Dear Zindagi Performance Takes Alia Bhatt Way Ahead Of The Competition

Movie Review: Dear Zindagi

First some good news...I dared to watch SRK's FAN on Day 1 and to my surprise the muliplex in Pune was almost vacant. I couldn't believe it. But everyday is not Sunday, and today it was absolutely different. Day 1 of Dear Zindagi, and guess what, the multiplex is almost houseful.

But it is not SRK who is pulling the crowd today, this time around it is the director Gauri Shinde and the powerhouse of talent Alia Bhatt.

Direction and Music

Gauri who has directed the much acclaimed English Vinglish has done a great job with Dear Zindagi. Her depiction of Alia and her life story is effortless and seamless. Gauri just eases through it scene by scene.

Amit Trivedi's music is excellent. The songs take the story forward and the music gels well with the proceedings.

Performances

ShahRukh has delivered his performance with immense restraint. He has an important role but very limited scope for any heroics. SRK does complete justice to his character and doesnt go overboard at any place.

The movie however belongs to Alia Bhatt. She is such a powerhouse of talent. Her character has so many shades and she brings them to life with a lot of natural flair. This performance will take her way ahead of her competition. Kudos to Gauri Shinde for casting Alia and taking the best out of her.

Length of the movie is about 149 minutes. To some viewers certain parts of the second half may appear to be a drag. Given the plot the pace of the story is bound to be slow.

Recommendation

You may not like this movie if you are looking for a typical masala entertainer. It has no action or thrill and no running around the trees. This is somewhere between the art and mainstream cinema. As such this movie may appeal more to the multiplex going audience than to the masses. However, considering that the budget is around Rs 30 Crores, this may prove to be a very profitable venture for Red Chillies Entertainment and Dharma Productions.