***Spoilers ahead!***
‘Gehraiyaan‘ was one of the most anticipated releases of this year, so perhaps that explains why so many people were disappointed. To start with, director Shakun Batra‘s last one ‘Kapoor and Sons’ ain’t a hit either, but the movie got discussed after a long while its release. Of course, ‘Gehraiyaan’ is not ‘Kapoor and Sons’ and we cannot even compare the two films. Yet there is a deep sense of connection between the two films. Letting the past determine who we are in the present.
It is not the type of love story we all look forward to, and as a director who deals with deeper emotions, we could not expect it from Shakun. ‘Gehraiyaan’ is quite different from what you expect, and it turns out to be one of the few movies that capture the grey areas of humanity well. The humans who are desperate to save themselves at all costs. And it is deeply written for Deepika Padukone. The plot revolves around the life of Alisha and her struggles. It is about the people she meets and the way she sees life that makes the movie. Alisha’s character permeates the entire 148 minutes. The jolt in her chest when she recalls the past. Her gut-wrenching fear and pain when she realizes Zain is ready to kill her. An uneasiness in her to know her loved one has died. The regret when she realizes that she blamed the wrong person for her mother’s death her entire life. It is all painful. The pain of loneliness and abandonment. The life that crossed her path. That’s why she fell for Zain when he acknowledged her. She connected with him easily. This is what makes it humane.
Zain, however, was also a victim of childhood trauma. In Zain’s character arc, it is demonstrated that he is even ready to leave his mother for a better life. When Alisha got in the way, he had nothing else to do. Zain’s very thought process is survival. Despite that, he never regrets it and believes this is what he must do. He has more love and courage for Alisha, but he is forced to do it the other way around. People say you can run away from the mess for love. Even Alisha and Zain believed that. But our past is always tied to us and the future is connected to it. Love does not suffice and love doesn’t always show us the way.
‘Gehraiyaan’ is intimate, intense and deep in its own way. The whole movie never leaves you refreshed. However, it will leave you confused and numb in the end. Perhaps we didn’t feel any emotion for any of the characters, but I believe that is because we all don’t want to go through such situations. However, the movie explored topics that Bollywood is rarely willing to tackle. Moving on is more important than letting the past dictate the future. We couldn’t let the childhood trauma kill the inner self but what we have done will haunt us till death.
The film’s cinematography is excellent. Everyone appears beautiful through the lens. The movie remains sophisticated and minimalist, so even in the most thrilling moments, it is calming to watch. The cast was terrific. As Alisha, Deepika was outstanding, and she held the movie together well. While Deepika accomplished her part in such a splendid manner, the others had only little to do. As an aspiring actor, Siddhant Chaturvedi did very well as Zain, and his emotions were well portrayed on his face. The actors, Ananya Panday and Dhairya Karwa as Tia and Karan, and Rajat Kapoor as Jitesh didn’t have much to do, but they did it well. Naseeruddin Shah was the cherry on the cake, and in the few moments he appeared, he nailed it as always.
One thing I never grow tired of appreciating is the soundtrack in the movie. The music is made up of three tracks by OAFF and Savera, and gives the film all the freshness it needs. Since the audio release, these tracks have always been at the top of the list and once onscreen, they never impede the flow of the movie. That will always be viewed as a refreshing take on Bollywood music after a long time.
Overall, Shakun Batra’s ‘Gehraiyaan’ is not everyone’s cup of tea. Of course, ‘Kapoor and Sons’ will always be my favourite by him but ‘Gehraiyaan’ has its own identity. We haven’t seen anything like this in Bollywood for a while now. It is intense, it is deep and it is very different from what we’ve seen in the past. And this movie will stay with me for a while. Let the waves crash in life!
The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video. The movie is censored as Adults Only.
Adding the beautiful track from the movie here!
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