DEAR ZINDAGI REVIEW - Love You, ‘Dear Zindagi.’

⏩ Genre :- Drama.
Most of the critics are calling this a Romantic flick. It's not. Until you are talking about romancing your life. Then yes, it is. ❤

⏩ Runtime :- 2 hrs 30 mins

⏩ Cast :- Alia Bhatt, SRK, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth Nigam, Yashaswini Dayama, Ira Dubey, Rohit Saraf, Ali Zafar.

⏩ Director :- Gauri Shinde.

⏩ Plot :- Dear Zindagi is the story of Kaira (Alia Bhatt), a talented young Cinematographer in Mumbai who is going through a lot of problems faced by many of us from her age group.
Her family doesn't approve of her job (especially the relatives);
She has a fear of being left in a lurch by her boyfriends, so she dumps everyone before they dump her;
She has been kicked out from her apartment by her landlord because she is single;
This leads to a lot of emotional turmoil in her life and she couldn't sleep. Therefore, she decides to seek help from a Psychological Counsellor (played by a sober, toned down version of SRK) and with his help, eventually, she finds all the answers by herself.

⏩ Direction and Screenplay :-
After English Vinglish, which was both commercial and critical success, this is Gauri Shinde's second directorial venture and she has totally nailed it. I couldn't find a single glitch in the direction. Gauri Shinde, we don't expect anything less from you. ❤
Speaking of the screenplay, it's very thought provoking. It changes the way you look at your life and relationships. Kudos to Gauri Shinde for the way she has tried to portray the unconventional version of hero and heroine. There is such warmth in Kaira's interactions with the Dr. Jehangir that it envelops the rest of the narrative in a soothing manner and serves us with a delightful experience.


⏩ Editing and Cinematography :-
The Editing is a flaw in this movie. It could've been more sleek and crisp sans a few song and repeated sequences. But nevermind, the film looks engaging and fresh – with beautiful set ups, locations and lightings. Cinematographer Laxman Utekar glides the camera smoothly to shoot pretty frames of Goa that's unlike what we are used to seeing, Watch out for his magic while capturing focus-shots of Bhatt and Khan and the climax scene of Bhatt on a beach. So alive!

⏩ Music :- Well, it's known to everyone that Amit Trivedi never throws massy Chartbuster Albums, but his is the kind, that supports the screenplay, feel and theme of a movie. 'Just Go To Hell-O Dil' is situationally appropriate. 'Love You Zindagi' is mesmerizing and soulful. 'Tu Hi Hai' is hummable. Others are forgetful.
The background music is so refreshing if never allows you to even think of parting your attention from the movie.

⏩ The Highs –

▶In a male-ridden industry still tending to sideline women in most mainstream projects, this is a decision that shows guts on Shinde's part and Khan's evident willingness to experiment by not being the center of the movie. It goes without saying that this is an extremely unconventional film. King Khan appears about 45 minutes after the opening scene and and is nowhere to be seen in the concluding scene. Just 50 mins of screenspace in a 150 mins movie. Seriously? That's commendable. *claps*

▶Most of the scenes in this movie are either witty or insightful or both. Be it Kiara's conversation with her exes, friends or bitchy relatives. But the best part is, it never goes OTT.

▶From an industry that usually treats parents as deities (*Quotes Karan Johar* “It's All About Loving Your Parents.”) that are to be worshipped, are always right, knows what is best for you; It's unusual to come up with a story that shows the other side of the coin – *They can go wrong too, sometimes.* Shinde has managed to depict this so beautifully. Full marks on that.

▶ Performances by both Khan and Bhatt are top notch. Not even a single feather flaw.

▶ The Cinematography is one of the strongest points of this movie.

⏩ The Lows –

▶Towards the end, Dear Zindagi succumbs to the pressure of the mainstream public and throws an ending that is now considered inevitable in every Hindi film.  (not giving away any spoilers, chill.) But don't you worry, the ride upto the end is so damn good, you would happily digest the needless angle. Dear Zindagi is a perfect example of a journey that's more beautiful than the destination.

▶There are some glitches in the movie that closed the gateway to becoming a classic –Character Development.
- Who is Fatima (Ira Dubey), apart from being a mom and Kiara's bestfriend? We get to know her
husband's profession but her.
- Another bestfriend, Jackie (Yashaswini), what about her? All we get to know is, she is the optimistic one, and she goes on to date a guy Alia refers as a wierdo.
They are supporting characters, right? Where's their support?
Same goes with other supporting actors.
But these two, above, were important.

▶Also, the film had too many extras. I mean, seriously, you could've easily edited out 2-3.

⏩ Performances :-

▶ SRK gets lesser screentime than Alia but he owns every scene he is a part of. In fact, Dr. Jehangir enters the picture just as the film starts to sag and appears somewhat stretching. His arrival immediately lits Dear Zindagi. It goes dull occasionally thereafter, but never when he is around. Now that Khan is in this new phase of his career where he is acknowledging his age gracefully, showing us a tinge of gray and a whiff of wrinkles, unkempt hair and oh boy is he looking hot! Its about time we got to see SRK the actor and not SRK the Super Star in a film (Last seen - Chak De.), with no outstretched arms, no larger than life persona; And this movie, does exactly that. This is a new inproved SRK, who is a feast to the eyes with all that cotton and linen shirts, vintage lingo. That’s a rather nice avatar to have graduated to, SRK. We Likey! *winks*

PS - Even I have many problems in my life ya. Even I can't sleep some nights. Why can't I get a therapist like SRK? Then toh, I wouldn't even mind giving up on sleep. Lel.

▶ Alia Bhatt's Kiara is a perfect representation of who Alia is, who I am, who my friends are, and probably who you are. That's why the connection with the reel character is surreal, it touches your soul. She portrays her character so well, it's no long a wonder how slowly and steadily she is slipping into our "Favorite Actresses" bracket. She adds all the quirk, chirp, maturity and determination that her character demands. So much that you smile and cry along with Bhatt’s Kaira and at times want to just reach out and give her a tight hug, reassuring that all will be well

PS - Dear Alia Bhatt's makeup team, Stop making her wear bright red lipsticks and too much makeup as our natural beaut looks dull and made up because of it. Take a note.

▶ Angad Bedi and Kunal Kapoor as Kiara's exes play their parts really well.

▶ Ira Dubey and Yashaswini Dayama (Phobia fame) as Kiara's best friends are "BFF Goals."
The former is a mature mother figure while the latter is the goofy-but-sensible-when-required one. And both of them pretty ladies, do justice to their roles.

▶ Rohit Saraf as Kiara's younger brother Kiddo is cute and comes out as a fine actor.

▶Ali Zafar's (Yes. He has not been replaced by anyone and is STILL in the movie.) character Rumi is one of Kiara's flings and 5 minutes into his screentime you'll understand why. he. wasn't. replaced. He sweeps you off your feet by a beautiful song and his innate boyish charm. (I am not saying anything more because then, I'll be politically incorrect and people will label me as a "Deshdrohi." *sighs*)

▶ Aditya Roy Kapoor also has a very small cameo in the movie. Yes! Now you'll be paying attention to the movie. I know that.

⏩ Watch O Not ? – Arre! Yeh bhi koi puchne ki baat hai? Definitely. If you have enjoyed movies like Wake Up Sid, Kapoor and Sons Rockstar, Queen, English Vinglish, you are going to love this. Even if you aren't a fan of these movies, (I mean seriously? Upar se ek bhi pasand nhi ayi? Kaunsi duniya se ho bhai? Kidding. XD) give this one a try, and thank me later. *winks*

⏩ Verdict :- Dear Zindagi is a sweet one time watch. ❤⛄Watch it for Alia and SRK. Watch it for Amit Trivedi's calm and composed music. Watch it for Gauri Shinde's direction and screenplay. Watch it for YOU. Every broken heart wants a nurture, and Dear Zindagi will provide you that. That is explained by a perfectly written dialogue in the movie, delivered by SRK - "Don't let your past blackmail your present to ruin your future." Geddit? Geddit.

Dear Zindagi is all about finding comfort and happiness in life's imperfections. ❤

Love You Zindagi! ❤⛄❤

Ratings :- 3.7/5 :)

Doctor Strange Review – Jaw-Droppingly Beautiful! ❤

⏩ Genre :- Fantasy/Science-Fiction.

⏩ Runtime :- 2 hrs 10 mins.

⏩ Cast :- Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Benedict Wong.

The piling up of superhero films has led to a tiresome atmosphere in the movie geek crowd. We are all bored of seeing the same shit (with different names ofcourse) again and again. A little originality never hurts, eh! Remember Deadpool? Yes. We're talking about films like that. Breath of fresh air, wasn't it? And Dr. Strange is no exception when it comes to stale old storyline. But yes, it's more fancy, magical and more visually appealing. It introduces us to a new character and does the absolute best it can to keep the rest of the MCU from creeping in at the edges and flooding the whole movie. 

⏩ Director :- Scott Derrickson.

⏩ Plot :- Stephen Strange is a neurosurgeon with miraculous hands and a gargantuan ego; He won't even treat patients he thinks he can't cure. Doesn't it remind us of someone? Tony 'Egoistic Charmer' Stark! Hmmm. One dark night, Strange – texting while driving, (Read : DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE - Issued in Public Interest. Lol.) crashes his Lamborghini, later emerges with hands too crippled to be healed by conventional medicines. In search of a cure, he reaches Nepal and learns the mystical art by the "Ancient One" (Swinton) and thus realizes that he was born for bigger things. Hesitant at first, our sorcerer summons all the skills required to save the world from the dark dimension.

⏩ Direction and Screenplay :- 

Scott Derrickson who has giving us terrific horror flicks like ‘Deliver Us from Evil’, ‘Sinister’ and ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose,’ has upgraded his pallete to serve us, a magical and colorful canvas of the world of Dr. Strange. This is indeed a rare case in which Marvel has freed a director’s imagination instead of  straitjacketing it. As far as the selling point is concerned, this is the same studio that made us weep over the death of a tree that said just three words. (GOG reference - "I AM GROOT!!" *sobs*) So no doubt about it. The screenplay, by Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill makes it quite clear that Dr.Strange and his world is quite different from that of the Avengers. Strange can teleport to different locations, create strong magnetic fields, alter the path of time. Cool group of magic tricks, eh!

⏩ Editing and Cinematography :- 

Running for a short 2 hrs 10 mins, the editing by Wyatt Smith and Sabrina Plisco is crisp and fast paced. No unnecessary elements drag the scene or creates a lag. Cinematography by Ben Davis and the VFX by the Team is hands down the best in all the Marvel Movies. Some serious mind-bending stuff combined with great visuals to let it manifest itself to the audience. It takes you to an alternate universe and makes you lose your sense of judgement into what's real and what's fictional. 

All you are left with, are JawDrops, GooseBumps and WTFS!

⏩ Music :- 

Michael Giacchino, (the composer of 'Jurassic World', Ratatouille', 'Lost', to name a few) has done a fine job in the music department. He has added new, additional layers of meaning and emotion to the film through songs that vary from dark, hypnotic and mysterious to some tracks even having a psychedelic ‘70s and ‘80s rock feel to it. 

⏩ The Highs :

▶ The introduction of the Cloak of Levitation, Strange's encounter with the Dark Dimension, and the opening scene – wherein the Ancient One uses an Inception-style shifting of time and space in which buildings are turned upside down and dropped on combatants’ heads – are the best scenes in the entire movie.

▶ The movie has, without question, the most stylish and experimental CGI I’ve ever seen in a Marvel movie. The sorcerers conduct their battles in some sort of mirror-universe, which allows them to manipulate reality in some pretty freaky ways.

▶ You won’t soon forget the image of Cumberbatch having hands grow out of his fingers that grow out of his hands that grow out of his fingers /ad infinitum/. And the film has a clever, deadpan closing sequence that plays smartly with the idea that Doctor Strange, unlike many other Marvel heroes, wins his battles far more with his mind than his fists. No offense, Hulk!

▶ Making it grounded but still trippy really helps give it a flavor unlike any other comic adaptation.

⏩ The Lows :-

▶ Some scenes seem bland and repeated. Like, for instance, the spinning flaming circles in the air and disappearing into a vortex or portal, turns into a cosmic farce when the characters create their own doors for running in and out of. So much, that it reminds you of the anywhere door that Doraemom uses frequently to save Nobita's ass. 

▶In introducing so many things, it actually weakens any type of development the antagonist has. (Not Kaecilius, there is someone else too. *winks*) It seems we'll have to wait until the inevitable sequel to have a villain that we give a damn about, and that sucks. 

▶ Rachel deserved better. Strange kicks her out of his life in the first act of the movie, yet she is ready to forgive him at the drop of a hat when he barges back into her life for a favor. 

▶ The primary antagonist, Kaecilius, gets less screen time, murky motivations, and literally no character development. Which is kind of a let down, but this is almost becoming a cliché in superhero movies.

⏩ Performances :-

▶What Robert Downey, Jr. is to Iron Man and Ryan Reynolds is to Deadpool – Benedict Cumberbatch is to Doctor Strange. The British actor, flashing an American accent that's galaxy apart from the aristocratic tones of Sherlock, is the creative spark that ignites this new entry in the MCU. He played the character that's witty, super genius and has a wry sense of humour - with precision and a peculiar body language that's complimented with his eye-rolls and delivery. Take a bow, Cumby! 

▶ Tilda Swinton plays the "Ancient One", whose dome seems to have been carved by computers to make it smooth as a baby’s butt – with her crisp diction makes every Buddhist blah-de-blah sound great which you'd otherwise yawn at. A world-class mesmerizer she is. 😻

▶ Rachel McAdams plays Christine Palmer, the ER doc who loves him, despite the fact that the idea of romance for Strange is making her sit through his lecture on neurology. Aww. Also, her character is the most underwritten one after Mikkelson. Unlike Natalie Portman in Thor, she at least gets a few good scenes before being forgotten. Yayy! 

▶ Mads Mikkelson as Kaecilius, a trained sorcerer, goes rogue and wants the evil to take on the good. The character development of Kaecilius is poor but Mikkelson manages to hold the bar with his deadpan and scary delivery. 

▶ Benedict Wong as Wong, the protector of the Ancient One's secret books is the perfect fit for the role. This poor librarian is at the receiving end of most of Strange's dry sarcasm. For instance, "What, just one name," asks Strange sarcastically. "Like Adele or Beyonce?" *chuckles*

▶ Chiwetel Ejiofor, as Mordo to Strange, is what Falcon is to Capt. America – 'Imma save yo ass wheneva yo playy dumb.' Although he has nothing great to offer in this origin, he surely will have a meatier role in the next installment of the Strange franchise. (Post credits, bro.)

⏩ Watch or not? Defifuckingnitely. 

***DO NOT MISS IT.***

I insist you spend a few more bucks and watch it in 3D for the amazing kaleidoscopic effects and Benedict ofcourse.

⏩ Verdict :- Ansnskdokdnfnrjdjj. 

Translation : Still looking for the verdict. As if all the shit said above wasn't enough? Book your tickets rightaway!!

>>PS - THERE ARE TWO CREDIT SCENES. Don't miss out on any of them.<<

⏩ Rating :- 4.5/5 ❤