The water flow symbolizes the energy of life: repetition, violence, and abandonment. Gehraiyaan explores this contrast via the tense relationship of its two completely different characters, Alisha (Deepika Padukone) and Zain (Siddhant Chaturvedi), who find comfort and misery in each other.
Alisha and Zain, a yoga teacher and a real estate superstar, respectively, are swiftly attracted to each other. A euphoric romance consumes the two until fate slaps them in the face. So far into their romance, the pair finds themselves on a cliff as things become more challenging. Alisha’s cousin Tia (Ananya Panday) is engaged to Zain, while Alisha is in a live-in relationship with her boyfriend, Karan, for six years. Can their secret romance withstand life’s difficulties and challenges?
The act of betrayal is only the top of the avalanche. With Gehraiyaan, filmmaker Shakun Batra ventures into the uncharted ground in Hindi filmmaking: household drama. Highly influenced by Woody Allen’s 2005 psychological film ‘Match Point,’ Batra’s perspective on connection extends much beyond the physical.
Alisha, tormented by stress and burdened by the weight of her unhappy past, becomes unable to get over the evils that haunted her mom. Don’t we unconsciously bear the importance of our parents’ perceptions of love? Even in his last picture, Kapoor & Sons, Batra’s honest depiction of relationships and broken homes is extraordinary. He attempts to interpret sophisticated human behaviour and its effects through a difficult-to-narrate narrative.
Deepika portrays some heartbreaking scenes without missing a beat. Siddhant, meanwhile, stands his own in portraying a profoundly developed and troubled character. Both are excellent in their different parts, which call for their hearts to erupt and their faces to preserve a stony stillness. There could not have been a more acceptable performance for this romantic drama, which unfolds silently like a thriller and takes you into its darkened realm.
The characters’ quietness contrasts with the booming of the waves. You’re afraid of the repercussions the two could face, like a disaster waiting to happen. The cinematography, music, and sound contribute significantly to the movie’s subtly sombre tone. Scenes are structured with many gaps and pause to understand and comprehend.
The movie’s duration and lack of certainty look silly here. The storyline takes a turn in the second half, leaving you wondering where it’s going. With a running duration of 2:28 hours, it becomes a little tedious and exhausting. Furthermore, there are some wonderful lingering moments throughout the film. Gehraiyaan has a complexity that deserves to be discovered if you wish to dig further than expected.
Ultimately, it exceeds the ‘tops and dresses and hems’ of the costumes worn by the performers in the movie. There is a complexity in the story, plot, and sentiments you engage with. Keep an eye out for Deepika, who has genuinely excelled once more. I can’t recall the last time a movie title did so much credit to its plot.
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
