From adults dealing with childhood trauma to the complexities of domestic violence, Gehraiyaan has it right!
(TW: The article mentions suicide and domestic violence, which might be a trigger for some readers.)
When Shakun Batra tells a story, you have hope. After Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu hai Kapoor and his sons, expectations were very high from Gehraiyaan. This feature film claimed to be a modern tale of dysfunctional love relationships.
While the trailer hinted that the movie was about infidelity, there was so much more lurking in the depths of Shakun Batra’s world.
Gehraiyaan’s fate after his release is eerily similar to Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha. There are extreme reviews and people either rejected the movie or accepted it wholeheartedly. Another similarity is his view of complex and twisted modern relationships.
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Amid the drastic reviews and reviews, the film should be given credit where it’s due.
Writers Shakun Batra and Ayesha Devitre, Sumit Roy and Yash Sahai had their hearts in the right place.
Alisha’s (Deepika) scenes with her father (Naseeruddin Shah) and their deep conversations about her childhood trauma and how it shaped her reality about relationships are indeed worth applauding.
A scene from Gehraiyan
How many times has a mainstream movie presented adults dealing with childhood trauma with fair honesty and sensitivity?
Alisha and Zain, who are seen in unhappy relationships, survived traumatic childhoods.
A photo of gehraiyaan
While Alisha’s mother committed suicide, Zain, on the other hand, who made several attempts to “rescue” his mother from domestic violence, lives with the guilt of having abandoned his mother.
A photo of gehraiyaan
The way Shakun and her team have shown the side of women who remain complacent and silent in domestic violence because of the complexities that come with it is striking.
A scene from Gehraiyaan
Gehraiyaan was able to show Alisha’s bouts of anxiety and other mental health issues – like insecurities, emotional dysregulation and impulsive behaviors, especially whenever a current situation teleports her into haunted memories of her childhood – her parents arguing, her mother telling her how ‘she’s stuck’ and much more.
A photo of Gehraiyaan
In one scene, Naseeruddin Shah, who plays Ayesha’s (Deepika) father, sees his daughter attempting to self-harm.
Instead of creating a scene or making it uncomfortable for someone struggling with suicidal thoughts, we see him acting calm and collected. How often do we see Indian parents understanding the emotional complexities their children are going through?
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Fans pointed out how the movie managed to nail it.
If you look #Gehraiyaan hoping for perfect relationships, romance you are wrong.
It’s about the struggles of life, the complications from childhood to adulthood and beyond.
We are all looking for love, sometimes we do bad things to protect ourselves, our past always builds us up yet we can let go of our past.— Ashmita 💫 (@HKBursinMiyy) February 13, 2022
Overall, I liked Gehraiyaan, especially Deepika Padukone’s (AL) character’s deeper story in the movie. *SPOILER* – In a nutshell, it starts with the perceived truth and trauma of AL’s childhood, how she wants to escape from it and doesn’t want to end up like her mother and towards the end
— Anuj Shah (@theMetroKid) February 13, 2022
I don’t know why people find it hard to accept #gehraiyaan Deepika, who struggles with childhood trauma and mental illness, but just as vulnerable as the wise young Rani in Paheli, the New Bride trying to settle in a strange place.
— kamal (@KarunaHeals) February 13, 2022
Running away from something your whole life only to find you ended up there.
Childhood trauma, healing, making different choices, thriving
All of these elements are beautifully portrayed in a first film of its kind, Gehraiyaan.
I can’t believe they made it funGlory
— sushi.insideout (@sushee28) February 12, 2022
There are women who love space and star wars and are NOT looking for a casual romantic complication, as shown #Gehraiyaan.There are women who have gone through a lot of trauma in childhood and are not necessarily broken. There are women who know how to accept the past and move on.
— Deblina Chakravorty (@hashjaru) February 12, 2022
I looked at Gehraiyaan and felt how layered and deep it was. It was something so different. It was about how adults strive. It was about adulthood, anxiety and the severity of childhood trauma that affects a lifetime. #Gehraiyaan
– memee._ (@ xxx49088347) February 12, 2022
#Gehraiyaan Messed me up! What’s wrong with people! And my buddy Naseeruddin Shah stole the show again. What an actor! 👏 pic.twitter.com/zzdB1f4mt5
— manab jyoti sarmah (@manabsays) February 12, 2022
One of the best things about #Gehraiyaan is Deepika and Naseeruddin Shah❤ pic.twitter.com/jZ42P5v5pl
— Mannu (@mannu040) February 12, 2022
Naseeruddin Shah 👌#Gehraiyaan pic.twitter.com/aHU2JBLna9
— ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ (@ImmuTweetz) February 12, 2022
I always think of that scene with Naseeruddin sb and Deepika towards the end of Gehraiyaan. It reminded me of the scene with Elio and his father at the end of Call Me By Your Name. pic.twitter.com/nJu2G88g94
— Zaalim Samaj (@EmpressMarket) February 12, 2022
This isn’t the first time Shakun has attempted to delve into adults’ childhood trauma. In Kapoor and Sons, released in 2016, we saw Tia (played by Alia Bhatt) have a heart-to-heart conversation with Arjun, telling him why she hates birthdays.
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Tia talks about the trauma of losing her parents and the guilt of not having one last conversation with them.
Despite the film’s criticisms, there is so much more to Gehraiyaan. The way the authors of Gehraiyaan have shown the courage to explore the visual language of human vulnerability and dysfunctions in relationships is worth watching Gehraiyaan!
(If you know someone who is suffering from depression or other mental health issues, please contact someone who can help you: +911124311918)
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