I am not sure if everyone would love this Film because this film has nothing new to say. Any film that speaks about women’s issues and their constant yearning for freedom will always have the same narrative. If the situation hasn’t changed in 2023, I wonder if it will ever change. 

But! This is still that one ‘feel good’  film that women would want to watch. For a while, it will motivate them, give them wings, and convince them that dreams, too, can turn into reality.  Like every travel film, Dhak Dhak also focuses on the challenges the travellers face during their journey – from losing valuables to risking life – and then either learning to let go or overcome the challenge by facing it head-on. 

This story takes us on a life journey with 4 women – Mahi (Ratna Pathak Shah), Sky (Fatima Sana Shaikh), Manjari (Sanjana Sanghi), and Uzma (Dia Mirza). The story begins with Sky, a vlogger who has broken up with her boyfriend-cum-business partner after her nude photo goes viral because of him. As she is struggling to make successful business deals and keep her channel going, she meets Mahi, an aged lady who rides a bike. It is Mahi’s dream to ride a bike to Khardung La in Leh. Sky sees a good content opportunity in it and agrees to accompany Mahi on her dream trip. 

Now the challenge is to find a mechanic to accompany them on the trip as there are high chances of bikes breaking down or needing constant servicing while nearing Ladakh. Here is where Uzma comes into the picture, a woman who is living with a male chauvinist husband.  When he tries to discourage Sky and Mahi from taking this women’s trip as they visit his garage looking for a mechanic, Uzma helps them repair the bike. That is when the girls request her to join them as a mechanic on the trip. As she is in need of money for her daughter’s educational requirement, she agrees after Sky offers her Rs 75K for the trip. The last one to join them is Manjari, a young girl whose marriage has been fixed without even letting her meet the groom. She leaves with the gang to meet a friend living in the mountains before marriage. 

The trip begins and the women learn to see life and themselves in a new light. Two quick scenes that make a lasting impact is when the women meet an army man and a labourer in the mountains. What they say here is truly life-changing. No preaching, simply a different perspective! 

More than these girls’ bonding with each other, their personal stories and a newfound zeal for life is what’s worth watching. Nothing drastically changes by the time the movie ends other than the shift in the characters’ perspectives. This is the real beauty of Dhak Dhak.

It’s just like real life. Journeys don’t change your life or fill your glass of happiness overnight, the way you think it will when you see your friends post their holiday pics on social media. It changes you slowly, but it changes you, certainly.

P.S: In the description, Netflix has said that Dhak Dhak is based on a true story but I did not find it anywhere on the internet. If anyone knows anything about the women bikers and the real story this film is based on, let me know in the comments.

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