Gehraiyaan review: Deepika Padukone film is too designed, choppy

The film scores on showing us just how quickly things change, and how one little lie can lead to a cascade of untruths. The shocking intimacy created by a text, actual names being saved under other names, the constant undercurrent of connecting with a third person while pretending to be couple. We all know how these things escalate and how porous even seemingly strong boundaries are, and how they can become the many elephants in the room that no one wants to touch upon.

This foursome should have been a throbbing hot mess, emotions spilling out from tightly-reined-in histories, searing us. Director Shakun Batra proved himself adept at mining painful complexities in ‘Kapoor & Sons’. ‘Gehraiyaan’ doesn’t dig deep enough; it is too designed and choppy. The tangle of scantily clad bodies in bed, the electricity between two people who can’t keep their hands off each other: we see all of it, we don’t feel enough of it.

There’s always some pleasure to be had by looking at such good-looking people, so manicured and put together. The divine Deepika’s messy updo is not like any of us putting up our hair carelessly: she looks styled even when she’s in pieces. The same can be said of the others (Siddhant, Ananya, Dhairya), as well as of Rajat Kapoor who shows up as Zain’s business associate: natty-on-yatches, check, casual beach wear, check, boardroom attire, check. Not even the most hard-nosed wardrobe Nazi can object to the tasteful clothes, and the array of gorgeous, toned bodies. Everyone uses the f word liberally, sprinkling it in their conversation. It’s all very swish but surface: you need to lift off the screen from amidst the pretty scenery.

The only person in this ensemble who is appropriately rumpled and feels real is Naseeruddin Shah, as Al’s distant father. When they are together, the film manages to breathe a little, and reaches out to us.

Gehraiyaan movie cast: Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa, Rajat Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah
Gehraiyaan movie director: Shakun Batra
Gehraiyaan movie rating: 2 stars