Dil Bole Hadippa

Starring: Rani Mukherjee, Shahid Kapur, Anupam Kher 
Directed by Anurag Singh
Rating: **

The promo of the film gives away the only novelty that is there to it—a woman plays cricket in the garb of a man. Otherwise Dil Bole Hadippa has nothing new to it and is predictable at every turn of the plot. In fact, it just seems to have been culled together from previous Yashraj movies. Rani’s Veera is a reprisal of Babli. Shahid as the captain talking of “dheele dhale” players is a reminder of SRK’s coach screaming at the girls in Chak De. The local theatre backdrop is reminiscent of Aaja Nachle, the mother and father separated across continents is like Hum Tum, the Pakistan-Hindustan bhai bhai is in the spirit of Veer Zaara and the alter ego taking over the protagonist’s life is much like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. If that wasn’t enough, there are major reminders about DDLJ and Dhoom too. Some bits did have potential, like the woman in men’s locker room bits but the writers and the director fail to take the track anywhere. Most of all, it’s a pity to see Rani try so hard to reach out to her lost audience. An actress who could play to the gallery with effortlessness as Vimmi is now nothing more than laboured as Veera.