew would board the ship at Barcelona and then go out on a one week sail to shoot out portions while the ship sails in the water and travels to various destinations (like France, Italy etc).
 
Big Party On Board : it was like a big party while onboard!  Cast & crew worked hard but partied harder.They visited the places which they had not even heard before. They saw the most exotic part of the cruise - the sunrise and sunset live in the midst of the waters.
 
About Pullmantur : Pullmantur Cruises is well known to European cruise. The brand offers four ships – Monarch, Sovereign, Empress and Horizon. Out of the four, Dil Dhadakne Do has been shot on Sovereign.
 
Pullmantur’s Sovereign occupies 14 decks and 1162 cabins , hosts luxury and lifestyle in the restaurants, cafes, bars, discotheque, Broadway show lounge and salons , jogging track, pools, wall climbing, pedal track etc.
 
At 8,000 euros per family– Sovereign offers a seven night tour of the Mediterranean sea and covers Barcelona, Valencia, Las Palmas, Salvadore De Bahia, Malaga, Gibraltar to Naples etc.!!! :

Bottom line :  Come aboard the luxurious cruise ship in the sparkling Mediterranean sea, have fun with eccentric Mehras , brilliant performances , foot-tapping music & visit gorgeous locales including Spain, Italy, France, Tunisia and Turkey.
DDD explores the different dynamics of relationships beautifully. The film has high dose of humour, emotions and drama. A must watch .