World, Feb 28: Filmmaker Karan Johar has expressed pride after Dhadak 2 was screened at several prestigious Ivy League universities in the United States, marking an unexpected academic milestone for the Hindi-language drama.The film, produced by Dharma Productions along with Zee Studios and Cloud 9 Pictures, has been showcased at Brown University and Yale University, with upcoming screenings scheduled at Columbia University and Princeton University.At Yale, the screening was hosted by the university’s political science department, while Brown presented the film through its School of International and Public Affairs.
Organisers highlighted the film’s exploration of caste, class and systemic inequality as central to its academic relevance.Sharing his reaction on social media, Johar described the development as “such a great moment of pride for us.” He credited director Shazia Iqbal as “the soul of our film,” praising her vision for shaping a narrative that resonates beyond commercial cinema. According to Johar, the thoughtful engagement from students and faculty reaffirmed the film’s social and cultural impact.Starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, Dhadak 2 serves as a spiritual successor to the 2018 film Dhadak and draws inspiration from the critically acclaimed Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal. The story follows Neelesh and Vidhi, two young people from different caste and class backgrounds whose relationship challenges deeply entrenched social hierarchies.
Beyond its central romance, the film addresses issues such as caste-based discrimination, ragging, social violence and the psychological toll of exclusion — themes that have prompted conversations around mental health and institutional prejudice. Although the film faced certification delays and achieved a modest box office performance, its reception in academic circles has given it renewed relevance.The inclusion of Dhadak 2 in university programming suggests it is increasingly being viewed as more than mainstream entertainment. In classrooms and campus auditoriums, it is being discussed as a cultural text — one that reflects contemporary India’s social complexities while contributing to global conversations on inequality, representation and social mobility.For Johar and his team, the journey of Dhadak 2 now extends beyond theatres, finding a second life in spaces dedicated to debate, research and critical thought — a trajectory that few commercial films anticipate, but one that underscores cinema’s enduring power to spark dialogue.
