“Zindagi” can be quite taxing. “Adulting”, as they say, is no child's play. Trying to find our true self in this maddening maze of everyday life while negotiating between the head and the heart is what Dear Zindagi is made of.
Director Gauri Shinde has done it again – breaking the stereotypical mould of Bollywood story telling. Dear Zindagi has a spa feel to it. It’s therapeutic and oh-so relaxing but one must surrender to the pace first.
Time moves slow in this universe (sadly, also in the theatre). Kiara is a restless young girl working as a cinematographer and dreaming of her big break. She is gorgeous, is great at what she does, has friends she can trust, and many potential suitors . She makes for a pretty picture but as we zoom in we see the little cracks. Her moments of vulnerability, her fears, this relentless uneasiness that always engulfs her. Kiara intrigues us and we want to know more. No one could have played Kiara like Alia Bhatt. She makes it her own.
The pace, like I said, is too indulgent and just when we find our patience running out, in walks Dr Jehangir Khan. Shah Rukh Khan livens up the screen, lifts the pace, serenades us with his dimples, and gives us tonnes of life lessons.
The therapy sessions, I am afraid, have a distinct ‘filmy’ feel to them and the writing is at times clichéd, but SRK must be applauded for his willingness to experiment. He owned the screen each time but also knew when to sidestep and not let his persona overshadow Alia's character.
Dear Zindagi has some beautiful moments and a terrific performance by Alia. In so many ways, we see little nuggets from our own lives playing on screen and identify with the characters, but the indulgent pace sadly means that not everyone will enjoy it.
Go for it only if you are in the mood for some ‘gyaan’ on how to make sense of Zindagi!
3.5 QUINTS out of 5.
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