Dear Zindagi Is So Much More Alia Than SRK, and Thank God for That
I'm not ashamed to admit that I fell for all the
Dear Zindagi hype.
I
watched every teaser as soon as it came out, hooked by the soft focus,
the fact that the movie was going to revolve around mental health and
therapy, its conversational style, and the easy chemistry that seemed
apparent between Alia's Kaira and Shah Rukh's Dr. Jehangir.
The movie, when I finally got to watch it, took a while to get to its
point. It starts off by setting Kaira up as the perfect, closed-off,
complex, heroine—effortlessly pretty, endlessly talented in her chosen
craft (cinematography), and so, so, so unlucky in love.
Much
of the first half is devoted to this. The movie even goes so far as to
give Kunal Kapoor's Raghuvendra the line: "Why are you so complicated?!"
as he looks at Kaira with confusion and adoration.
So okay, we get it, she's complicated.
When
Dear Zindagi finally makes its point, though, it's a strong one.
The Good
We need more movies to say what this movie is saying—therapy is
normal and mental health warrants concern. There is nothing wrong with
going to a "dimaag ka doctor".
It also helps that Alia Bhatt has never been better.
This
is the actor at the top of her game. The script lets her down in some
places, but she soldiers on anyway, bringing a restrained, realistic
acting style to her role. Her breakdowns feel real. Her confusion feels
honest.
The Bad
Try as it might, the movie couldn't escape Bollywood conventions.
Of course, Kaira
had to
be flawless. She's selfish and completely self-absorbed, but that's
something the movie timidly skips around. She leaves broken hearts in
her wake like she was born to do it, treats the men who seem to fall for
her by the dozen like they're nothing more than momentary
entertainment, but the movie chooses to focus solely on her struggle.
