The live ‘QnA’ session begins at 4PM today, post your questions in the comments section below: Q. How was 2.0 posters and 3D teaser? Can it open huge like 20+ crore in Hindi? A. The response is mixed because the teaser was shown in 3D and many in the audience did not have 3D glasses, even those watching the event live on Youtube were disappointed. As for the opening, it’s the biggest and most expensive film of 2017. Diwali falls on Thursday next year and the big holiday is on Friday. Perfect time to release the film. The combined collections from all versions could well be nearly two times more than the highest single-day of all time. Even a 70-75 crore total on the first day is a possibility, because ticket prices will be insanely high and the hype will be bigger than ‘Kabali’. Unlike ‘Kabali’, ‘2.0’ has Akshay Kumar to add star value in the North Indian markets. If ‘Golmaal 4’ opts for a different date, then records across the country will be decimated by a distance. Films in the last few years haven’t really taken advantage of the Diwali period in the last few years, next year will be huge if films like ‘Robot 2.0’ and ‘Golmaal 4’ release. It’s these kind of films that the audience want to watch during Diwali. Q. Who has the best line up of films for 2017? A. Almost all actors have a good and varied line-up. Salman Khan obviously has two of the biggest films of 2017 in Tubelight and Tiger Zinda Hai, he takes the Top 2 festive weekends too. He should dominate and maintain his lead in the industry, as his films will appeal to every section of the audience. Our next pick is Akshay Kumar. Huge line up. Jolly LLB 2, Toilet Ek Prem Katha, Crack and Robot 2.0. Shah Rukh Khan has one massy film (Raees) and the other (Imtiaz Ali directorial) which should hold wider appeal. But Shah Rukh doesn’t have good release dates. Among the younger actors, Varun Dhawan and Arjun Kapoor have good films. Varun has Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2, both potential 100 crore grossers. Arjun has Half Girlfriend (Chetan Bhagat – Mohit Suri) and Mukarakan (Anees Bazmee). Ajay has two big films too, Baadshaho and Golmaal 4. Rest of the actors have one film each, which cannot really be called a ‘line-up’. Our pick in order of preference (from a box office point of view) – Salman, Akshay, Shah Rukh, Varun, Ajay, Arjun. Q. Which kind of movies Hrithik should do to get the old form. we know he is extremely talented but when he try to experiment his movie fails or under performs like Lakshya, Guzarish and Mohenjo Daro. A. Experiments can go wrong, but films like Lakshya and Guzaarish will never be big earners at the box office. Lakshya opened at 100% at the box office, which in itself was a major achievement, but it didn’t sustain. It has found cult status now, as many find the film to be very inspiring. So it all comes down to the choice of films and knowing the vision of the director, because a film like ‘Mohenjo Daro’ was probably signed because of the director and the end result was very poor when it comes to scale and setting. The perception that he is no longer in form is normal when a film has just failed at the box office. If ‘Kaabil’ does well, all will be well again. Q. What about Hrithik – Kabir Khan project which was announced on Nov 2015 to be produced by Sajid N ? Is it happening after Tubelight or Hrithik has opted out of it ? A. We haven’t heard about this in a long time now. Doesn’t seem to be happening. Q. Any chance of Raees vs Kaabil to be averted now? Or is it a deadlock now? A. The clash is on. Both films are coming on 26th January. Q. Rank these actors as star power SRK, AAMIR And Salman? A. Salman, SRK, Aamir. In terms of initial pull, irrespective of content. Domestic box office. Q. What is the word-of-mouth for Dear Zindagi? A. It’s positive at major cities, average elsewhere. Although it’s certainly not overwhelmingly positive anywhere. Q. What can be the combined total of Raees and Kaabil in the best case? Can Airlift’s record be challenged if both of turn out to be very good films? A. For one film to collect more than ‘Airlift’, the other film has to be rejected. Or one film has to be extraordinary and the other has to be average. If both films get equal response, it’ll be difficult for either to beat ‘Airlift’. It’s not that big a weekend. ‘Kaabil’ has costs in its favour, so the break-even point is at 85-90 crore. ‘Raees’ due to the delay, has higher costs, it needs to collect more and expectations are always higher from someone like SRK too. Q. Your take on Ashutosh Gowariker as a director? Is he that bad director to deliver 3 disaster in a row? A. We would put him in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s league. Good director when in form, but chances of going wrong and delivering a disaster is high too. All the profits that they make in 2-3 films, can be lost with one debacle. But to Bhansali’s credit, he’s been able to give scale to his vision. Ashutosh has failed in that department. Q. SRK’s ranking in worldwide popularity in actors of whole world? A. SRK is by far the most widely recognised Indian actor in the world. Q. What is your take on Alia Bhatt being considered “Too good too soon”? A. To her credit, she is one of the few female actors in the industry who can actually act. She was tremendous in roles that require acting histrionics (Highway, Udta Punjab) and can do the usual glam-roles too. We do not have too many female stars in the industry, so when someone like an Alia comes and does the kind of films she’s been doing, she’ll obviously walk away with a lot of praise and accolades. Q. Do you think there is any chance of dear zindagi to collect more than 100cr as it has collected 20cr in 2days and audiences has given thumbs up to this movie….It has also 2 weeks to earn…. A. Highly unlikely, but it can surprise if it holds well Monday onwards. There is ‘Kahaani 2’ this week and if that film is anywhere close to as good as the first film, it won’t be easy for Dear Zindagi to collect 2nd week onwards. Q. First ADHM, then 2.0 and now Meri Pyari Bindu. Why are everyone being so harsh towards Ajay Devgn? A. No one wants to unnecessarily announce a film on a day which is already occupied by another film. But there are only 52 weeks in a year and most weeks have already been taken. Recently, a big name in the industry came to us asking for a good release date for his film in May – June period next year, but that period is packed. So even if actors have a film ready for release 8-9 months from now, they do not have good dates, which makes clashes inevitable. Meri Pyaari Bindu is a small film, it won’t affect Ajay’s Baadshaho. Q. World has only seen 10% from SRK; he is much more talented. In future Bollywood will try & extract remaining portion from him. Personally, I also do feel so – what is Indicine opinion about SRK? A. 10% etc are vague figures for someone who has been in the industry for 25 years. But SRK has wasted his talent in the last few years by doing films that fall in the category of ‘silly’. As an actor he has much more to offer, even in a film like ‘Dear Zindagi’ he was fabulous. ‘Raees’, depending on Excel (it’s a banner that cannot be trusted to do mass films) and Dholakia, could be a film where his performance will carry the film. Apart from that, the Aanand L Rai film will give him a lot of scope to perform. Q. What are your predictions for Deepika’s Hollywood debut? How much do you think it could make in India? A. Her presence will add value to the film, but we cannot make predictions for Hollywood films. It’s very unpredictable. If it opens above the 6-7 crore mark, then the credit could probably be given to Deepika. It has helped the film be in news for sure. Q. Do you think the makers of Raabta chosen the right date? A. Not the best of dates – Feb 10 was a better date as it’s a romantic film as the Valentine’s Day on Tuesday would have helped the film. Now it’s coming during Ramzan period, a week after Toilet and two weeks before Tubelight. It’ll have to be a good film to make the audience spend 3 times in the same month, else they would save up for Tubelight. Q. Rank them on d basis of d better directing capability among these – Kabir Khan, SLB, Anand L Rai, Imitiaz Ali, Neeraj Pandey.Give ur reasons too. A. Kabir Khan and Anand L Rai are the Top 2, because they do universally appealing family films. Followed by Neeraj Pandey and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Imtiaz Ali’s best work was Socha Na Tha (his debut) and Jab We Met, after that it’s been downhill. Tamasha and Rockstar were acclaimed film, but only a small section of the audience watched it. Q. With only 7 successes this year out of so many releases… what is going wrong with Bollywood ? A. It’s been a tough year because there seems to be a big disconnect between what the audience wants to watch and what our filmmakers are giving them. Sultan apart, there hasn’t been a film that appeals to the audience that comes out for films like ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’. The second film that has found audience at smaller centres was ‘The Jungle Book’, which did nearly 190 crore. When Tamil and Telugu film industries are doing films like ‘2.0’ and ‘Baahubali’, we are busy with 5-city urban films. Q. How is the buzz & hype for Raees currently? A. Nothing on the ground right now. It’ll start only after the trailer is released. Social media and fans aside, most people (general audience) don’t even remember the film now, it’s been a long time since the teaser came out. Q. Do you think Kaabil will get enough screens as compare to Raees? A. Yes, Rakesh Roshan will ensure the film gets a good release. Q. If you had the power to release THE RING to release whenever you want to, which best possible date will you select, along with reason? A. All major dates in 2016 are gone, so it’ll be about taking someone on and risking another clash.. or pushing the film to 2017. Independence Day release is a possibility, because the audience for Neeraj Pandey films is restricted to big cities. Diwali is no longer an option. Normal weekend may not give SRK a big 200 plus grosser, so they’ll have to work something out because the costs will be on the higher side Q. You havent updated your L.B.O for kaabil and Raees. Why ? Please update that. A. We’ll update it soon. Predictions for the first 6 months of 2017 will be added. Q. How much Demonetisation affected the collections and verdict of the recent released movies? A. Rock On 2 was the most affected film, but it wouldn’t have made much difference because there was no interest to watch the film. If there was interest, there were many ways to watch the film.. since the audience was urban, almost all of them have credit / debit cards. Force 2 was affected at smaller centres, impact was probably around 20% on Day 1 and 10-15% overall. Q. You said Force 1 was a flop and they made a sequel Force 2.. now you are saying Force 2 is a flop but they are having a success bash and John has said he will be making Force 3 soon.. What’s going on? A. Force 1 and Force 2 have both gone the same way at the box office. The trend in the first weekend was better for Force 2, but both films were poor during the weekdays. These success parties are meaningless. Deepika Padukone celebrated the success of ‘Tamasha’, but two weeks later she was talking about the film’s failure in an interview (Read). Force 2 has probably recovered costs for the producers from various rights and rebates, but if the net collections (half of which the distributors get) are not even close to the budget of a film, it’s a theatrical failure. Q. The overseas figures of ADHM and Shivaay show that Shivaay was a total washout. Did Shivaay really ad a chance in Overseas or i was just over hyped? A. We’ll let the numbers do the talking – ADHM has crossed the 85 crore mark overseas, 2nd highest overseas grosser this year after Sultan. Shivaay has wrapped under 10 crore. Q. What can be the possible reason behind releasing Raees trailer on 7th December and not along with Dear Zindagi ? A. They probably wanted the focus to be on ‘Dear Zindagi’ before moving on to ‘Raees’. We had revealed in QnA session two weeks ago that the trailer would be out with Befikre. Releasing with Dangal would be too late. The decision is good. 6-7 weeks before release is a good time to release trailer of a film like ‘Raees’. Q. With Dear Zindagi performing very well and having a great performance by Alia, who do you think can be termed as the best actress of the year : Anushka Sharma (ADHM), Alia Bhatt (DZ, Udta Punjab), Tapsee Pannu (Pink), Sonam Kapoor (Neerja) or any other actress ? A. Alia Bhatt for Udta Punjab is the top contender to win awards this year, we think. Q. Varun Dhawan’s films are mostly mass oriented. What kind of multiplex following does he have? A. He’s had a good mix of releases, both mass friendly and movies that worked with the urban multiplex audience. Student Of The Year, Humpty Sharma Kil Dulhania, Badlapur worked mainly in big cities, ABCD 2 and Main Tera Hero clicked with the masses. He does have a good following amongst city audience, the kids love him too. But long way to go as far as the masses and family audience are concerned. Like someone in the trade said, for an actor to be the next Salman or Shah Rukh Khan.. the younger stars need to do films for the family audience and also action-oriented entertainers. On that note, we end today’s QnA session. Do join us again next week. Thank you.
Dear Zindagi Saturday (Day 2) Box Office Collections
Dear Zindagi has shown excellent growth on its second day, collecting Rs 11.25 crore at the box office on Saturday. The growth in business is around 28% from Friday, which is better than most films that have released this year.
Raees Trailer Date officially announced
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Salman asks his followers to watch ‘Dear Zindagi’
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has asked his Twitter and Facebook followers to watch Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh...
Moh Maya Money Reviews by Critics
[mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Moh Maya Money’ Review – 2.4 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Moh Maya Money Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: Munish Bhardwaj’s debut feature ‘Moh Maya Money’ is set in Delhi, nailing a certain sector of the Capital with an unerring eye, and giving us these two very Delhi creatures: there are hundreds of Amans you can encounter, working several hustles on the side, juggling so many balls at the same time that they are in the danger of forgetting that they can trip and fall anytime. And there are so many Divyas too, trying to balance stresses at work and home and a marriage which has begun creaking. The film also feels very apt, in these tough times of demonetisation, with its leitmotif of greed — all that unaccounted for money that Aman covets has been washed through the complicated innards of the real-estate business, where the difference between black and white blurs and is stark at the same time Moh Maya Money Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Neha Dhupia’s character takes centre stage in the second half and her graph goes through a dramatic shift, while Shorey’s remains largely consistent. Dhupia sinks into her character and internalises her state of mind. Shorey, who knocked it out of the park in Titli, is fairly committed here, even though his character’s attributes allow him only as much. While director Munish Bhardwaj tightly packs in much in the 109 minutes of the film’s runtime, there was scope for improvement. For one, the use of multiple perspectives to convey the same sequence seems repetitive and unnecessary. Especially since the additional track introduced could’ve been retained to add an element of intrigue to the climax. A mystery this is not as the film follows the inevitable. But how it wraps up may not be anticipated and is worth a watch. Moh Maya Money Review by IANS on Sify Rating: The script written by director Munish Bhardwaj has a convoluted screenplay. Narrated in a non-linear fashion with different, points of view, the plot gets repetitive, boring and tiresome. While the story is interesting and the tale evenly paced, the narrative drags and the consequence is predictable. While most of the supporting characters are one-dimensional souls, what keeps you glued to your seat is the quirky and complex characterization of its lead cast. The film is Ranvir Shorey’s canvas, being a natural actor with limited means, he delivers half-heartedly as Aman Mehra. He shines in some scenes as a weak human being and he sleep walks through the others. He is aptly and efficiently supported by Neha Dhupia, whose strong personality befits Divya. Together they make the perfect, odd couple. Moh Maya Money Review by Indiaglitz Rating: The story is typical and been shown is several films. The slow narrative style dilutes the flow of the film. The middle portions drags due to repetitive scenes and situations. The second half goes on an impractical mode with loads of cinematic liberties and ends up on a forced abrupt note. The connection factor is highly missing in the film. The cinematography is average and fails to enhance the quality of the film. The director has some decent twist and turns induced into the screenplay but fails to execute it due to the slow pace and inconsistent second half of the film. Neha Dhupia has lost her sexy image and looks quite bloated in every scene of the film. Moh Maya Money Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: The only shiny beacon is Neha Dhupia whose character grows on you, in spite of the surprise turn towards the end. The story is like so many insurance fraud movies you have seen. You can see where the story is going and wish there was even a teensy-weensy bit of humor in the story. The director makes Ranveer’s character so weak, so miserable, you don’t like him. And once the protagonist becomes dour and unlikeable, the rest of the movie is so easy to dislike. The end is obvious, and you wish it come earlier Review by Reza Noorani on The Times Of India Rating: The story builds quite well and keeps you guessing. The twists are interesting, unexpected and add to the story. It has a non-linear narrative, but it’s not tough to follow. However, the loose ends could have been tied up well, and the end leaves you wanting more. Moh Maya Money is a well-made crime thriller, where the characters may be cheating each other, but you’ll sure get your money’s worth. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The highlight of MOH MAYA MONEY is the interesting premise and some realistic performance from the lead – Neha Dhupia and Ranveer Shorey. The greed, aghast and guilt are well portrayed by the two. The dialogues are crisp while the city of Delhi and Resul Pookutty’s background score play important characters in the film. What falters the chances of MOH MAYA MONEY to be a stout desi de noir thriller is its predictability in Munish Bhardwaj’s linear narrative that just before the interval you stop worrying as the proceedings give a bingo feeling to the audience’s thought process. It’s happening just as the way they thought. The twist later fails to thrill as it should have and the lack of intensity, excitement in the unfolding during the climax doesn’t do any good. Review by Kriti Tulsiani on News18 Rating: The first half keeps you invested but the second half gets you meandering pretty quickly. It gets a little over-dramatic with a bunch of twists and turns thrown here and there – the moment Ranvir’s character goes to buy a gun, you get to know where the story is heading. To the maker’s credit, the sound effect only enhances the narration and not for once works as a distraction. All in all, the film is a good watch and worth your new notes but be prepared for a tad-bit drama. And needless to say, the topicality and the timing, by the virtue of PM Modi’s ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes couldn’t be more perfect. Review by Suparna Sharma on Deccan Chronicle Rating: The film opens with the accident scene and then winds back 45 days before the accident. Somewhere in those days we figure that Divya has a secret life. Debutant writer-director Munish Bhardwaj’s Moh Maya Money is a moral tale with a sharp sting. Its engaging, intelligent plot keeps things nicely concealed till it twists to reveal one thing, and then another and another… shocking and delighting us at every turn. Review by Johnson Thomas on Mid-Day India Rating: The pacing becomes a liability and the performances although earnest, don’t have the emotional connect to make this effort more affecting. The no-frills approach also makes it less enlivening. And it’s ironic that a film that is trying so hard to be different actually ends up making the same mistakes that the Bollywood masala brigade has enshrined. The dialogues throw up interesting analogies but the script can’t sustain the witty energy for long. It’s a pity that neither the moh, maya or the money alluded to, is likely make you feel welcome for long. Best Rated Films in 2016 Pink – 4 stars Neerja – 4 stars The Jungle Book – 3.8 stars Airlift – 3.7 stars Kapoor & Sons – 3.7 stars Udta Punjab – 3.5 stars Fan – 3.5 stars Budhia Singh – Born To Run – 3.4 stars Sultan – 3.3 stars Dhanak – 3.3 stars Phobia – 3.3 stars Waiting – 3.3 stars M.S Dhoni – The Untold Story – 3.2 stars Parched – 3.2 stars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – 3 stars Sarbjit – 3 stars Happy Bhag Jayegi – 2.9 stars TE3N – 2.8 stars Dishoom – 2.7 stars Madaari – 2.7 stars Force 2 – 2.6 stars Akira – 2.6 stars Rustom – 2.6 stars Azhar – 2.6 stars Kabali – 2.6 stars Baar Baar Dekho – 2.4 stars Mirzya – 2.3 stars Rock On 2 – 2.3 stars Fuddu – 2.3 stars Saat Uchakkey – 2.3 stars Shivaay – 2.2 stars Freaky Ali – 2.2 stars Mohenjo Daro – 2.2 stars Banjo – 2.2 stars Rocky Handsome – 2.1 stars Tum Bin 2 – 2 stars
Dear Zindagi Friday (Day 1) Box Office Collections
‘Dear Zindagi’ has collected Rs 8.75 crore on its opening day at the box office, making it the 14th highest...
Meri Pyaari Bindu to take on Ajay Devgn’s Baadshaho
Yash Raj Films’ has announced the release date of their upcoming film ‘Meri Pyaari Bindu’, starring...
Ranveer Singh apologises for insensitive advertisment
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Hrithik congratulates makers of ‘Kattappanayile Hrithik Roshan’
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Sarkar 3 Release Date announced
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I prefer to project ‘healthy body image’ says Sonakshi Sinha
Actress Sonakshi Sinha, who was recently seen in action films like ‘Akira’ and ‘Force 2’, has...
Dear Zindagi Reviews by Critics
‘Dear Zindagi’ has received mixed to good reviews from critics. From the 18 reviews that we have so far, the average critic rating is 2.9 stars. [mks_button size=”medium” title=”Average Rating of All ‘Dear Zindagi’ Review – 3 stars” style=”rounded” bg_color=”#1e73be” txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”” icon_type=””] Dear Zindagi Review by Indicine Rating: ‘Dear Zindagi’ does have some brilliantly executed sequences which include Alia’s first interaction with Shah Rukh Khan, her emotional break-down at a family dinner recalling her disturbed childhood. A few life lessons (Don’t let your past blackmail your present to ruin your beautiful future) are worth pondering over. Unfortunately, such moments are far and few in between. After a point, the film gets too preachy and tries too hard to establish the phrase ‘life is all about living those small moments’. In terms of performances, inspite a limited screen-time, Shah Rukh Khan delivers the most likeable performance in the film. He is phenomenal as Kiara’s life mentor and slips into the character with utmost ease and conviction. He lights up the screen with his charisma and screen-presence. He is a casting masterstroke. Alia Bhatt is brilliant in her emotional sequences and stands tall in her scenes with SRK. That apart, there is a bit of ‘Highway’ hangover in some of her scenes. Kunal Kapoor and Ali Zafar don’t get enough scope to perform, but they do well. Dear Zindagi Review by Bollywood Hungama Rating: The story and screenplay (Gauri Shinde) of DEAR ZINDAGI is a sincere attempt in the genre of slice of life. One has to really give it to Gauri Shinde for having tried to present the complications of life in a simplified manner. The irony of the film remains in the fact that, despite the film’s characters being relatable, the proceedings of the film are simply opposite. All of this may make the audiences fail to find resonance with it. On the other hand, because of the film’s dialogues (Gauri Shinde) being extremely lucid, it will definitely find its echo amongst the viewers. The film has got its humour intact and in right proportions. Do not miss scenes like Shah Rukh Khan’s introduction, the first meeting between Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt and Alia Bhatt’s emotional outburst during the pre-climax. Dear Zindagi Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express Rating: What could have been a solid drama with emotional heft — the qualities that made Shinde’s debut ‘English Vinglish’ such an engaging watch –built upon the exploration of the fact that our adulthood is shaped by our childhood in ways we don’t really understand, turns into a kitchen sink talkathon, where all the characters are given lines which are meant to be deep, but come off mostly banal and obvious. The vehicle through which, or should we say whom, Kaira learns life-lessons, is a dishy shrink played by Shah Rukh Khan. Dr Jehangir has her sit across him in a cosy room, takes her off for long walks on the beach, and teaches her that playing with waves is not just a game. It is Life Itself. Dear Zindagi Review by Meena Iyer on The Times Of India Rating: Feisty Alia, one of the better actors of the current generation, turns in a nicely nuanced performance. And SRK in his sober-avatar possessing infinite gyaan tempts you to seek out a therapist. If you’re in the mood to do some soul-searching this weekend, this film could do it for you. Dear Zindagi Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today Rating: Dear Zindagi scores a few brownie points on the emotion front. However, when the film has emotions as its driving point, it comes as an unpleasant surprise when it can’t even do much there. The light-hearted dialogues and scenes are the high points of the film. But they too stop working after a point. At near-2.5 hours, Dear Zindagi feels too stretched. Dear Zindagi Review by Raja Sen on Rediff Rating: Shinde might be the most celebratory feminist among our mainstream filmmakers, her heroines far from being defined or restrained by men. Dear Zindagi is a lovely picture, made with finesse and heart, and one that not only takes some stigma off the idea of seeking therapy, but — in the most natural of ways — goes a long way in making a viewer think of the people who matter most. The single smartest trick in this film, however, may well be the primary casting decision. Because a good therapist is a superstar. Review by Sreeju Sudhakaran on Bollywood Life Rating: Dear Zindagi will definitely appeal to you if you love slice of life film. A little bit of trimming here and there would have been good, and it is not a typical Bollywood movie. However that shouldn’t stop you from not witnessing one of Alia’s best performances and SRK being his charming best. Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews Rating: While Khan offers sturdy support in this film, it’s Bhatt’s film all the way. Their relationship seems effortless. You almost feel as if Khan is playing himself in this film. Just like his charming, ever-amiable public persona, his character here too is instantly endearing. How their relationship develops is also interesting to watch. A grouse is that Bhatt’s relatives come across as stock characters — that intrusive aunt or uncle who’s always pestering the single women to marry quick could have been eliminated. But that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying this feel-good drama. If you are looking for a heartwarming, sensitive film about troubled twenty-somethings, then make a date with Dear Zindagi. You won’t live to regret it. Review by Mayank Shekhar on Mid-Day India Rating: This film, instead, touches upon a whole bundle of stuff, often only saying or suggesting it, rather than even showing it: sleep deprivation (major urban disease), single girls being thrown out of rented apartments (terrible urban prejudice), desis looking down upon shrinks and their visitors (popular Indian notion), pain of a passionless heart that hardly beats, let alone breaks (common urban affliction)… It still reads so much like a part-real, part-reflective, deeply concerned, almost cathartic, personal journal — the sorts that in school notebooks, one began with, Dear diary… Or well, Dear zindagi, as in this case. You know what? As an audience, I’d take that over anything else. Review by Tushar Joshi on DNA India Rating: Conversations are entertaining and engaging when they end before they become white noise. Dear Zindagi suffers from some really long, drawn out monologues and verbal exchanges between Kaira and Dr. Jehangir. There is a scene where he compares trying out chairs to moving from one boyfriend to the other, another attempt at humour to talk about taking the easy way out rather than choosing the more obvious difficult path comes across as an exhausting attempt to build up a forced narrative. What felt like easy conversations in the first half suddenly become heavy and corny in the second. What is Jehangir’s back story? Why is he averse to the idea of opening himself up to Kaira? These and many more questions remain unanswered. Jehangir loses his sex appeal when he starts getting preachy and his believability suffers from the too-good-to-be-true syndrome. Review by Vishal Verma on Glamsham Rating: The chemistry between SRK and Alia is enchanting. In a rarest of rare occasion SRK makes way for his co-star to enjoy all the limelight as a protagonist and keeps himself ‘cool’ with a solid supporting act. All said and done, DEAR ZINDAGI is an impeccably performed touching if not everlasting adage on life and relationship with some soul stirring moments hailing the power of Alia Bhatt as a super performer and SRK as the irresistible cool charmer minus the super star’s ‘arm spread’ we all know. Review by Raghav Jaitly on Zeenews Rating: ‘Dear Zindagi’ is a new age script that will do well with the youth. By moving ahead of romantic relationships, the movie also teaches important life lessons on how to deal with your family and how to bury the baggage of past. The flick is more like a therapy that the modern generation needs today in order to live a stress-free life. It is hard to comment whether it will work wonders in the single screen and rural areas but, if you need some freshness and a break from Bollywood clichés, then straightaway head to a theatre closest to you to grab a slice of ‘Dear Zindagi’ Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies Rating: Shinde deserves a pat on her back for effectively and accurately portraying the ‘Tinder’ generation and driving home the point that a person’s present is often the result of his or her past. Kaira may come across as irritating and hypocritical in the first half but as you slowly realise that there is more to the issue, your opinion about the character undergoes a complete change and you may find yourself feeling affectionate towards her. However, it is the first half that meanders and makes you restless while the second half, though long, starts making sense. However, while Shinde could have stuck to a point and gently hammered it home (like she did in English Vinglish), she takes up an array of issues to discuss fleetingly via this film- single women not getting places on rent, the attitude of parents regarding the career choices and lifestyle of their children, the stigma attached to seeking professional help for mental issues et al. A bit of a focus with regards to the plot and storyline would not have harmed the film at all, we feel. Some of the points made in the film make quite an impact and the scene where Kaira breaks down in front of Jehangir, may surely bring a lump to your throat. Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror Rating: Gauri Shinde’s insights about the hopes and aspirations of Indian housewives (English Vinglish) is surely more detailed than her reading of a young adult’s heart and mind. But despite the research that probably went in here, she manages to present modern day relationships as non-committal yet not frivolous, non-exclusive yet just as caring and concerned. Shinde’s depiction of her emotionally scattered lead is faintly identifiable. But the repetitive moral policing and stereotyping inflicted on her seems a bit exaggerated. In other words, it could’ve been at least 20 minutes shorter. The use of light varies across the films. Consequently, in certain scenes, SRK appears like the cellophane-wrapped version who endorses a million brands, in others, the ageing actor who isn’t afraid to conceal his fine lines comes under the spotlight. This one is a mood film. No surprises, no revelations mid-way, but if you have a mushy-minded mate, this would make for quite a date. Review by Rohit Bhatnagar on Deccan Chronicle Rating: One film old director Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi is a slice of life film but you might or might not connect with it. Those who had a dysfunctional family as a child or have experienced multiple break ups in a short span of time will relate to Kaira’s story. First half of the film is nothing great, it just goes away in introduction of the characters and before the ride can even begin, it’s already interval. However, the film holds a huge promise of heart wrenching instances in the second half but no matter how much the reviewer tries hard to like the film and connect with Kaira’s journey, it is all in vain. Though the plot in reality is extremely weak, it has been covered up pretty nicely with brilliant performances. Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies Rating: Shinde is at the top of her game here, mining the charms of her two lead actors to perfection to deliver a film that is quietly hypnotic. She chooses her pace and sticks to it all the way through a runtime of two and a half hours, a sure sign of faith in her material. For once, the length does not weigh heavy at all. On the flip side, Dear Zindagi, subtle at most times, occasionally tends to tilt towards the simplistic. But it pulls back just in the nick of time so that too much damage isn’t done. SRK’s introduction scene – it comes 50 minutes into the film – might have done with a little more thought. Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times Rating: The screenplay and dialogues, however, stop the film from being magnificent. Another point that really didn’t work comes when Kaira needs yet another romantic relationship to lean upon, despite the entire film doling gyan on how romance isn’t the be-all and end-all in life.. If only Gauri brought better-etched characters and delved more into the emotional turmoils of her lead, this could have been a wonderful “slice-of-life” film with several messages to be lauded for. What she ends up with is a “could-have-been-amazing” film.. Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning Rating: Despite the presence of Shah Rukh, there is just no emotional connect with Alia and you want to reach out and say, ‘Enough!’ to her. They try so hard to ‘be cool’. It’s not the fault of the young actors at all. Even Ali Zafar, who is perfect as the rebound boyfriend comes across as one-dimensional and easy to dismiss. The story just doesn’t have enough meat. It’s so Aalia-focussed, there is no room to develop the other characters. They’re all there to show how ‘kewl’ Aalia is. Review by Shomini Sen on News18 Rating: Written by Gauri Shinde, Dear Zindagi primarily scores because of very real, well etched out characters. Alia Bhatt does get a strong role and she delivers but even the men, from Kunal Kapoor to Ali Zafar, they all strike a chord making the film extremely relatable. It is also heartening to see Khan in a role which is so subtle and restrained- a far cry from the roles that he has been doing in the past years. No frills, no songs, no unnecessary theatrics. Just pure acting. Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice Rating: Here too, Alia, is radiantly patient. Her pleading eyes at their last session when, alas the patient must be torn away from her seductive guru, followed me out of this fabulous film. Alia is indeed magical in Dear Zindagi. In a role far less sympathetic than what Sridevi played in English Vinglish, Alia embraces all her character’s flaws and makes us love Kaira all the more for them. Ironically she plays a girl who must confront her silences in a film that has a lot to say. Oh, there are other remarkable performances too. Ira Dubey and Yashswini Dayama as Kaira’s besties….they look like they’ve known Alia all her life. Ali Zafar shows up in the second-half as a musician who thinks and talks only in music, whom Kaira becomes vaguely attracted to. No one gets it wrong in Dear Zindagi. It’s the kind of silent masterpiece where all the actors,even the habitually out-of-rhythm Aditya Roy Kapoor (in a concluding cameo) puts their best foot forward. Review by Meeta on Wogma Rating: Kaira’s character is totally imaginable as a girl you’d know, the kind who uses her rudeness on her sleeve while it actually is a coping mechanism of sorts. She has her reasons to be that way, but Dear Zindagi shows them to you too late to be able to fit the complicated puzzle that Kaira makes herself out to be. I am glad that we know very little about Jehangir Khan. He’s a therapist who seems to know what he is doing. And that is pretty much all we need to know. And the unique chemistry between Kaira and Jehangir is played out well by the two actors too. Dear Zindagi Review by Sify Rating: The film lacks drama and is stretched to over 2.5 hours on a wafer-thin plot, making for tedious viewing. Humour comes in the form of some light-hearted moments but is not enough to give respite. The second half of the film drags endlessly, although the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of her life fall into place as she makes peace with life. Amit Trivedi’s music too fails to make an impact and is almost lost. The film expectedly has good production values and the ethos of Goa is beautifully captured through the lens of Laxman Utekar. Dear Zindagi could have been a lively, fun film albeit with life lessons, rather than the long-winded slice of life it is. Dear Zindagi Review by Indiaglitz Rating: ‘Dear Zindagi’ is fantastic, but only in parts and is lethargic in most. The concept of the movie is superb, but fails in its execution over the silver screen.This concept was perfect for a web series displaying the various chapters of Alia’s character. Wish the movie had more such wonderful scenes. ‘Dear Zindagi’ is a half-hearted soulful film. It starts on a tediously boring note and after a whiles gets on its right but perfect track. 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Dear Zindagi Movie Review
‘Dear Zindagi’ is Gauri Shinde’s second directorial venture after the much-acclaimed Sridevi starrer ‘English Vinglish’. The slice of life film stars Alia Bhatt in the lead, supported by Shah Rukh Khan, Kunal Kapoor and Ali Zafar. The movie grabbed eye balls owing to the innovative promotional strategy, what with the makers releasing four teasers (no trailer) to give the audience an essence on what the film is all about. Does ‘Dear Zindagi’ live upto expectations? Let’s find out:
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