Reviews & Ratings for
Dear Zindagi (2016)

Everyone knows that this is another classic film of this year. The movie - Pink shows us about the freedom of a girl, her choices and her decisions, with a little bit of negativity around her. But, this film offers you only positive vibes.

Directed by Gauri Shinde, who earlier made English Vinglish, comes up with a really fresh concept. Starring the leading actress of this generation, Alia Bhatt & the superb actor Shah Rukh Khan.

What should a girl do to find out a perfect match for her, what are her fears, her break-ups and link-ups, her relations with her family members, especially when she had a dull past in her kitty, and then how to overcome all the worries of life with a smile and be happy! - This is what the film is.

If you loved English Vinglish type films, than you will give it 5 out of 5. Otherwise don't go to make some noise with your chit-chats, that irritates a lot to a true viewer. I'm happy that I didn't face it in this film.

What to tell about the performance! I mean, Alia was extraordinary in Udta Punjab, so I think she would get the award for that film. I guess, this film would get her nominations in all the ceremony, for sure. She is just a cutie-pie. I'm declaring her the best actress of this generation. SRK is at his best. After Fan, this is again a power-booster for his so called Changed Filmography which was started with Fan. After this, Raees and The Ring are there, so all the fans, just come up to applause his choices.

Every other actors are totally good with their respective roles. But, I would like to mention Ali Zafar. This guy is such a talented man. His voice quality is superb. He plays a suitable role to his real life. All songs are like cherries on the cake. Amit Trivedi had given the music to suit the situation and the though of the lyrics. While, Kausar Munir as a lyric writer is also good, as three songs are in my mind right now, Just Go To Hell O Dil, Taareefon Se & Love You Zindagi.

Cinematography is perfect. Set-ups, locations of Goa, costumes - everything just comes to the place perfectly, and that's why the film looks so fresh and engaging.

The best part of the film is its dialogues. Especially those which are spoken by Dr. Jehangir Khan, that is SRK. "Don't let your past blackmail your present to ruin your future." All the girls out there, just go for it. All the members of that so called 'Society' has to definitely go and watch this. Every broken heart wants a nurture, and Dear Zindagi will provide you that. Kudos and cheers to the entire team!

The movie, translating roughly to Dear Life is a film about a young girl name Kaira (Alia Bhatt) who is a budding cinematographer and someone who is not very much in touch with life in its entirety.
Kaira is all of us, meaning she is someone like you and me making the character much more relatable to young adult. The movie strikingly gives a very thought provoking message. We as young adults in today's generation are so riddled with troubles surrounding us all the time we have more or less become machines of humanity, with no feelings and empathy towards anything. We all look for the right chair to lay back on, and often in the process we go through a lot of other chairs that don't necessarily appeal or provide us with the support we look for, but it does help us get our choices straight.
Dr. Jehangir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) is an unorthodox psychiatrist who changes the way we look at psychological doctors. His character is like a breath of fresh air but is very utopian.
Compared to other conventional Bollywood movies, this film goes a long step forward in changing the film industry considerably.

The movie is thought provoking and will last in your memory for a long time. Gauri Shinde has brought together the perfect star cast that is both sweet and fitting at the same time. To see Bollywood making such woman-centered movies is a revolution in itself.

Back in 1975, a timid Amol Palekar took love lessons from Ashok Kumar for asserting himself and his ardour for Vidya Sinha in Basu Chatterjee’s Chhoti Si Baat. In 2003 an angelic Shah Rukh Khan walked in slow motion into the frame, flashed his dimples, spread his arms and brought colour to the dreary life of Preity Zinta in Nikhil Advani’s Kal Ho Naa Ho. Now, in Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi it’s SRK again, as Dr Jehangir Khan, sorting out the mess of relationships for Kaira (Aalia Bhatt). Only Shinde spells things out with the much dreaded T word — therapy — which many of us, like Kaira, may require desperately in the urban loneliness and breakdowns we are caught in but are hesitant to seek out because of the dread of being labelled crazy.

At one level then film feels like a mass therapy session in which the audience could find itself getting co-opted and put on the couch. The reaction to it then would be dependant on an individual’s own life experiences. Facile, superficial like those Paulo Coelho-inspired self-help books? Yes, most certainly. A good cry, wet smiles and catharsis of the bitter-sweet kind for others? Equally valid.The dialogue rarely feels natural and mostly spirals out of control to triteness. Lines like how every broken thing can be mended (really!), how one should not let the past blackmail the present to ruin a beautiful future (oh so long-winded!) and how we choose a more difficult path even when an easier option is available (is it?). At times though the writing seems well stitched to SRK’s own sense of humour. Like when Kaira confesses about life being an interminable musical in so far as the new singer guy in her life is concerned, SRK’s Dr Khan is quick to retort with a good humoured jibe: “Aur tumhein to dialogue pasand hain (You like dialogues)”. Or when he himself says “we are all our own teachers in the school of life” and then comes back with “ye kuchh zyada heavy ho gaya (it’s too heavy-handed)”.

Things linger on too long, the filmi “Dona Maria” closure feels tacky as well as a tad predictable. Also, there are way too many causes that Shinde wants to tick—housing issues for single women in cities, the industry being more accepting of gays (even while cracking the mandatory joke about them), about the need to acknowledge varied career options than just an office job. Genuine, significant issues but they stick out than get well integrated in the story-telling, mere nods than something to be engaged with in depth.

ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILMS OF RECENT TIMES, THE WAY THE FILM POTRAYS THE ISSUES OF A GIRL DEALING WITH HER PROFESSIONAL, FAMILY AND PERSONAL LIFE. SHAHRUKH KHAN IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE FILM AND STEALS THE COMPLETE SHOW WITH THE DEPTH AND LOVE IN HIS PERFORMANCE.ALL PERFORMANCES ARE PRETTY IMPERESSIVE. A MUST WATCH FAMILY ENTERTAINER, WITH SOME AMAZING AND SOOTHING MUSIC, THE FILM IS CLEAR WINNER ALL THE WAY.

I unabashedly loved Dear Zindagi. It's a true measure of my love of my family that I didn"t see Dear Zindagi the day it came out in the US due to our Thanksgiving holiday travels. I have been looking forward to this movie for some time, hoping it would live up to my sky high expectations, and it did. I have yet to see director Gauri Shinde's feature film debut English Vinglish, which evidently deservedly garnered accolades. (I actually downloaded English Vinglish to watch on my trip but the subtitles were in Arabic. ARGH!) I'm not saying a male director can"t tell the story of a woman, but there's a different special perspective a woman writer/director brings to a film. Alia Bhatt's Kaira (Koko) is allowed to be a complex young cinematographer who is troubled, and frankly, sometimes unlikeable. She is no manic pixie dream girl for anyone. And that is just refreshing to see in itself. The film totally passes the Bechdel test! Kaira has a tight knit group of friends who she can be totally herself with, but a tense awkward relationship with her parents. Read the full review here: https://moviemavengal.com/2016/11/28/dear-zindagi-alia-bhatt-is-wonderful-in-this-portrait-of-a-complex-young-woman-at-a-life-crossroad/

From the promos itself, it's kinda evident that it is a type of movie which caters to the multiplex audience. But even for them as well, the lack of an engaging script will prove to be its downfall. In short, many would find the therapy sessions repetitive & would yearn for the exit but it is still worth a watch for Alia & SRK!!!

Dear Zindagi-A slice of life movie...It's all about getting away with complexities and jst 'Love Your Zindagi'....Filled with classy one-liners-which would make u laugh while some r emotional too....It stays with you even after u leave the theatre....One of the best dialogues is 'Don't let ur past blackmail ur present to ruin ur beautiful future'
Khan proves yet again why he is the KING....Not even for a second is he wasted by the talented Gauri Shinde(Of English Vinglish fame)...
He is charming throughout his screen time(he gets ample screen time in his extended cameo)....His performance is sure to win many hearts...For those who thought SRK has lost his midas touch,watch this masterpiece and fall in love again....Alia is equally outstanding in her role of a cinematographer...The film deals with the complexities of life and relationships...Further it focuses upon how abnormally girls r treated in society...In short,you would definitely have a lot of things to take with you after watching this movie....The only shortcoming is its duration...The editor's scissors should've worked a bit more...
Perfect direction,well execution,melodious and situational music,meritful writing,meaningful dialogues and effortless acting make this one of the best movies of the year...A must watch....
Note:- Aditya Roy Kapur,Angad Bedi and Ali Zafar have interesting cameos......They are used well by the director,but sadly this would be,most probably,the last film as well as the last song(Tu Hi Hai) of Ali Zafar in Bollywood...
Warning:- Don't depend upon reviews(though they are excellent as well)...Dare to watch it...U won't regret if you understand the film....

I am not one of srk fans but I liked this movie a lot because of Alia Bhatt. Alia looked very amazing in the movie and justified her character as a newage lively and ambitious girl. I recommend every one to watch this movie at least once.

is a ride which takes you through the hardships of Life, but in the end shows you that glimmer of light which makes your life beautiful. Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt are perfect in their roles and the music suits the brilliant screenplay. Highly recommendable!