Set against a retro 1970s backdrop, Duniyadari follows Meet Mehta and his college friends who play cupid for the romance between Meet and Kavita Zaveri, only to watch destiny pull the couple apart. Years later the same friends reunite and revisit their college days, finding the memories mostly sweet despite the heartbreak. The Gujarati film is an official remake of the 2013 Marathi hit of the same name.
Duniyadari arrived in 2017 as the Gujarati remake of the 2013 Marathi blockbuster, and Shital Shah keeps the source material's core intact: a warm, nostalgic look at college friendship, first love and the way destiny refuses to follow the script young people write for it. Shot entirely in Ahmedabad with a deliberate 1970s texture, it leans on the idea that campus years are the ones people carry for life, and that framing is where the film lands most of its emotional punches.
Malhar Thakar anchors the film as Meet Mehta, and his easy screen presence is the thing several viewers single out even when they are lukewarm on the rest. Esha Kansara as Kavita Zaveri and Aarjav Trivedi round out a love story that the friends keep trying to engineer, and the ensemble energy is the movie's real currency. Abhimanyu Mishra of the Times of India rated it three and a half stars, praising the story, the performances and the direction, and writing that it will remind you why college days get called the best days of life.
The film is not without wobbles. Some viewers found the drama laid on thick and the plotting loose in stretches, and the marketing and music never reached the audience they could have, which is partly why the film stayed under-seen. But as a friendship-and-romance drama with a specific retro mood and a likeable cast, it holds up. If you came to Gujarati cinema through the lighter, feel-good wave of the mid-2010s, Duniyadari fits neatly into that shelf.
Verdict
A warm, nostalgic friendship-and-romance drama that stays faithful to its Marathi source and rides on Malhar Thakar's easy charm.
What works
- Malhar Thakar's likeable lead turn
- Warm nostalgic take on college friendship
- Faithful to the beloved Marathi original
- Retro 1970s Ahmedabad setting
What holds it back
- Drama laid on thick in parts
- Loose plotting in the middle
- Songs never became breakout hits
- Under-promoted and under-seen
Cast & crew
Writers: Shital Shah, Ankit Joshipura
Music: Monty Sharma
Cast: Malhar Thakar (Meet Mehta), Esha Kansara (Kavita Zaveri), Aarjav Trivedi (Dharmesh Shankarbhai Patel), Tarika Tripathi (Shilpa Patel), Parikshit Tamaliya (Krunal Zaveri)
Producers: Tajdar Amrohi, Riyaz Balooch
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Shital Shah
More Drama Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Duniyadari worth watching?
A warm, nostalgic friendship-and-romance drama that stays faithful to its Marathi source and rides on Malhar Thakar's easy charm. Kevu Che rates it 3.5 out of 5.
What is Duniyadari about?
Set against a retro 1970s backdrop, Duniyadari follows Meet Mehta and his college friends who play cupid for the romance between Meet and Kavita Zaveri, only to watch destiny pull the couple apart. Years later the same friends reunite and revisit their college days, finding the memories mostly sweet despite the heartbreak. The Gujarati film is an official remake of the 2013 Marathi hit of the same name.
What is the IMDb rating of Duniyadari?
Duniyadari (2017) holds an IMDb rating of 7.4 out of 10.