Dear Zindagi - 2016

Introduction

Dear Zindagi is a Bollywood movie that was released in 2016. Directed by Gauri Shinde, the film stars Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan in lead roles. The movie explores the journey of a young woman named Kaira, who is a talented cinematographer but struggles with her personal life.

Kaira is portrayed as a strong and independent woman who is driven by her passion for her work. However, her relationships with her family and romantic partners are strained, leaving her feeling lost and alone. She decides to seek help from a therapist, Dr. Jehangir Khan, played by Shah Rukh Khan, who helps her discover herself and learn to confront her fears and emotions.

Table of Contents

• Details

• Plot

• Release

• Reviews

• Casting 

• Crew

• Character Analysis

•  Songs 

• Behind the Scenes

• Controversy 

• Box Office Collection

• Awards

• Interesting facts

• Conclusion

Details

Plot

Kaira is a young and talented cinematographer who lives in Mumbai with her friends. She has a troubled past, including a failed relationship and the fact that she was abandoned by her parents when she was a child. Her life takes a turn when she meets Raghav, played by Kunal Kapoor, and they fall in love. However, the relationship ends when Kaira discovers that Raghav has cheated on her.

Feeling lost and disillusioned, Kaira decides to take a break from work and returns to her hometown, Goa, where she meets Dr. Jehangir Khan, a therapist. Initially reluctant to see a therapist, Kaira finally agrees to meet him and starts talking to him about her problems. Dr. Khan helps Kaira to overcome her insecurities and fears, and teaches her the importance of self-love and acceptance.

As Kaira continues her therapy, she also learns to mend her relationships with her family and friends, including her estranged parents. She also meets a musician named Jahangir Khan, played by Ali Zafar, who becomes her friend and confidante. In the end, Kaira returns to Mumbai and reconciles with Raghav. She also starts a new project and is shown to be content and happy with her life.

Release

The film was released on November 23, 2016, in Canada and the United States, and on November 25, 2016, worldwide. It was released in approximately 1200 theatres across the country and 600 theatres in other countries. The film also had a special screening in Mumbai on November 23, 2016. It received a favourable response and positive feedback.

Dear Zindagi performed well in multiplexes in Mumbai, Mysore, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, while it performed well in North India. Because of the Thanksgiving weekend holidays, the film was released earlier in North America. On its first day, the film grossed 1.19 crore from 127 screens in the United States and 8.29 lakhs from 16 screens in Canada. The film grossed approximately $15.8 million in North America over the extended two-day weekend. The film grossed a total of 94.67 crore in India and a total of 136 million worldwide.

Reviews

Dear Zindagi received positive reviews from critics, who praised Bhatt and Khan's performances, direction, music, screenplay, and themes in particular. The film has a 69% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 6.56/10.

The film received a 3.5 (out of 5) rating from Meena Iyer of The Times of India, who described Bhatt's character as "feisty" and praised both Bhatt and Khan's performances. The film received a three-star rating from The Hindu's Namrata Joshi, who noted that "the chemistry between Bhatt and Khan makes the film sparkle despite the heavy-handed writing."

Dear Zindagi, according to Ananya Bhattacharya of India Today, is "an emotional joyride that won't harm you if you watch it once."

Casting 

• Alia Bhatt as Kaira, who is also referred to as "Seerat."

• Shah Rukh Khan as Dr. Jehangir "Jug" Khan, a psychologist.

• Kunal Kapoor as Raghuvendra, a film producer, one of Kaira's boyfriends

• Angad Bedi as Sid, a restobar owner, another of Kaira's boyfriends

• Ali Zafar as Rumi, a musician and singer-songwriter, yet another of Kaira's boyfriends.

• Ira Dubey as Fatima, Kaira's friend, who is also referred to as "Fatty"

• Rohit Suresh Saraf as Kiddo, Kaira's younger brother

• Yashaswini Dayama as Jackie, Kaira's friend

• Gautmik as Ganju, Kaira's friend

• Yashwant Singh as Kaira's uncle

• Salone Mehta as Kaira's aunt

• Baby Dishita as little Kaira

• Nitika Anand as family friend

• Amit Nagraj as little Kiddo

• Aban Deohans as Kaira's mother

• Atul Kale as Kaira's father

• Martha Xavier Fernandes as Kaira's maternal grandmother

• Madhav Vaze as Kaira's maternal grandfather

• Ivan Sylvester Rodrigues as vice president of a hotel, friend of Kaira's father

• Akanksha Gade as maid Alka

• Aditya Roy Kapur as Daljeet Sharma, a furniture dealer (guest appearance)

Crew

• Directed by Gauri Shinde

• Screenplay by Gauri Shinde

• Cinematography by Laxman Utekar

• Edited by Hemanti Sarkar

• Music by Amit Trivedi

• Produced by Gauri Khan, Karan Johar, Gauri Shinde

• Available on Netflix India

• Release date on 23 November 2016

• Singers are Jasleen Royal, Amit Trivedi, Arijit Singh, Vishal Dadlani, Sunidhi Chauhan, Ali Zafar

Character Analysis

Alia Bhatt as Kaira

character Kaira in the movie Dear Zindagi is a complex, multi-layered character who goes through a journey of self-discovery and healing. Kaira is an independent young woman who lives life on her own terms. She has a successful career as a cinematographer and is not afraid to voice her opinions. Despite her independence, Kaira is also vulnerable. She has a troubled past that continues to haunt her, and she struggles with feelings of loneliness and abandonment. Kaira is a thoughtful and introspective person who is constantly trying to make sense of her life. Despite the challenges she faces, Kaira is a resilient person who is determined to overcome her problems. She is willing to confront her past and work through her issues, which is a testament to her strength of character.

Shah Rukh Khan as Dr. Jehangir Khan

Dr. Jehangir Khan, played by Shah Rukh Khan in the movie Dear Zindagi, is a complex and intriguing character who serves as a therapist and mentor to the film's protagonist, Kaira. One of the most striking characteristics of Dr. Jehangir is his calm and composed demeanor. At the same time, Dr. Jehangir is not afraid to challenge Kaira's beliefs and push her out of her comfort zone. He encourages her to confront her fears and take risks, and he helps her to reframe her negative thoughts into more positive and constructive ones. In addition to his professional skills as a therapist, Dr. Jehangir also has a personal backstory that adds depth and complexity to his character

Kunal Kapoor as Raghuvendra

Raghuvendra is portrayed as a confident and ambitious young man who is passionate about his work. He is shown as a successful film producer who has made a name for himself in the industry. He is driven by his dreams and works hard to achieve them. Despite his charm and charisma, Raghav is emotionally unavailable. He is shown to be more focused on his career than his personal relationships. He is unable to connect with Kaira on an emotional level and does not seem interested in pursuing a serious relationship with her. Raghav is a character with a lot of depth and complexity. He is confident, ambitious, and charming, but also emotionally unavailable, conflicted, and insensitive. His actions and behavior contribute to the drama and tension in the film and play an important role in Kaira's character development.

Ali Fazal as Rumi

Rumi is presented as a free-spirited and confident individual, who lives life on his own terms. He is passionate about his music and has a deep connection with it, which is evident in the way he talks about it and performs on stage. He is also charming and charismatic, which makes him popular among his fans. Despite his success, Rumi is shown to be down-to-earth and humble. He is friendly and approachable, which allows Kaira to open up to him and share her problems. Rumi is depicted as a well-rounded character who embodies a balance of passion, talent, humility, and emotional intelligence. He is an important catalyst for Kaira's growth and development in the film, and his presence adds depth and dimension to the story

Rohit Saraf as Kiddo

Kiddo's character represents the importance of family in one's life. He is a constant reminder to Kaira that no matter what happens, there are people who love and support her. His unwavering loyalty and love make him an integral part of Kaira's journey towards self-discovery and healing. Despite his youth, Kiddo shows a level of maturity beyond his years. He is sensitive and perceptive, able to pick up on the emotional cues of those around him. This is exemplified in a scene where he helps Kaira process her feelings about her parents' divorce, offering her comfort and understanding.

Songs

Behind the Scenes

Play 

The entire film was to be shot in two schedules, one in Goa and the other in Mumbai. After about 30 days, the first schedule of Goa was completed, and the entire cast of the film relocated to Mumbai for the second schedule of the film. Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan had a good time working together and were excited for the next schedule.

Controversy 

In the first week of November 2016, it was reported that Ali Zafar had been replaced in the film by Tahir Raj Bhasin due to the tensions created by the 2016 Uri terror attack and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's subsequent ban on Pakistani actors. However, on November 15, 2016, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that Bhatt had denied the rumours at an event on November 14, 2016. When questioned, she stated: "Nobody will be replaced. The film will be released in its entirety." Ali Zafar sang two songs for the film, but they were dubbed by Arijit Singh, and their versions were included in the soundtrack album instead of Zafar's. Zafar's songs were later made available online. Temple Street Productions sent a legal notice to Karan Johar's Dharma Productions for copyright infringement shortly after the film's release, alleging that the film was heavily inspired by the Canadian television series Being Erica. Shinde has denied the allegation.

Box Office Collection

Dear Zindagi performed well in multiplexes in Mumbai, Mysore, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, while it performed well in North India. Because of the Thanksgiving weekend holidays, the film was released earlier in North America. On its first day, the film grossed 1.19 crore from 127 screens in the United States and 8.29 lakhs from 16 screens in Canada. The film grossed approximately $15.8 million in North America over the extended two-day weekend. The film grossed a total of 94.67 crore in India and a total of 136 million worldwide.

Awards

Interesting facts

• Although the majority of the film was shot in Goa, the final two days of filming were scheduled in Singapore. Unfortunately, rain disrupted the first day, causing the crew to lose more than half of their day. To make up for lost time, the crew shot for 24 hours on the final day because they had flights to catch the next day.

• Dr. Jehangir (played by Shahrukh Khan) mentions "English Vinglish" in one of his dialogues in the film. Gauri Shinde's directorial debut, "English Vinglish," stars Sridevi.

• Ali Zafar (also a musician and singer) sang two songs in the film, "Taarefon Se" and "Tu Hi Hai," with his own voice, while playback singer Arijit Singh sang the tracks on the original soundtrack.

• Because of the aftermath of the URI attacks, which banned Pakistani actors from appearing in Indian films, Ali Zafar was kept out of publicity material.

• Gauri Shinde is the third female director to work with Shahrukh Khan. Farah Khan and Hema Malini are the other two.

• In the background, a poster of Ki & Ka can be seen while Kaira (Alia Bhatt) is eating street food after breaking up with Sid (Angad Bedi). R Balki, husband of Dear Zindagi director Gauri Shinde, directed Ki & Ka.

• The road in Goa where Shahrukh and Alia ride their bicycles has been renamed 'Dear Zindagi Road' in honour of the film's success. You can get to that road by using Google Maps.

• The scene in which SRK and Alia were cycling and Alia fell off the bike was inspired by a real-life incident that occurred on the set of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai when Kajol lost control of her cycle on a similar occasion.

• Some scenes in the film were shot in Goa's Khorjuem Fort.

• In the film, Alia Bhatt is seen reading the book "No Easy Day" with Shahrukh. Both Alia and Shahrukh are avid book readers, with Alia frequently seen reading her kindle and Shahrukh known to read anything and everything.

Conclusion

Dear Zindagi is a beautiful movie that celebrates the human spirit and the power of self-discovery. The film teaches us that no matter how difficult our lives may seem, there is always a way to overcome our challenges and find happiness. The movie's conclusion is a powerful reminder of this message, leaving the audience inspired and uplifted.

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