DARR (1993)

Darr is probably best remembered for Shahrukh’s blood-curdling stutter “I love you, K-K-K-Kiran” as he plays the love-crazed psychopath with such intensity and dynamic energy that it simply takes your breath away.  In one of his first super hits just a year after his movie debut in Deewana, for which he won the Best Sensational Debut award, Shahrukh took on even more sensational role in Darr as Rahul Mehra, the lonely and emotionally disturbed son of a Navy Captain. 

Darr, which means fear, is called ‘a violent love story’ and it shows an extreme case of a love becoming devotion and then an obsession, thus causing fear in the object of Rahul’s romantic fantasy, namely Kiran.   The nature of this excessive love is shockingly evident in Shahrukh’s very first scene in the movie in which he walks on the narrow rooftop ledge of a tall building, picking a rose petal with each step in the old tradition of ‘she loves me, she loves me not’, as if prepared to fall to his death if ‘she loves him not’.  But the petals tell him that Kiran is his, and thus begins his violent obsession to actively pursue the girl he was always too afraid to even speak with earlier in college. 

Shahrukh’s skill in portraying this character, who is both pitiful and frightening at the same time, is evident even in scenes without dialogue where body language and facial gestures already convey Rahul’s abnormal love and adoration for Kiran.  As the movie progresses, the character profile develops and reveals the desperate depths of the illness, and Shahrukh continues to surprise and impress the audience with his other great talents such as speech and its many tonal variations.  

As Rahul, pursuing Kiran with phone calls, he suddenly speaks rapidly, excitedly, passionately and irrationally as the sick side of Rahul is let loose.    Such emotionally intense portrayals of perverted reasoning and an unbalanced mind make the character or Rahul frighteningly real to the viewer, and it takes a particularly gifted actor to convey such extreme behaviour so very convincingly. 

Darr is packed with many such intense emotional scenes which show the depths of Rahul’s desperation which can suddenly switch to angry determination.   And while Rahul’s wild determination to get Kiran is obvious, there is still continual suspense about what this unpredictable and unstable person will do next, and in contrast, we see the bond between Kiran and Sunil grow stronger, showing what a normal love should be like.   

In fact, Darr’s success can also be attributed to these two leading stars who both have impressive career credentials.  Former Miss India and top model, Juhi Chawla is perfect in the role of Kiran, and after 20 successful years she is the longest-lasting model in India’s film industry, while her co-star is the Action King of Bollywood, Sunny Deol, who is also well cast as Sunil, the strong, tough and enduring marine commando.

As a result of this well-chosen cast, Darr has a fine balance of exciting action scenes and even some humour in the character of Kiran’s older brother, played by experienced veteran actor, Anupam Kher, who is an ardent cricket fan and is constantly bickering with his wife.  And a successful film like Darr must also have a carefully thought-out plot and screenplay which is skilfully executed by one of India’s most highly praised directors, Yash Chopra.   In following years, Chopra went on to direct even bigger blockbuster hits, and with Shahrukh in the starring role, namely Dil To Pagal Hai, Mohabbatein and Veer-Zaara.    

Adding to the movie’s popularity, Darr also features excellent songs and good dancing, and two of its songs, namely Tu Hai Meri and Tu Mere Samne, are still popular songs which feature on at least two compilations of Shahrukh’s greatest film hits.  Another appealing feature is that both these songs, as well as about a third of the movie, were actually filmed in Switzerland which has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.   

But without a doubt it is Shahrukh’s character that stands out as the real attention-grabber in this movie, and his brilliant acting is enhanced by skilful direction by Chopra who builds the irresistible suspense with every scene, leading to an emotionally jarring climax. 

The sadness and pity Shahrukh’s performance stirs up in the viewer is as hard to forget as the hauntingly beautiful harmonica melody which repeats throughout the film, and which echoes in your mind long after the film has finished.  Darr is definitely a successful film on all fronts, and it provided the ideal environment for Shahrukh to display his remarkable talent and thus be catapulted to greater success and more challenging roles.

by Barbara Burkowsky

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