“We should be optimistic about the prospect of Dear Zindagi not only ending Bollywood’s losing streak this year but also the possibility of it being an all-time great on par with its director’s past effort, English Vinglish”
It’s safe to say that this year has been a doozy for the Hindi film industry with one disappointment bulldozing us after another and I’m not referring to odious cineplex fluff like Housefull 3.
I’m talking about films that we all had high hopes for because they’re made by distinguished cinematic auteurs but unfortunately ended up not bearing any of their filmmakers’ flair for great cinema. I’m talking about Ki & Ka directed by Paa‘s R.Balki, Sarbjit by Mary Kom‘s Omung Kumar, Udta Punjab by the Ishqiyya series’ Abhishek Chaubey and lastly, the film that gave me such a retching feeling that I felt compelled to walk out of a mere 15 minutes into its running time, Mohenjo Daro, directed by India’s second ever Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Ashutosh Gowariker.
To this day, I’m convinced that Gowariker did not direct Mohenjo Daro and that it had to have been made by Prabhu Deva somehow.
Needless to say, I will be walking into the theater hall to see Dear Zindagi with the same level of skepticism I had for the Hangzhou G20 summit because while Dear Zindagi is directed by Gauri Shinde, who gave us Sridevi’s best film bar none, English Vinglish, given that it’s been a bleak year for great filmmakers, I shouldn’t hold my breath.
Another reason that’s getting me worried is that we have seen virtually no promotion for the film. This could be for two diametrically opposed reasons however, either the production house and cast have lost all hope on the film or they have such immense faith in it, that they think it can do without the college visits and Kapil Sharma drop by.
If the tantalizing teasers featuring teeny tiny Alia Bhatt’s endearing exchanges with the Big Macha of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, are anything to go by, we should be optimistic about the prospect of Dear Zindagi not only ending Bollywood’s losing streak this year but also the possibility of it being an all-time great on par with English Vinglish.
I for one will be keeping the faith.
Dear Zindagi’s release dates are November 24 (the GCC) and November 25 (worldwide)
Watch the newly released latest Dear Zindagi teaser below.
