If you’re not from India or some die-hard Indiaphile, you might not be familiar with the magnificence that is the Bollywood film ‘Dilwale’. “What?” we hear you say. “They shot a Bollywood film… in Iceland?” Yup, they did, and don’t be embarrassed—we know it’s puzzling.
The end result is both exactly what you’d expect while also being—honestly—way better than expected. Director Rohit Shetty does succeed in taking the unbridled wild barrenness that is Iceland and making it, well, Bollywood-ish. While the whole package is still somewhat tacky and horrible, one must admire his effort. It takes imagination to look at lava fields and decide they need silk, wind machines, and choreography, and it takes dedication to, well, actually do that.
The movie really goes for it too. In one scene, wistful hottie Kajol stands in front of the Vestrahorn mountain wearing a dress that is colour coordinated with the beige sand behind her. In another, the lovers stand on top of a canoe in Vík clasping hands in carnal desperation as meters of bright orange fabric twirl in the breeze beside them. Later, they dance in front of Skogafoss which then cuts to a shot of—I am not fucking kidding here—our manly star dancing on top of the water. Yes, just like Jesus. Again, don’t be embarrassed. The whole thing is a real doozy. It’ll take some time to sink in.
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