Dear Zindagi : A must watch for all youngsters for years to come

 

So yesterday I saw Dear Zindagi on Netflix for the 2nd time. The first time I saw it when it had released years ago. This time, the movie left a deep impact on me for some reason. Maybe I am a different person after all these years which is why the movie spoke to me and made so much sense. I also felt slightly guilty for not having appreciated this movie when it released. But it's better late than never. So here are some of things that caught my attention in this movie.

1. Alia Bhatt's performance. This movie was released in 2016 and at the time, she was just 4 or 5 years into the industry. But that did not stop her from portraying such a complex character with so much ease. She showcases so many emotions such as rage, anger, innocence, desperation to feel loved and belong, etc with such conviction that you are convinced that this person Kaira really exists.

2. Shah Rukh Khan as Dr. Jehangir Khan was just right. The role needed a superstar like him for the message that was conveyed to reach the masses. Hats off to King Khan for picking up such an unconventional role for a super star.

3. The portrayal of what goes through a person's mind before going for therapy and the fear of judgement from the society was on point. Even today, there are a lot of people who suffer silently due to the fear of what judgement of going to a therapist. People immediately label you as "Mental" if they hear that you are seeing a therapist of psychiatrist. The movie shows what therapy is and tries to normalise it.

4. There is a subtle message that perhaps is most important in my opinion - "Forgive your parents if you were wronged by their decisions in your childhood." That message is absolutely need and so different compared to typical Hindi movies that put parents on a pedestal and showcase that they can never be wrong. But the truth is, they are humans just like us and fallible. A lot of people keep blaming their parents for their career, marriage and just life in general and keep that spite in their heart. This movie tells you to bring them down from the pedestal and see them as mere humans.

Thank you Gauri Shinde for making this movie.