Shakun Batra’s latest directorial has the viewers and critics divided. Many have loved the tackling of modern day relationships and Deepika Padukone’s performance, while some think the film lacked the maturity a subject like this demanded. From the topic of intimacy to infidelity, the attempt at domestic noir has hit home with a section of the viewers, but others are disappointed with the turn of events in the plot in the second half.
The film sparked a debate among the members of the entertainment team at News18, as well. Here’s what we thought of Gehraiyaan:
“Deepika tries her best to hold everything together”
Gehraiyaan is a devastating tale of not only coping with childhood trauma and trusting the wrong people, but the potentially terrible consequences an affair can have on a family and the people involved. For Deepika’s Alisha, this affair means feeling desired, and for Siddhant’s Zain, it’s more like realising a fantasy. On the surface level, Gehraiyaan attempts to tackle several issues, from anxiety to infidelity and relationships between dysfunctional family members, and while it doesn’t necessarily get everything right, it still does a decent job at depicting certain aspects of them earnestly, thanks to Deepika, who tried her best to hold the entire film together with her honest and gripping portrayal of Alisha. – Shrishti Negi
“Lack of maturity in script and in performances”
I got excited about a Bollywood film after a long time, hoping for a more realistic handling of modern-day relationships. The film started giving me Highway (Imtiaz Ali film) feels from the first scene. The first half showed a lot of potential, especially with Deepika Padukone’s portrayal of a woman stuck in a relationship and feeling lured by the temptation of a hotter, more successful man. Unfortunately, the turn of events in the second half and suspension of disbelief completely ruined all that the first half had set up. Brilliant cinematography couldn’t make up for the lack of maturity in writers in handling such a subject, or in the actors in delivering the characters they were given. Romantic drama became a badly made thriller in the end. Even the intimacy, on which the film was sold, was a very small part of the film. The attempt was probably to achieve a Woody Allen (plot is very similar to Match Point and that’s a brilliant movie), but in catering to the Karan Johar audience, the film becomes a weird mish-mash, and not a tasteful one at that. – Bohni Bandyopadhyay
“Series of plot holes in the end”
Gehraiyaan was sold as a romantic drama. Unfortunately, the package delivered was nothing like the product added to the cart. While I appreciated Shakun Batra’s attempt to blend domestic noir with romance, the unique concoction needed a little more, ironically, depth. Deepika Padukone undoubtedly shines in the film in the portrayal of a 30-something stuck in a relationship that is breathing down her throat. Unfortunately, Siddhaant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Dhairya Karwa fail to elevate their performances to match hers. The sudden shift from exploring dark emotions to becoming a thriller backfires for the film’s continuity, causing a series of plot holes that Shakun fails to address. In an attempt to explore emotions and also give a nod to his idol Woody Allen, Gehraiyaan gets washed away in the waves. – Dishya Sharma
“Doesn’t delve into the depth of the matters it chose to tackle”
A film that doesn’t delve into the depth of the matters it chose to tackle, Gehraiyaan belongs to Deepika Padukone. The thriller that it tried to sell ends before you realise it has started, and although being in a love triangle is not a new concept, it becomes hard to relate to their choices. This, in turn, makes it difficult to root for the characters. Although Deepika’s Alisha had a commanding presence on screen and was hard to ignore, she couldn’t save the film. Shakun Batra’s effort at showing how mental trauma can shape people and their decisions is the only thing that makes it different from a regular love triangle, however, the filmmaker has merely touched the surface of it and left it hanging at that. Gehraiyaan, also starring Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa and Siddhant Chaturvedi makes for a good weekend watch but not something one would like to revisit. – Srijita Sen
“Serene cinematography and its accompanying music add to the mood”
Shakun Batra deftly uses shots of crashing ocean waves to represent the growing passion of two young people trapped in loveless relationships. The serene cinematography and its accompanying music are just right and add to the overall mood of the screenplay. Deepika is truly carrying the film on her shoulders as Alisha, delivering a deeply affecting and emotionally moving performance. Siddhaant and Dhairya performed admirably. Ananya, on the other hand, still has a long way to go. Rajat Kapoor continues to shine in the film, and Naseeruddin Shah’s nuanced performance adds a breath of fresh air to the film. – Oshi Saxena
