Dear zindagi - movie review

There are actors who overact, there are those who underplay and there are those who are blank and expressionless (not referring to Mahesh Babu or Vijay). But then there are those who are so good in their craft that they make you forget about them and breathe as the character they are donning on screen. The realization that they are enacting a role and not in real, when it hits you, makes you go WOW!! Irrfan Khan and Vijay Sethupathi stake claim to this clan of actors based on quite a few of their performances. After watching “Dear Zindagi” feels like Alia Bhatt can well and truly demand her place, based on this movie alone. There is a scene where she gets to know that her crush, whom she did reject a couple of scenes before but secretly is still in love with, is getting engaged to someone else. The reactions she express and the way she chews green chilli to hide her actual tears, the abruptness with which she cuts the conversation not willing to know the fiancée detail and the conclusion of the scene in her studio where she calls for playback of the scene running on screen – agmark class.
To me the movie had so much of K.Balachander influence, had the big man not been alive during the release of this movie, would’ve been tempted to think it is ghost directed by him. If not knowingly, at least unknowingly, Gauri Shinde has so much of K.B mannerisms in the way she sets up her scenes, he would’ve been super proud. A strong lady character, ably supported by a leading hero in side kick role starting halfway into the movie, with the entire canvass left wide open for the lady character to blaze though and finally a non-commercial open ended finish – everything about the movie and the director reeks of KB. This is the first movie that I am watching of Alia. WoW. She is simply WoW. As an actor never expected someone who confused the president of India with PrithiviRaj Chauhan to be this good in her craft. All this while I was under the impression that she is one spoiled, pompous, dumb, brat who is thriving on the nepotism thy name is Bollywood. But she does prove herself big time in this role. She is effortless in exhibiting the inhibitions and vulnerability of some one so young, passionate, confused and head strong all at the same time and above all more believable. Not sure if any newbie, even if they could’ve done equal justice, would’ve garnered this much attention to that role, for Alia is the perfect mix of commercial and art film heroine. She looks cute, wears all kinds of beggar costume in the name of fashion yet never looking cheap. She has tonnes of scope to perform and comes out aces in the movie. There is a scene with Sharukh in the second half where she simply gazes at him in wonderment, hearing him explain. Quite sure it was a pakka fan girl moment captured as candid by the director. You cannot simply act such scenes. Alia’s admiration for Sharukh the actor out shones the character she plays who is also in awe of Sharukh the doctor.
Some of the dialogues are really funny. Some very deep. The best one being don’t keep anyone on a pedestal and expect them to be perfect, it could even be your parents, especially. It was a simple statement yet very profound. Finally the end shot with Alia playing Kabaddi with the waves, was just perfect. I suspected this could be the ending when that scene comes bit early with Sharukh doing that bit. Songs are quite good. The movie shines across every scene and kudos to the art and camera folks for making it so rich looking. I loved the scene where Sharukh, for all his confidence as the great therapist, slips on the broken chair for a second and smilingly controls himself. It was class act by the director.
Gils verdict – There could be so many criticism coming out and quite rightly so on the premise. Had the story been reversed with a guy instead of a girl cribbing about his failure to find commitment in himself, everyone would’ve been up in arms. The same goes for the girl who barges in and out of physical relationships with every hot guy, in the name of childhood trauma. Apart from the premise, sheerly for the way the story is scripted and for the performances, Dear zindagi is surely worth a watch. Very tedious at times with just two people sitting opposite to each other and talking their heads off. But you easily get hooked into it. Considering the lineage from which she hails, hope Alia doesn't end up like her other crappy family members. As a drishti parigaram I fast fwded and saw her Student of the year which would give corona, virus scare.