Star Cast: Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Dhairya Karwa,
Director: Shakun Batra & Dar Gai
Story Writer: Shakun Batra
Screenplay: Ayesha DeVitre & Sumit Roy
Rating: 2 Stars (out of 5)
What’s Good: Shakun Batra for you, combining so many emotions and conveying them via only four of your characters to create an emotional furor, and of course two highly unforgettable performances by DP and Sid.
What’s Bad: As the title indicates, it will drown you to the point of shortness of breath, but trust me, it will be worth it!
Available On: Amazon Prime Video
Runtime: 148 Minutes
Story: The monotony, turbulence, and abandonment of existence are embodied in the surge of waves. The tempestuous connection between Gehraiyaan’s distinctly different characters, Alisha (Deepika Padukone) and Zain (Siddhant Chaturvedi), as they find consolation and pain in one other, exemplifies this comparison.
Although the film is about young, adventurous love, it is lacking comedy and zing. It falls flat when it attempts to lighten up. As an example, consider the following: One of the characters adds, “Soch Rahi hoon pottery lessons shuru karoon.” “Mujhe laga tu potty trained hai!” she elicits. Gehraiyaan goes to that level of depth.
Star Performance:
Deepika Padukone not only tries to convince you to believe in Alisha’s deception, but her conviction is so powerful that you feel sorry for her, which is the power of a great performance. She has such a strong grasp over Alisha that you can almost sense a personal connection between the two avatars.
Ananya Panday is a step up from where she was previously, but it wasn’t even a high bar to meet. Even if she expands her range by exploring Tia, her expressions remain constrained.
Dhairya Karwa makes the most of his short screen time. He has a few brilliantly done sequences with Deepika Padukone, making him an excellent choice for the role of Karan.
Both Rajat Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah don’t bring much to the narrative, but their perfect performance makes them a stunning addition to the supporting cast.
Direction, Music:
Dooley does an excellent job of bringing up the se*y chemistry between Zain and Alisha, for which it was composed. The title track is almost like an extended discussion between the characters, expressing what they are attempting to convey without saying anything.
The Last Word:
After all, is said and done, I can’t recall the last time a film’s title did such a good job of describing the plot. It just dissolves you to the point that you may have shortness of breath, but it’s all worth it.
