Gehraiyaan

Despite having initial reservations with the premise of Gehraiyaan — a story about emotional distances, infidelity and bad decisions (every other Bollywood movie is on these lines nowadays) — one has to agree: this is a refreshingly good movie.

It may be a tad long — the running time clocks in at two hours and 28 minutes — but the story by Shakun Batra (who also directs), Ayesha Devitre, Sumit Roy and Yash Sahai feels as if it has gone through multiple rewrites. It would be next to impossible to design such a simple story around such an intricate set of flawed characters otherwise.

Deepika Padukone (excellent as always) plays Alisha, a 30-year-old yoga instructor who is planning a newfangled exercise app, while supporting her live-in boyfriend (Dhairya Karwa), who has left his copywriting career to focus on writing a novel. Hardly on speaking terms with her dad (an exceptional, understated Naseeruddin Shah) — who she blames for her mother’s suicide — Alisha is easily wooed by Zain, her cousin’s fiancé (the cousin is played by Ananya Pandey, also quite good; Zain is Siddhant Chaturvedi).

Alisha is forever forlorn with life, and Zain has a world of worries on his plate as well — he is a budding real estate developer with a 1.4 billion rupee deal that’s barely still hanging on. The two, already engaged to other people, are a disaster waiting to happen; you feel it the moment they meet.

Karan Johar’s Gehraiyaan is a fine, fine film with excellent performances, while The Fame Game, an eight-episode series also by Johar, is simply a vehicle for Madhuri Dixit-Nene, who still lights up the screen with her aura and performance

Lit without glamourous high-key lighting and shot like an indie film without elaborate, zippy camera moves, Gehraiyaan is immaculately made. Batra, who previously directed Kapoor and Sons, has a solid grip on his narrative and the depiction of his characters. We may not like these people, but it’s just as hard to look away as they deepen the graves they are digging for themselves.

Gehraiyaan is definitely not for everyone — heck, it may even put-off a lot of people because of the plot and the incessant displays of sexual encounters — nevertheless, it’s a fine, fine film with excellent performances, and a filmi story that feels very real.

Produced by Karan Johar, and streaming on Amazon (it was supposed to be released theatrically, but was deemed too much for the censors), Gehraiyaan is rated ‘A’. There are a lot of unnecessary scenes where the lead actors get ‘hot and heavy’

The Fame Game

Trending at the number one spot — and how can it not, the show has Madhuri Dixit-Nene in a meaty, full-spotlight role — The Fame Game is another production from Karan Johar that tells the type of stories he (and most of Bollywood) is most into these days: the private lives of celebrities, the price of fame and infidelity.

Madhuri is Anamika Anand, a Bollywood goddess with a very private life, who hasn’t seen a dip in a 30-year-long career. Married off to her cousin, Nikhil (Sanjay Kapoor in a well-played role), who is funding her latest movie with assistance from dubious, lecherous investors, Anamika is constantly kept in check by her gruff mother (Suhasini Mulay), but still finds time to be an understanding mother to her own children. The children are a mousy young girl who craves attention (Muskkaan Jaferi) and her elder brother, who is dealing with sexual identity issues (Lakshvir Saran).

Anamika disappears from her home after attending an awards show in the very first episode. There is no sign of a break-in or abduction. A police investigation is promptly launched, headed by a dedicated policewoman (Rajshri Deshpande) who abhors Bollywood stuff.

According to the lady cop, everyone is a suspect, including a Shah Rukh Khan-ish superstar named Manish Khanna (Manav Kaul), who began his career with Anamika and was starring with her in their latest film; the two were a beloved film couple once upon a time.

There are bits and pieces Bollywood fans can spot and giggle at. Madhuri’s oil painting in the title sequence, for example, hints at the fascination celebrated painter M.F. Hussain had with her (Makarand Deshpande plays a painter with unkempt white hair like Hussain’s, late in the story).

However, for the avid binger, the overall plot and the big reveals (which include a psycho fan played by Gagan Arora) aren’t shockers. But then again, The Fame Game is simply a showcase for Madhuri who, even today, lights up the screen with her aura and performance. If this is the case — and I don’t see any other reason for this show’s existence — then the series has served its purpose.

The Fame Game’s eight episodes are binge-worthy. I watched them within a single sitting, albeit with a 1.25 and 1.5 speed setting on the Netflix player.

Streaming on Netflix, created by Sri Rao and directed by Bejoy Nambiar (Wazir), The Fame Game is rated appropriate for ages 16+, for implied sexual encounters and other adult situations

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 6th, 2021