When Shakun Batra tells a story, you have your hopes up. After Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu hai Kapoor and sons, expectations were sky high from Gehraiyaan. This feature film claimed to be a modern-day tale of dysfunctional romantic relationships.?
While the trailer hinted at the film being about infidelity, there was so much more hidden in the depths of Shakun Batra's world.?
Gehraiyaan's fate after its release is eerily similar to Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha. There are extreme reviews, and people have either dissed the movie or accepted it whole-heartedly. Another similarity is its take on complex and twisted modern-day relationships.?
Amidst the criticism and drastic reviews, the movie should be given credit where it's due.
Alisha's (Deepika) scenes with her father (Naseeruddin Shah) and their deep conversations about her childhood trauma and how it shaped her reality about relationships are indeed worth applauding.?
How many times have a mainstream film showcased adults grappling with childhood trauma with just honesty and sensitivity??
While Alisha¡¯s mother died by suicide, Zain, on the other hand, who made several attempts to ¡°save¡± his mother from domestic abuse, is living with the guilt of abandoning her mother.?
The way Shakun and his team have shown the side of women who stay complacent and silent in domestic abuse because of the complexities that come with it is striking.
Gehraiyaan managed to show Alisha's bouts of anxiety and other mental health issues ¡ª like insecurities, emotional dysregulation, and impulsive behaviors, especially whenever a current situation teleports her to the haunted memories of her childhood-her parents quarreling, her mother telling her how 'she is stuck' and much more.?
Instead of creating a scene or making it uncomfortable for someone dealing with suicidal thoughts, we see him dealing in a calm and composed manner. How often do we see Indian parents understanding the emotional complexities that their children go through??
This is not the first time Shakun has attempted to delve deeper into the childhood trauma of adults. In Kapoor and Sons, released in 2016, we saw Tia (Played by Alia Bhatt) having a heart-to-heart conversation with Arjun, telling him why she hates birthdays.?
Tia opens up about the trauma of losing her parents and the guilt of not having one last conversation with them.?
Despite people criticizing the film, there is so much more to Gehraiyaan.?The way writers of Gehraiyaan have shown the courage to explore the visual language of human vulnerability and dysfunctionalities in relationships is worth giving Gehraiyaan a watch!
(If you know anyone battling depression or other mental health issues, please reach out to someone who can help. AASRA Foundation: 022 2754 6669 Samaritans Mumbai: +91 84229 84528 / +91 84229 84529 / +91 84229 84530 Sanjivini Society for Mental Health: +911124311918)
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