Gehraiyaan, the latest offering from Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, has been making the right noise ever since it debuted on Amazon Prime Video on February 11. The Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Dhairya Karwa starrer shows the fragility of relationships and strength of familial bonds. It also deals with some of the most pressing problems plaguing millennials, that of mental stress, disorder and inability to live the lives they want due to financial pressures. Shakun Batra’s bold directorial is garnering heaps of praise for bringing out several complex ideas in a layered narrative successfully.

Gehraiyaan has also got people talking and thinking. The four protagonists bring out different facets of human nature and present a reality that we’ve all seen some way or the other whether directly or indirectly. The film has thrown up massive questions and debates which are rarely seen after an Indian film’s release. Dharma Productions has several iconic films in its kitty but Gehraiyaan is all set to create its own class in the array.

POLARISED VIEWS LEADING TO MASSIVE DEBATES

Musician Lisa Mishra posted about how three different tables at a restaurant in Mumbai were discussing the film the day it was released. Debates have been raging in friend circles as well as on social media about the rights, wrongs and dilemmas faced by the protagonists. People have been divided over whether Alisha Khanna’s (Deepika Padukone) actions were right; whether Zain’s (Siddhant Chaturvedi) manipulation was an outcome of his troubles; to whether Tia (Ananya Panday) was too naïve and forgiving; and, if Karan (Dhairya Karwa) was oblivious to the strains in his relationship. With such myriad reactions Gehraiyaan is being touted as a benchmark film in recent times that has got the audience talking about its raw, complex and relatable contents.

IN-DEPTH BLOGS, PERSONAL PIECES AND ANALYSIS FEATURES 

Journalists, reporters, critics, bloggers and even celebrities have been writing their hearts out after watching Gehraiyaan. Some have even shared their personal experiences with infidelity, new-age love or toxic relationships. There has been an in-depth analysis done of the film and for all the right reasons. The discussions have been ranging from the identifiable factor in all the characters to the grey shades of love and romance. The complex relationships shown in the film are too close to real life and somewhere we all know somebody who has gone through some of the experiences depicted in the flick. Although for many people the truth in Gehraiyaan was too close for comfort it did open floodgates for them to analyse their own relationships with their loved ones and family. More so the film paved the way for some amount of discussion and closure in many Indian families about love, life and family secrets that were always brushed under the carpet.

SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ LIKE NO OTHER

Gehraiyaan has got the netizens riled up. There are umpteen numbers of memes and reels featuring the dialogues, scenes and songs from the film lighting up the internet. Ever since its trailer dropped people have been going gaga over the film and the social media chatter surrounding Gehraiyaan is unprecedented in recent years. The buzz created by it was so paramount that several netizens were trolled for ‘promoting the film for free’ while all they did was talk about it and share their views. Talk about viral word-of-the-mouth!

NO INDIFFERENCE INVOLVED 

In everyone’s life some rain must fall, and so is the case with Gehraiyaan. Although the film received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike there were quite a few who were not particularly happy with the plot and the character arcs. Many criticised Deepika’s actions while some had a problem with Ananya’s gullible nature but what the film eventually accomplished was the fact that everyone ended up talking and having their own POV over the protagonists’ actions and the way they take to overcome their hurdles. Love it or hate it, no one can be indifferent to it and by that notion Gehraiyaan is a unanimous and uncontested winner.

ANALYSING PERSONAL BONDS & EQUATIONS 

One thing that Gehraiyaan established was the fact that blood is thicker than water. It made all of us analyse our past and present relationships and our equations and choices in dealing with these. Love and lust are integral as well as different sides of the same coin that is a romantic relationship; an extremely thin line differentiates between the two and the one who understands and comprehends it manages to lead a fulfilling life with their loved one. The film also delves deep into the fragility of modern-day romantic relationships that can easily break with one small push.

Gehraiyaan makes one sit up and take notice of the how's, why's and what's of life, ensuring that ultimately we realise our own truth, The film works on the psychological level. People may fail to understand the emotions behind it and judge it negatively, but this is reality. The film deals with a very serious subject. It's not just about intimate scenes. As Deepika herself said, "The overall genre of the film is something we haven't seen much of in Indian cinema, it's called domestic noir. Dharma Productions has delivered one of the most thought provoking films in recent times. Gehraiyaan is painfully honest, messy and so real in terms of complex, mature and emotionally heart-wrenching relationship dramas. It's a film of love, deceit and melancholia.