Gehraiyaan, a romantic drama, is directed by Shakun Batra, written with Sumit Roy, Ayesha Devitre and Yash Sahai. The 148 minutes film stars Deepika Padukone as Alisha, Siddhant Chaturvedi as Zain, Ananya Panday as Tia, Dhairya Karwa as Karan, Naseeruddin Shah as Mr Khanna (Alisha’s father) and Rajat Kapoor as Jitesh. The cinematography is by Kaushal Shah and music by Kabeer Kathpalia (OAFF) and Savera Mehta. It is produced by Dharma Productions, Viacom18 Studios and Jouska Films.
The synopsis reads, “Alisha Khanna, 30, ambitious, now finds herself at a crossroads in life. Her six year long relationship has grown monotonous, her career seems to be hitting a lot of roadblocks and just when she had begun to accept this reality as unchangeable, her life is usurped by the arrival of her cousin, Tia and her fiancé, Zain, with whom she bonds over a troubled past and a common wish to break from its confines. The story charts the journey of Alisha and Zain, as they confront the ghost of their past on the path they take to avoid it.”
Amazon Prime’s Gehraiyaan Review Contains No Spoilers
As mentioned in the synopsis and seen in the trailer, Gehraiyaan revolves around 4 characters – Alisha, Zain, Tia and Karan. But the people in focus are Alisha and Zain. Alisha is unhappy in her 6-year-long relationship with Dhruv as things have changed drastically. Tia and Zain are newly engaged and all excited for their new beginnings. But when Alisha and Zain meet each other, the two immediately hit it off. They’re build a great physical and emotional intimacy.
The first 45 minutes of the film build great intrigue with the way things change between these 4 people. But when some obstacles hit Alisha, Zain and Tia’s life, you’re expected to wait way too long to see what’s going to happen next. The entire tragedy is essential because it helps with a better interpretation of these characters. But the plot loses its grip because Batra tries to bring in too many things at once. However, I appreciate how the director leaves it up to the viewer how they perceive each person on screen.
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The extended drama builds tension and provides us with severe confrontations. The story then becomes compelling, and the audience is kept guessing until the very end. Infidelity never results in anything positive. In Shakun Batra’s Gehraiyaan, this is well depicted. The film explores how people are shaped by their past experiences, the treatment from their loved ones. It also sheds light on how, at some point, they begin to perceive themselves as others do.
Deepika Padukone’s performance in Gehraiyaan makes you forget she’s Deepika Padukone. You just see her as Alisha. The actor is brilliant in every frame and hits us with every emotion Alisha feels. Her performance gets better in every scene she shares with Siddhant Chaturvedi. Siddhant is a force to be reckoned with, and his performance as Zain testifies. Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rajat Kapoor are all superb in their roles.
Gehraiyaan Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, Gehraiyaan on Amazon Prime Video is an intense saga that conveys to us effectively that every person has various shades. It shows us that love is complex and imperfect, and sometimes, conditional. The only flaw is the amount of time taken to build up the drama in the middle. The music and performances are phenomenal. It is a lot more than just a “complex modern relationship drama” and a must-watch.
The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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