ITV

Tag: Gauri Shinde

  • Tata Play Binge celebrates King Khan’s birthday in grand style

    Tata Play Binge celebrates King Khan’s birthday in grand style

    Mumbai: He’s the ‘Badshah of Bollywood,’ the undisputed ‘King of Romance’, and a name that needs no introduction. Shah Rukh Khan, the living legend of Indian cinema, has enthralled us with his magnetic charm, incredible talent, and charismatic persona for decades. As we approach the grand occasion of his birthday on the 2nd of November, there couldn’t be a more fitting time to celebrate his cinematic brilliance. On this special day, Tata Play Binge proudly presents a curated list of his best movies – that’s right, the best of SRK classics that you won’t want to miss.

    Dear Zindagi – Netflix

    Dear Zindagi is a gem that stands out as one of Shah Rukh Khan’s latest finest performances. Directed by Gauri Shinde, this heartwarming and insightful film sheds light on the importance of mental health and explores complexities of life and relationships through the journey of Kaira, played by the talented Alia Bhatt, who seeks guidance from a charming life coach, Dr. Jehangir Khan, portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan. The film’s beautifully nuanced storytelling and ‘woke’ narrative, relatable characters, and SRK and Alia Bhatt’s on-screen camaraderie make it a must-watch for all ages.

    Pathaan – Amazon Prime Video

    Latest Bollywood blockbuster to make ₹1CR+ at the box office globally, becoming SRK’s ultimate come-back post pandemic. The film is an exhilarating addition to the YRF Spy Universe, featuring the charismatic Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role as an Indian secret agent brought out of retirement to combat an international terror organization. The film combines thrilling action sequences with witty dialogue, showcasing the actor at his best, exuding charm and humor. Director Siddharth Anand orchestrates a high-octane spy thriller that’s well worth watching for fans of the genre and SRK enthusiasts alike.

    Pardes – ZEE5

    Pardes, directed by Subhash Ghai, is a ‘classic SRK film’ that offers a compelling narrative enriched with Shah Rukh Khan’s outstanding performance. Khan plays the role of Arjun, an NRI who visits India and becomes entangled in a complex web of cultural clashes, love, and family dynamics. His portrayal is a true testament to his versatility as an actor, bringing depth and charm to the character. The film also went on to be nominated for ‘Best Film‘ in the Filmfare Award in 1998.

    Yes Boss – SonyLIV

    Yes Boss is a delightful Bollywood romantic comedy that’s definitely worth watching, especially for Shah Rukh Khan’s charismatic and charming performance. Directed by Aziz Mirza, the film features SRK playing Rahul, an ambitious employee caught between his demanding boss and a job opportunity presented by a wealthy but quirky businesswoman. SRK’s impeccable comic timing and on-screen chemistry with Juhi Chawla make this movie a heartwarming and entertaining experience, as it explores the themes of ambition, love, and ethical dilemmas against the backdrop of a lighthearted and engaging storyline.

    Deewana – Disney+ Hotstar

    Deewana, a 1992 film directed by Raj Kanwar, is Shah Rukh Khan’s first film that also won him his first Filmfare Award as Best Debut (Male). SRK’s electrifying performance as Raja Sahai in his maiden film immediately solidified his status as a rising star. The movie also features Divya Bharti, who brought her own magic to the screen, and Rishi Kapoor in a pivotal role. With its blend of romance, drama, and music, Deewana is a must-watch for any SRK enthusiast, offering a delightful introduction to the world of Indian cinema and the remarkable talent that is Shah Rukh Khan.

    Veer-Zaara – Apple TV+

    Directed by the legendary Yash Chopra, this epic romantic drama weaves a captivating tale of love and sacrifice that transcends borders. Shah Rukh Khan, in one of his most brilliant performances, brings to life the character of Veer, a humble Indian Air Force officer who falls in love with a Pakistani woman named Zaara, played by the enchanting Preity Zinta. SRK’s portrayal of Veer is nothing short of extraordinary, the film not only touched the hearts of millions but also garnered numerous awards and accolades, cementing its status as a classic in romantic Bollywood cinema, with recognition at prestigious events like the Filmfare Awards, National Film Awards, and many more.

    Wondering how to get a subscription of these OTT apps? We have Tata Play Binge for you. Viewers can avail the entire package of 22+ apps (Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5, SonyLIV, MX Player, Lionsgate Play, Apple TV+, Aha, VROTT, Sun NXT, Hallmark Movies Now, ReelDrama, Chaupal, Namma Flix, Planet Marathi, manoramaMAX, iStream, Tarang Plus, Hungama Play, Eros Now, ShemarooMe, Curiosity Stream, EPIC ON, Travelxp, DocuBay, and ShortsTV) and Games under one subscription, in one app, without having to subscribe or remember the password of every app. Sounds amazing? It is amazing!!

    Please Note: Netflix and Amazon Prime Video plans are available for Tata Play DTH subscribers only.

    Download the Tata Play Binge app to enjoy the best of entertainment across over 22 OTT platforms.

    Join Tata Play Binge as we celebrate the birthday of the King of Romance, Shah Rukh Khan, with a cinematic extravaganza fit for Bollywood royalty!

  • Mullen Lintas creates a new narrative for Manipal Hospitals with their latest brand campaign

    Mullen Lintas creates a new narrative for Manipal Hospitals with their latest brand campaign

    Mumbai: Mullen Lintas, one of MullenLowe Lintas Group’s acclaimed creative agencies, has unveiled an exciting new advertising campaign in collaboration with Manipal Hospitals, one of the leading healthcare providers in the country, aimed at inspiring individuals to prioritise their own well-being. The campaign encourages audiences to adopt a proactive approach to their health, ultimately preventing the need for reactive critical care situations.

    In an era where healthcare communication has become all about expertise, equipment, facilities etc, Manipal Hospitals and Mullen Lintas have collaborated to convey a powerful emotional message through thought-provoking campaigns. The central theme revolves around the idea ‘Take Care Of Yourself’ which communicates the core message that the best way to prevent reactive critical care is by taking care of our own health every single day. And Manipal Hospitals strongly encourages taking preventive care of your health on a daily basis so that you are less dependent on curative, critical medical help.

    Commenting on the relatability of the campaign, Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt. Ltd COO Karthik Rajagopal said “In today’s fast paced world, we often neglect our well-being in the pursuit of success, losing our quality of health. Following this insight, we decided to launch a brand campaign ‘The best gift that we can give to our near and dear ones is the gift of our own good health.’

    For this, I would like to applaud the efforts of Mullen Lintas and Director, Gauri Shinde, in bringing this idea to life. We’re grateful for this partnership and hope everyone will appreciate this message.”

    Through a masterful blend of emotional storytelling and poignant narratives, Mullen Lintas Bangalore captures the essence of personal health journeys through various stages of life. Each story resonates with viewers on a deeply relatable level, underlining the importance of adopting balanced lifestyles, the need to exercise regularly, and early intervention. The multi-film campaign subtly highlights the potential consequences of neglecting one’s health, while also celebrating the positive outcomes that arise from being proactive.

    Sharing thoughts on the campaign, Mullen Lintas CEO Hari Krishnan said, “Healthcare communication has for a long time been about brands talking about themselves to consumers, almost in a one-way approach, about their expertise, facilities, infrastructure etc. We felt that the time is right to elevate the conversation. As one of the pioneers in modern healthcare in India, the onus of exemplifying thought leadership rests with Manipal Hospitals. With this as our guiding light, we conceived a campaign which, at its heart, is all about encouraging people to take care of their health so they never need to be taken care of in a hospital. It’s very bold in that sense, for a brand to consciously decide to not talk about themselves and the team at Manipal Hospitals deserves all the credit for taking this leap.”

  • Mullen Lintas creates a new narrative for Manipal Hospitals with their latest brand campaign

    Mullen Lintas creates a new narrative for Manipal Hospitals with their latest brand campaign

    Mumbai– Mullen Lintas, one of MullenLowe Lintas Group’s acclaimed creative agencies, has unveiled an exciting new advertising campaign in collaboration with Manipal Hospitals, one of the leading healthcare providers in the country, aimed at inspiring individuals to prioritise their own well-being. The campaign encourages audiences to adopt a proactive approach to their health, ultimately preventing the need for reactive critical care situations.

    In an era where healthcare communication has become all about expertise, equipment, facilities etc., Manipal Hospitals and Mullen Lintas have collaborated to convey a powerful emotional message through the thought-provoking campaign. The central theme revolves around the idea ‘Take Care Of Yourself’ which communicates the core message that the best way to prevent reactive critical care is by taking care of our own health every single day. Manipal Hospitals strongly encourages taking preventive care of your health on a daily basis so that you are less dependent on curative, critical medical help.

    Commenting on the relatability of the campaign, Manipal Health Enterprises COO, Pvt. Ltd Karthik Rajagopal said “In today’s fast-paced world, we often neglect our well-being in the pursuit of success, losing our quality of health. Following this insight, we decided to launch a brand campaign ‘The best gift that we can give to our near and dear ones is the gift of our own good health.’

    For this, I would like to applaud the efforts of Mullen Lintas and director, Gauri Shinde, in bringing this idea to life. We’re grateful for this partnership and hope everyone will appreciate this message.”

    Through a masterful blend of emotional storytelling and poignant narratives, Mullen Lintas Bangalore captures the essence of personal health journeys through various stages of life. Each story resonates with viewers on a deeply relatable level, underlining the importance of adopting balanced lifestyles, the need to exercise regularly, and early intervention. The multi-film campaign subtly highlights the potential consequences of neglecting one’s health, while also celebrating the positive outcomes that arise from being proactive.

    Mullen Lintas CEO  Hari Krishnan said, “Healthcare communication has for a long time been about brands talking about themselves to consumers, almost in a one-way approach, about their expertise, facilities, infrastructure etc. We felt that the time is right to elevate the conversation. As one of the pioneers in modern healthcare in India, the onus of exemplifying thought leadership rests with Manipal Hospitals. With this as our guiding light, we conceived a campaign that, at its heart, is all about encouraging people to take care of their health so they never need to be taken care of in a hospital. It’s very bold in that sense, for a brand to consciously decide to not talk about themselves and the team at Manipal Hospitals deserves all the credit for taking this leap.”

  • Alia Bhatt to endorse Sunfeast Dark Fantasy

    Alia Bhatt to endorse Sunfeast Dark Fantasy

    MUMBAI: Sunfeast Dark Fantasy aspires to take its business to new heights on the back of its association with Alia Bhatt. The premium cookie brand from ITC Foods has signed the Bollywood star as its brand ambassador.

    The brand expects this collaboration will turn its campaign theme of “Can’t wait, won’t wait” more exciting. With this campaign, the brand aspires to position itself as the ultimate dessert indulgence.

    To leave more impact among consumers, the brand has teamed up with Gauri Shinde for the new TVC. The video indicates how one cannot wait to treat themselves with this sinful indulgence of choco-filled cookie along with the line of brand tagline “Can’t wait, won’t wait”.

    “With Dark Fantasy’s new communication we are providing a unique proposition of making an easy yet delightful dessert using Dark Fantasy cookies. I am confident that Dark Fantasy’s association with Alia Bhatt, will only build the excitement about our innovative offerings and enrich consumer experiences about the product,” ITC Foods- Confections COO Paritosh Wali said.

    The TVC shows how Alia gets tempted to have a Sunfeast Dark Fantasy cookie while the background score ‘is that you on my mind’ sets the tune.

    “The association of Sunfeast Dark Fantasy and Alia Bhatt is a match made in heaven. In Alia we found the perfect fit as far as seamlessly bringing alive the irresistibility and spontaneity of consumption goes. This association is the perfect next step towards further entrenching the story of an irresistible indulgence, and towards demonstrating the versatility of occasions that the brand can address,” FCB ULKA CEO Nitin Karkare commented on the campaign.

  • Best of SRK movies now available on Netflix

    Best of SRK movies now available on Netflix

    MUMBAI: What happens when the world’s leading internet TV network becomes the new home for one of India’s biggest film star? In one such deal of providing premium quality entertainment, Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) have announced a tie-up. All the new films starring Indian movie superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be exclusively available to more than 86 million members globally on Netlix.

    This association marks the beginning of a long-term relationship between both companies and the first of its kind with any Indian film production company. 

    “Shah Rukh Khan is the most sought-after actor in the Indian film industry, and has played a huge role in bringing Indian cinema to the world stage,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “His monicker “King Khan” speaks to his status as a cultural icon and to the incredible popularity of his films among audiences worldwide”.

    The partnership will also give Netflix members both in India and around the world exclusive subscription video-on-demand access to dozens of RCE films as well as new films that will hit Indian theaters within the next three years.

    “Red Chillies is surging ahead in global entertainment and for the first time, our great stories are going global on Netflix all at once and crossing all geographical barriers, waiting to be discovered over the world. No more waiting for our fans wherever they are,” said Khan.

    The first title that will come on Netflix is Dear Zindagi which was released theatrically on 25 November. The highly-anticipated film directed by Gauri Shinde stars Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt.

    Among other Red Chillies titles available on Netflix will be box office hits including Happy New Year, Dilwale and Om Shanti Om.

  • Best of SRK movies now available on Netflix

    Best of SRK movies now available on Netflix

    MUMBAI: What happens when the world’s leading internet TV network becomes the new home for one of India’s biggest film star? In one such deal of providing premium quality entertainment, Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) have announced a tie-up. All the new films starring Indian movie superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be exclusively available to more than 86 million members globally on Netlix.

    This association marks the beginning of a long-term relationship between both companies and the first of its kind with any Indian film production company. 

    “Shah Rukh Khan is the most sought-after actor in the Indian film industry, and has played a huge role in bringing Indian cinema to the world stage,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “His monicker “King Khan” speaks to his status as a cultural icon and to the incredible popularity of his films among audiences worldwide”.

    The partnership will also give Netflix members both in India and around the world exclusive subscription video-on-demand access to dozens of RCE films as well as new films that will hit Indian theaters within the next three years.

    “Red Chillies is surging ahead in global entertainment and for the first time, our great stories are going global on Netflix all at once and crossing all geographical barriers, waiting to be discovered over the world. No more waiting for our fans wherever they are,” said Khan.

    The first title that will come on Netflix is Dear Zindagi which was released theatrically on 25 November. The highly-anticipated film directed by Gauri Shinde stars Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt.

    Among other Red Chillies titles available on Netflix will be box office hits including Happy New Year, Dilwale and Om Shanti Om.

  • Star power fades away, collections crumble

    Star power fades away, collections crumble

    *Writer-director Gauri Shinde followed her success of English Vinglish with Dear Zindagi. To her advantage, she had the reigning star, Shah Rukh Khan, along with an emerging star, Alia Bhatt, to boast of in the cast.

    However, the theme she chose was not quite identifiable with the Indian audience, that of a young girl needing a psychiatrist for various not-so-convincing reasons. But, having a star on your roaster also has its demands. So, instead of a typical shrink, we had Khan playing himself on screen.

    An enjoyable film about three fiercely independent girls living life on their own terms through the length of the film, it turns to Khan analysing Alia which, carries on what feels like indefinitely!

    With a limited screen engagement (850 screens), the film found its initial audience to a limited extent over the weekend but the returning audience did not seem to have much good to say about the film. The film had an opening day of about Rs 8 crore which, considering the face value, showed a skeptical attitude from the moviegoer. The film showed some improvement over Saturday and Sunday to close its opening weekend with about Rs 30 crore.

    *Moh Maya Money got a poor response at the box office.

    * Force 2, a sequel to Force (2011), showed a sign of overconfidence from makers. To make a sequel to a film that did not work in the first place defies logic unless, of course, you think that the title and a muscle-flexing hero can carry the franchise through.

    The film’s performance followed its poor opening day response and collections. The film collected Rs 25.9 crore in its first week.

    *Tum Bin 2, a sequel to 2001 Tum Bin, met with a disastrous outcome with first week collection of Rs 3.15 crore.

    *Rock On 2 managed a bare Rs 40 lakh in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 8.95 crore.

    *Ae Dil Hai Mushkil collected Rs 1.75 crore in its fourth week to take its four week tally to Rs 102.45 crore.

    *Shivaay collected Rs 1.6 crore in its fourth week taking its four week total to Rs 85.7 crore.

  • Star power fades away, collections crumble

    Star power fades away, collections crumble

    *Writer-director Gauri Shinde followed her success of English Vinglish with Dear Zindagi. To her advantage, she had the reigning star, Shah Rukh Khan, along with an emerging star, Alia Bhatt, to boast of in the cast.

    However, the theme she chose was not quite identifiable with the Indian audience, that of a young girl needing a psychiatrist for various not-so-convincing reasons. But, having a star on your roaster also has its demands. So, instead of a typical shrink, we had Khan playing himself on screen.

    An enjoyable film about three fiercely independent girls living life on their own terms through the length of the film, it turns to Khan analysing Alia which, carries on what feels like indefinitely!

    With a limited screen engagement (850 screens), the film found its initial audience to a limited extent over the weekend but the returning audience did not seem to have much good to say about the film. The film had an opening day of about Rs 8 crore which, considering the face value, showed a skeptical attitude from the moviegoer. The film showed some improvement over Saturday and Sunday to close its opening weekend with about Rs 30 crore.

    *Moh Maya Money got a poor response at the box office.

    * Force 2, a sequel to Force (2011), showed a sign of overconfidence from makers. To make a sequel to a film that did not work in the first place defies logic unless, of course, you think that the title and a muscle-flexing hero can carry the franchise through.

    The film’s performance followed its poor opening day response and collections. The film collected Rs 25.9 crore in its first week.

    *Tum Bin 2, a sequel to 2001 Tum Bin, met with a disastrous outcome with first week collection of Rs 3.15 crore.

    *Rock On 2 managed a bare Rs 40 lakh in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 8.95 crore.

    *Ae Dil Hai Mushkil collected Rs 1.75 crore in its fourth week to take its four week tally to Rs 102.45 crore.

    *Shivaay collected Rs 1.6 crore in its fourth week taking its four week total to Rs 85.7 crore.

  • Dear Zindagi…….Tests your patience!

    Dear Zindagi…….Tests your patience!

    Director Gauri Shinde made her mark in 2012 with a simple film with a universal appeal, English Vinglish, about a housewife who felt distanced from her husband and two children because she could not communicate in English. With an interesting and novel concept and a seasoned performance by Sridevi, the film met with a lot of appreciation and reasonable commercial success establishing the director as a promising filmmaker.

    Dear Zindagi is Shinde’s second go as a writer-director. She had the added advantage of an all-stars cast with Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt along with Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Ali Zafar and Ira Dubey. With this, exhibitors saw a ray of hope for their empty cinema halls.

    It is designed to be a contemporary tale about career-oriented independent girls, Alia, Ira and Yashswini Dayama. Alia is working with film unit and is just making a name for herself as an accomplished cinematographer. While she has made independent ad films and fills in for chief cinematographer’s absence. However, she craves for a big break.

    Off work, all three live life to the fullest. While Ira is married and happy, Alia has a problem settling down with one guy. She has an ex, current and a future boyfriend all lined up. She has her own justifications for her actions and she is casual about sleeping with Kunal Kapoor while going steady with Bedi and also telling him about it matter-of-factly.

    The film seemed to be all about adventurous young women charting their careers and taking life as it comes. But, that is not it. This film is about a working girl’s complexes borne out of her childhood and her perceived deception by her own parents. All this young women pubbing, dancing, taking to guys (in the case of Alia) and discarding them has little relevance to the main theme of the film, yet it lasts for over an hour into the film until Shah Rukh Khan and Alia’s problems are finally introduced.

    Alia is out on a shoot at a hotel in Goa where she overhears speakers at a conference talking on psychiatry. She finds it boring till she hears the voice of Shah Rukh Khan, also a psychiatrist. She realizes she needs a psychiatric help; DD or Deemag Ka Doctor, as she refers to the creed. 

    Shah Rukh is a shrink unlike any other. Even at the conference, he is casually dressed while rest of his creed dons three-piece suits. Alia is now his new patient. A bit of first half of the film and almost all of the second half consists of the conversation between Alia and Shah Rukh. She mumbles her problems and Shah Rukh sort of defines them. The viewer is left out totally. As is her wont, by this time, Alia is head over heels in love with Shah Rukh; the psychiatrist in Shah Rukh does not seem to have worked on her!

    Okay, so her sessions with Shah Rukh have made her come to terms with her parents; not that her reasons to rebel had justification in the first place.

    Dear Zindagi is one never-ending saga of an insecure girl, Alia. While the first one hour and some minutes stress the need for her to find a shrink, the second half is about her and the shrink, Shah Rukh. This accounts for the 2 hours 30 minutes of the film running time.

    The film is based on a feeble theme; psychiatry is not yet a well-known Indian concept. Here, the best healers are still the temples, soothsayers and festivals. Even the way the doctor-patient session is handled is copybook West, with nothing Indian about it. 

    The director loses control over her film in the face of an uncertain script, leading to a boring and monotonous outcome. With economy in mind, the film moves only between a studio in Mumbai for a couple of shots to a bungalow location in Goa. The same is the case when it comes to spending on props and costumes. 

    The smart one-liners, which add some spice to the initial parts of the film, soon dry out. Editing is poor and songs lack appeal.

    Performance-wise, the film depends mostly on Alia; she starts off well but in this marathon film, she tends to get repetitive after a while as a pout here and there and making faces can go only so far. Shah Rukh, as a psychiatrist who is not supposed to look like a psychiatrist, with his own broken family and an attitude, tries to underplay to limited effect. Ira Dubey and Yashaswini Dayam both impress. Boys on the roaster have little to do.

    Dear Zindagi is a pretentious film, at the end of which a viewer is bound to feel the need for some consultations and remedy. With a limited screen release and avoiding single screens as far as possible, the film should get a fair opening but, the box office prospects will taper down after the initial compulsive moviegoer is done with it.

    Producers: Karan Johar, Gauri Shinde.

    Director: Gauri Shinde.

    Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Shinde, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Ira Dubey, Yashswini Dayama, Ali Zafar.

    Moh Maya Money….predictable

    As the title explains, Moh Maya Money is about lure of money. A middleclass dream but not easy to attain and, hence, leading to a quick-fix moneymaking idea ending in a scam.

    Ranvir Shorey’s character, working for a real estate broker in Delhi, dreams big and has a devious mind to give shape to his dreams. His job at a real estate firms pays him a pittance besides what he can make from skimming from deals. But he watches big monies change hands all the time. His wife, Neha Dhupia, a news channel producer, does not support with him but he decides to carry out the scam anyway.

    Ranvir borrows from toughies and buys a plot but the deal backfires. The goons are after him to recover their money and Ranvir has no place to escape. Though unwilling, Neha also gets involved in the mess.

    Ranvir now devises a plan to dodge his debtors but he needs Neha to cooperate. Neha also has her own secrets and a motive to help Ranvir.

    The film shows the murkier side of the real estate business in Delhi which, actually, is the same all over. The film has an interesting idea and an enjoyable first half. But, as it proceeds into the second part, it loses grip as it trudges towards a predictable end.

    Ranvir as a typical smooth-talker is thoroughly convincing. Neha Dhupia gives a good account of herself. The direction is good in parts. The film has no scope for songs and dance and have been skirted. Moh Maya Money has no box office prospects.

    Producer/ Director: Munish Bhardwaj.

    Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia.

  • Dear Zindagi…….Tests your patience!

    Dear Zindagi…….Tests your patience!

    Director Gauri Shinde made her mark in 2012 with a simple film with a universal appeal, English Vinglish, about a housewife who felt distanced from her husband and two children because she could not communicate in English. With an interesting and novel concept and a seasoned performance by Sridevi, the film met with a lot of appreciation and reasonable commercial success establishing the director as a promising filmmaker.

    Dear Zindagi is Shinde’s second go as a writer-director. She had the added advantage of an all-stars cast with Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt along with Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Ali Zafar and Ira Dubey. With this, exhibitors saw a ray of hope for their empty cinema halls.

    It is designed to be a contemporary tale about career-oriented independent girls, Alia, Ira and Yashswini Dayama. Alia is working with film unit and is just making a name for herself as an accomplished cinematographer. While she has made independent ad films and fills in for chief cinematographer’s absence. However, she craves for a big break.

    Off work, all three live life to the fullest. While Ira is married and happy, Alia has a problem settling down with one guy. She has an ex, current and a future boyfriend all lined up. She has her own justifications for her actions and she is casual about sleeping with Kunal Kapoor while going steady with Bedi and also telling him about it matter-of-factly.

    The film seemed to be all about adventurous young women charting their careers and taking life as it comes. But, that is not it. This film is about a working girl’s complexes borne out of her childhood and her perceived deception by her own parents. All this young women pubbing, dancing, taking to guys (in the case of Alia) and discarding them has little relevance to the main theme of the film, yet it lasts for over an hour into the film until Shah Rukh Khan and Alia’s problems are finally introduced.

    Alia is out on a shoot at a hotel in Goa where she overhears speakers at a conference talking on psychiatry. She finds it boring till she hears the voice of Shah Rukh Khan, also a psychiatrist. She realizes she needs a psychiatric help; DD or Deemag Ka Doctor, as she refers to the creed. 

    Shah Rukh is a shrink unlike any other. Even at the conference, he is casually dressed while rest of his creed dons three-piece suits. Alia is now his new patient. A bit of first half of the film and almost all of the second half consists of the conversation between Alia and Shah Rukh. She mumbles her problems and Shah Rukh sort of defines them. The viewer is left out totally. As is her wont, by this time, Alia is head over heels in love with Shah Rukh; the psychiatrist in Shah Rukh does not seem to have worked on her!

    Okay, so her sessions with Shah Rukh have made her come to terms with her parents; not that her reasons to rebel had justification in the first place.

    Dear Zindagi is one never-ending saga of an insecure girl, Alia. While the first one hour and some minutes stress the need for her to find a shrink, the second half is about her and the shrink, Shah Rukh. This accounts for the 2 hours 30 minutes of the film running time.

    The film is based on a feeble theme; psychiatry is not yet a well-known Indian concept. Here, the best healers are still the temples, soothsayers and festivals. Even the way the doctor-patient session is handled is copybook West, with nothing Indian about it. 

    The director loses control over her film in the face of an uncertain script, leading to a boring and monotonous outcome. With economy in mind, the film moves only between a studio in Mumbai for a couple of shots to a bungalow location in Goa. The same is the case when it comes to spending on props and costumes. 

    The smart one-liners, which add some spice to the initial parts of the film, soon dry out. Editing is poor and songs lack appeal.

    Performance-wise, the film depends mostly on Alia; she starts off well but in this marathon film, she tends to get repetitive after a while as a pout here and there and making faces can go only so far. Shah Rukh, as a psychiatrist who is not supposed to look like a psychiatrist, with his own broken family and an attitude, tries to underplay to limited effect. Ira Dubey and Yashaswini Dayam both impress. Boys on the roaster have little to do.

    Dear Zindagi is a pretentious film, at the end of which a viewer is bound to feel the need for some consultations and remedy. With a limited screen release and avoiding single screens as far as possible, the film should get a fair opening but, the box office prospects will taper down after the initial compulsive moviegoer is done with it.

    Producers: Karan Johar, Gauri Shinde.

    Director: Gauri Shinde.

    Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Shinde, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Ira Dubey, Yashswini Dayama, Ali Zafar.

    Moh Maya Money….predictable

    As the title explains, Moh Maya Money is about lure of money. A middleclass dream but not easy to attain and, hence, leading to a quick-fix moneymaking idea ending in a scam.

    Ranvir Shorey’s character, working for a real estate broker in Delhi, dreams big and has a devious mind to give shape to his dreams. His job at a real estate firms pays him a pittance besides what he can make from skimming from deals. But he watches big monies change hands all the time. His wife, Neha Dhupia, a news channel producer, does not support with him but he decides to carry out the scam anyway.

    Ranvir borrows from toughies and buys a plot but the deal backfires. The goons are after him to recover their money and Ranvir has no place to escape. Though unwilling, Neha also gets involved in the mess.

    Ranvir now devises a plan to dodge his debtors but he needs Neha to cooperate. Neha also has her own secrets and a motive to help Ranvir.

    The film shows the murkier side of the real estate business in Delhi which, actually, is the same all over. The film has an interesting idea and an enjoyable first half. But, as it proceeds into the second part, it loses grip as it trudges towards a predictable end.

    Ranvir as a typical smooth-talker is thoroughly convincing. Neha Dhupia gives a good account of herself. The direction is good in parts. The film has no scope for songs and dance and have been skirted. Moh Maya Money has no box office prospects.

    Producer/ Director: Munish Bhardwaj.

    Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia.