My Take On DEAR ZINDAGI - "Rejoicing Feel Good Happening Piece Of Cinema"

Dear Zindagi directed by Gauri Shinde whose directorial debut English Vinglish was about the journey for self respect of a sincere family woman, is one of the most nicely made films that are women centric. Here with Dear Zindagi, she tells us the story of again a woman , quite younger this time, whose life is troubled and complicated, thus needs mental support to stabilize. It's an attempt that has it's heart at right place. It's relatable and does succeed in moving you where it's needed, but not completely. The first half particularly falters at places. We hardly feel for Kiara in her pathos initially as they don't quite look genuine. I mean the troubles that she deals with seem unconvincing. There's not much depth in it. However the movie lifts up once we meet Kiara's therapist cum teacher cum friend Jahangir Khan or Jug who starts bonding with her and together they give us some of the best moments in the film. Also the dialogues written are too impressive, delivered nicely by both Alia Bhatt and mainly Shah Rukh Khan who is at his charismatic form. The camaraderie they share are magnetic and emotional at the same time. The film is boasted by these 2 pitch perfect performances too. Alia, after imparting a knockout act in Udta Punjab, once again sinks her teeth into this complexed character marvelously and skilfully performs. She is slowly turning out to be a powerhouse of talent. Kudos to her. SRK, in a 'Gyan Guru' avatar, looks fabulously charming and comes out as the soul of this feel good lovely little film. His lines are inspiring and emotions are strongly felt. Other actors are just about okay in their parts but worthy of mention among them is Yashawini Dayama as Jackie(Alia's best friend). She's funny as well as damn good. Another merit of this film is it's soundtrack by Amit Trivedi! His score is fabulous and songs are nice & soothing.

Thus, Dear Zindagi is neither as good as Queen nor convincing as English Vinglish, yet it works because of its 2nd half that is filled with breezy moments including a heartfelt climax. And mainly DZ is both watchable plus likeable due to the brilliance of Alia and magic of SRK.

My Rating - 3.5 / 5

It's one of the better films I have seen this year. Don't miss it friends!

My Take On SHIVAAY - "Watch It For Ajay Devgn's Acting & Some Stellar Action Sequences"

Shivaay is an ambitious project that could have hit the jackpot but lost it's momentum completely after a positive commencement. Apart from a handful of arresting bits, this one falls flat as a movie in totality. Neither consistently engaging nor it has anything exciting to offer. Moreover the script is so lame & predictable that even occasional surprises look ordinary. The stale & uneven plot ruins the grandeur touch of this so called thriller. What works however is the super terrific performance by Ajay Devgn. It's a committed effort by the actor who is in his top gear and comes out as the film's biggest strength. He was the reason why I kept my patience on to watch it fully. But the same can't be said about him being the director as he failed there. The problem actually is he couldn't command the film and as a result it turned out to be a slog. Action portions no doubt are brilliantly shot, cinematography is first rate too. The little girl Abigail is endearing but the appealing emotions that were required in a family conflict & bonding, are missing here. I mean the melancholic moments hardly seem moving barring a few good scenes between the father-daughter duo. The character of Erika is simply bizzare & valueless. She's wasted and so are the other actors.

Overall, Ajay glitters as an actor but falters as the helmer of this lavish action flick. It's only fine in parts, otherwise a mediocre outcome. Thus, an one-time watch it is.

My Rating - 2.5/5

Shivaay deserved a stirring screenplay and judicious editing. Then it would have been a winner all the way!