2022 has been an eventfully successful year for Alia Bhatt, both personally and professionally. Not only did she marry the love of her life and entered the beautiful phase of motherhood, Alia also got widespread acclaim for her roles in films like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ’Gangubai Kathiawadi’, her own production ‘Darlings’, SS Rajamouli’s ’RRR’ and most recently Ayan Mukherji’s ‘Brahmastra’.
But we aren’t going to discuss all that today, instead this article is about something she did six years ago alongside king of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan. Some of you might have guessed it by now and if not, it’s ‘Dear Zindagi’ by Gauri Shinde.
‘Dear Zindagi’ is celebrating its sixth anniversary today and its the perfect occasion to catch up on the film if you haven’t or even rewatch it. It’s one of those films where you either love every bit of it or you might not like it at all, something in between is only a matter of chance.
The film follows Kaira (Alia Bhatt), a budding cinematographer who is still to find her breakthrough. But it’s her personal life that takes a toll after a heartbreak and results in sleepless nights. While visiting her parents in Goa she accidentally comes across Dr. Jehangir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), a psychologist whose unconventional methods help Kaira realise her true self.
During one of these sessions Jehangir tells Kaira that sometimes we choose the tougher path because that feels like the correct thing to do in order to achieve something great. We feel the need to punish ourselves. But what’s wrong with the easy path? Why not take it when you aren’t ready to face the difficulties yet.
There are more such soulful revelations that happen throughout the film through some simplest of examples. ‘Dear Zindagi’ is one such film that might make you rethink about your life choices and realise that happiness comes from within.
If not all, there will surely be a few sessions between Shah Rukh and Alia in ‘Dear Zindagi’ whose outcomes will feel so simple yet effective and will leave a lasting impact on you. Directed by Gauri Shinde, ‘Dead Zindagi’ is currently streaming on Netflix.