Dear Zindagi

Just like her first film English Vinglish, the new one Dear Zindagi from Gauri Shinde is also a heart warming enlightening movie that works immensely because its relatable on an emotional level and the narrative sticks close to the practicality of relationships and personal conflicts and you get immersed in those long conversations.

Kaira is this young cinematographer who is doing all this ads and is in search of a big break in the movie industry. This independent young girl has this commitment issue because of some sort of fear within her. The movie actually deals with a phase in her life were she is forced to come to her home in Goa. She happens to get to know this therapist/life coach Jahangir Khan. And Dear Zindagi endearingly shows us how he helps her in getting over that fear.

The best thing about Dear Zindagi in my opinion is that it isn’t deliberately preachy. From the promos itself it was clear that it is going to be packaged life lessons. But Mrs. Shinde has made the film in a way it focuses on the issues and you get indulged in the intellects and genuine humor of all those conversations. The slight resemblance of the main conflict with Highway (no sexual abuse) is probably the only downside if you have that microscopic mindset to dig in to the negatives of this film. With actors delivering such genuine performances, Dear Zindagi gave me that emotional warmth that you expect in a feel good movie.

Alia Bhatt is spectacular as Kaira. From the depressed single girl to that hopeful independent soul, she gracefully carries Kaira. Her performance is so earnest that you won’t find any difficulties in connecting with those dilemmas. Shah Rukh Khan on the other hand has this sort of full fledged cameo. The actor’s portrayal is more raw and the rapport between the two is jovial. Angad Bedi, Kunal Kapoor, Ali Zafar (perfect) and Aditya Roy Kapoor were all good for their worthy small roles. I loved the cute friend Jackie of Kaira portrayed by Yashawini Dayara.

As I said, the feel of the movie is much similar to what English Vinglish managed to create. The usage of background score is astonishingly minimal. The conversations are so lively and active that you don’t really sense a need for such gimmicks. The feminine politics is there for the film and Gouri Shinde addresses and teases many weird logic the elderly people say about being single and the idea of marriage. I dont know how many of the morally confined society can understand the depth of the chair theory Jahangir Khan says in the film, but in my opinion whether the movie will work for you or not depends a lot on that theory and a few similar questions that pops out. Cinematography style tracks the mood of the film nicely. Cuts were neatly done without causing any damage to the flow of those long conversations. I enjoyed the music and after finishing the movie I am actually planning to listen to those Ali Zafar tracks.

So for me Dear Zindagi is joyful, intellectually well balanced, practically humorous and emotionally inviting cinema. I thoroughly enjoyed the film .

Rating:4/5