Dear Gauri Shinde,
Thanks for gifting us a story where the journey is more important than the destination. One needs courage to make an intrusive film on a young individual's internal complications and involve us in her expedition. Eventually the therapeutic route engulfs us to an extent that we start our quest for happiness within our imperfection existence. And therein lies your success, your ability to convey some simple yet deep statements about Life without striking with a sledgehammer to prove your point.
And thankfully there's no excessive drama – what a beauty!! Yeah, the narrative is verbose but those dialogues are so free flowing and real. Many a times I didn't feel like watching a movie.
Thanks again, for gifting us Dr Jehangir "Jugs" Khan. A life-mentor like him around can prompt any soul to sing "Love you Zindagi". Lots of thanks for giving Shah Rukh Khan a scope for a restained performance. His gentle, calm aura is infectious. And it seems Alia Bhatt can't go wrong... Dear Zindagi belongs to her and it is yet another triumph for this young talent. Also, convey my note to your casting director for the flawless casting (one who played Jackie is my fav), Laxman Utekar for the cinematography & Amit Trivedi (ofcourse). The protagonist's issues are very urban centric and the decision to release it only 1100 screens is spot-on.
Be it problem of house wives or millennial, you seem to hit the right chords... These two beautifully crafted slice-of-life films surely make you a sought after director in my list.
A heartfelt film with all heart & heart……and the statement on parenting..
Yours thankfully, An ardent (& momentarily happy) cine-lover
P.S : "you and only you is the teacher of your School of life" - a much required statement that should flow into our psyche....