Shazia Iqbal’s debut Dhadak 2, inspired by the Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal (2018), is a powerful tale of oppression and resistance, tackling a subject (caste discrimination) that the Hindi film industry seldom addresses.
Set in a city in North India, Neelesh (Siddhant Chaturvedi) comes from a lower-caste family and lives in Bhim Nagar, a slum where his family makes a living crafting dhols from animal hides. At a wedding ceremony where Neelesh is performing, he meets Vidhi (Triptii Dimri), and a fleeting connection sparks between them. When Neelesh earns admission to a law college, he is surprised to find Vidhi as his classmate. As a bond gradually forms between them, Neelesh begins to experience caste-based discrimination at the hands of his peers, including Ronnie (Saad Bilgrami), Vidhi’s brother, as well as some of the faculty. As Neelesh and Vidhi grow closer, he learns that she comes from an upper-caste family of lawyers. When Vidhi invites him to her sister’s wedding, events threaten to spiral out of control…
Whereas Dhadak, an adaptation of Nagraj Manjule’s searing Marathi film, Sairat (2016), glossed over caste in favour of a more palatable tragedy, Dhadak 2 confronts it more strongly. What unfolds is not merely a chronicle of institutional failure, but a quietly furious study of how caste-based cruelty adapts, and often thrives, within spaces that claim to be progressive. Remarkably, director Shazia Iqbal does so without resorting to melodrama or offering the comfort of easy redemption. The film opens with a striking image of the grand Raja Bhoj statue on Bhopal’s Upper Lake (Bada Talaab), serving here as a silent symbol and suggesting, from the outset, that history and power are closely intertwined. Though the setting is Bhopal, the film avoids naming specific locations, possibly to sidestep political complications. The choice to avoid naming the city appears deliberate, a way to sidestep potential political backlash, yet the atmosphere it evokes feels both authentic and sharply observed.
By shifting the location from Tamil Nadu in the original to a North Indian milieu, Dhadak 2 repositions the narrative within the Hindi heartland. This relocation alters the texture of the story, aligning it more closely with the social codes and prejudices of upper-caste-dominated North Indian institutions. The university, as depicted here, functions as a microcosm of Indian society, where caste hierarchies remain deeply entrenched despite the veneer of modernity. On his first day, Neelesh hesitates to reveal his surname, knowing it will mark him instantly. When pressed, he responds with ‘BA LLB’, allowing his academic pursuit to become his identity. But caste is not the only source of Neelesh’s internal conflict. He is also deeply ashamed of his father, who performs as a cross-dresser to a crowd, an act he sees as another marker of social shame. As the film unfolds, we see the world through Neelesh’s conflicted gaze. The discrimination he faces is not just external, but also internalised. His inability to stand up against injustice is rooted in a society that has taught him to shrink from himself.
The colour blue, long associated with Dalit resistance, is used purposefully throughout the film. It not only appears where needed symbolically, but also reflects the evolution of Neelesh’s character. Initially hesitant to engage in activism, Neelesh is reluctant to join Shankar, a campus Dalit leader. He insists he has come to study, not to fight, and believes a pen, not a protest, will be his weapon. But over time, his stance begins to shift, reflecting a deeper awareness of the structures he cannot simply study his way out of.
The central conflict that disrupts Neelesh’s carefully maintained status quo stems from his relationship with a girl from an upper-caste family. Unfortunately, the love story feels rushed and lacks the nuance and tenderness needed to make us truly empathise with the couple, especially when the cracks in their relationship begin to show under the weight of social discrimination. As a result, the film ultimately becomes Neelesh’s story alone, focusing almost exclusively on how he negotiates his place in a hostile world. The subplot involving Shankar (Saurabh Sachdeva), an upper-caste man who works as a carpenter and sees himself as a self-appointed guardian of caste purity, also suffers from underdevelopment. His character lacks the layered menace of Maistry (Karate Venkatesan) in the original Pariyerum Perumal, and his motivations remain sketchy.
The screenplay by Rahul Badwelkar and Shazia Iqbal meanders in the first half, with uneven pacing and some repetitive beats. It is only in the second half that the film begins to find its narrative rhythm and emotional weight. Even so, certain plot points lose their grip, and the character of Shankar deserves more screen time. His role as a student leader rallying his community could have added a valuable dimension had it not been limited to motivational speeches. These shortcomings prevent Dhadak 2 from becoming the fully hard-hitting, layered tale it aspires to be. The film also offers an ending that gestures toward hope, a moment where it seems possible that caste-based discrimination might one day dissolve, and the rift between the two communities could be bridged. It’s a visually affecting and emotionally satisfying beat, but one that leans more into idealism rather than reality.
Siddhant Chaturvedi carries the film with quiet intensity, convincingly portraying Neelesh’s transformation from a hesitant student to a defiant rebel. Triptii Dimri brings sincerity to her role of an upper-caste girl unaware of the consequences of loving someone from a lower caste, until her bitter revelation erupts in a moment of raw outcry. Harish Khanna plays Vidhi’s father with quiet restraint, embodying a man weighed down by societal expectations. Zakir Hussain, as Principal Haider Ansari, effectively captures the tension of a man caught between institutional loyalty and moral responsibility. Saurabh Sachdeva adds menace as the brooding Shankar, though his character feels underwritten. Vipin Sharma and Anubha Fatehpura, as Neelesh’s parents, and Saad Bilgrami as Ronnie, deliver solid support.
Sylvester Fonseca’s cinematography captures both the textured sprawl of the city and the claustrophobic intimacy of the slums and university corridors with equal precision. The editing by Omkar Uttam Sakpal and Sangeeth Varghese lends the narrative a steady rhythm, especially in the second half, where the film finds its footing. Manik Batra’s sound design adds depth and realism to the world, while Tanuj Tiku’s background score complements the story with subtlety and restraint. The songs, composed by Rochak Kohli, Tanishk Bagchi, Javed–Mohsin, and Shreyas Puranik, are passable, functioning more as tonal bridges than standout moments.
Comparing Dhadak 2 with Pariyerum Perumal is ultimately reductive. While both films share the same premise, they operate within very different cultural contexts. At times, Dhadak 2 appears like a more sanitised take on caste discrimination, but within the current national zeitgeist, its approach feels more strategic than evasive. Shazia Iqbal delivers a smart, clear-eyed film that doesn’t dilute its message but chooses to land it with impact, even if through a subtler lens.
Hindi, Drama, Color