A Surprisingly Abysmal Tale of Life

Reflecting aspects of life onto a script and the big screen is a difficult task. Films made based on stories taken out of a real life environment is nothing new. However, it is difficult to accurately present the same scenarios to the bigger audience. From the scripts to the performance of the actors, everything has to be harmonized for these films to become truly phenomenal. Shortcomings in even one of these elements can make the final movie to be rather mundane and forgettable.

The recent release of Bollywood ‘Gehraiyaan’ is perhaps a prime example of a story told in the wrong concept. Adding more to that, this film does not just pick the wrong premise but also is filled with inconsistencies.

Synopsis

The plot of the film follows a yoga instructor and her life’s struggle and crisis. Albeit being in a relationship, she finds herself entangled in another affair which will lead her to make erratic decisions. These decisions will ultimately worsen her existing problems and will cause drama beyond her control. The consequences of her actions will be insurmountable. Her mistakes will only bring back the worst of memories. She will have to embrace the past to move to the future.

Insight

First, let’s get the cliche out of the way. This long-anticipated film, dubbed Gehraiyaan which translates into Depth, doesn’t dig much further than the surface. It skims through some stormy seas, only to submerge with a quiet plunk at a distance, leaving the audience befuddled and baffled.

The core problem with this movie is it’s story and the way it is told. Director Shakun Batra is known for his work such as Kapoor & Sons and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. However, ‘Gehraiyaan’ might just be his lowest point in filmmaking. Speaking of the pros and cons of the movie, the cinematography is undoubtedly mesmerizing. The storytelling on the other hand, is rather appalling to say the least. Sometimes it is boring enough to make cinema enthusiasts give up halfway.

A film is made out of several elements and the harmony between them is what brings life within the creation. ‘Gehraiyaan’ clearly fails to deliver on that point. As good as the setting and cinematography may be, the story just does not come together. The way the story is told to the audience is perhaps another step down towards mediocrity. The entire plot tries to portray the picture of one’s mistakes and the ability to embrace them and improve. But it was a swing and a miss considering its premise was wrongly chosen and very poorly designed in contemporary context.

It is largely possible that the audience will be left scratching their heads in confusion as they watch this widely anticipated film. The inconsistencies of the plot will probably make everyone wonder what is going on during most of its runtime. To make matters worse, there is absolutely nothing that compensates for those shortcomings except for beautifully done camera shots. The movie tries to bring closure to one’s character. However, even then the audience will be left in utter confusion and with a sense of imperfection. The ride through ‘Gehraiyaan’ would feel similar if Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Prestige’ had the wrong context and if it never fulfilled the purpose of its own story.

The premise of the film is promising with a prevailing dilemma the humans face. It will make the viewers wonder what would happen if they wanted to run away from their past mistakes instead of accepting the truth. However, it was truly never depicted as deep as it should have. It just does not engage the viewers enough with that essence where the audience ponders and focuses on the subject of the film. Director Shakun Batra tiptoes around the other aspects of the movie so much that it completely shifts the focus from something so meaningful to something very mundane.

Cast

‘Gehraiyaan’ stars Deepika Padukone in the leading role. Considering how well celebrated she is in India, she was expected to deliver an outstanding performance. However, her performance as the lead was much less than expected. Perhaps it is due to the film’s innate flaw but her performance did not do anything to improve that.

Other cast members include Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Dhairya Karwa in supporting roles. The effort from them was obviously present but it still fell short since the plot was confusing. Character development was near zero and at times the acting seemed clueless as well. A brief role was played by Naseeruddin Shah. His sublime performance was a breath of fresh air amidst this choppy display.