Dear Zindagi

''Dear Zindagi'' () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Gauri Shinde. Produced by Gauri Khan, Karan Johar, and Shinde under the banners Red Chillies Entertainment, Dharma Productions, and Hope Productions respectively, the film stars Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan in lead roles, with Ira Dubey, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Ali Zafar (in his final Hindi film appearance), Yashaswini Dayama, and Rohit Saraf in supporting roles. The narrative follows Kaira, a budding cinematographer dealing with personal and professional insecurities, who finds a new perspective on life after undergoing therapy sessions with unconventional psychologist Dr. Jehangir "Jug" Khan.

Principal photography took place across Goa and Mumbai between January and May 2016. The music was composed by Amit Trivedi with lyrics primarily by Kausar Munir.

Released theatrically on 25 November 2016 (preceded by a limited release in North America on 23 November), ''Dear Zindagi'' received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at Shinde’s direction, the film’s themes and dialogues, its soundtrack, and the lead performances—particularly those of Bhatt and Khan. A commercial success, the film grossed ₹138.91 crore (US$20 million) worldwide.

At the 62nd Filmfare Awards, the film received two nominations: Best Actress (Bhatt) and Best Lyricist (Munir for "Love You Zindagi").

Plot

Kaira, a young and ambitious cinematographer in Mumbai, aspires to direct her own films. Though creatively driven, she is emotionally guarded and often cynical, finding comfort primarily in her close-knit group of friends—Fatima, Jackie, Raunaq, and Ganju. Her personal life becomes increasingly complicated when she ends her relationship with her childhood sweetheart Sid and begins a brief affair with her friend Raghuvendra, a film producer. The situation worsens when Raghuvendra gets engaged to another woman. Shortly after, Kaira is evicted from her apartment due to the building society's policy favoring families and married couples.

With no other option, Kaira relocates to her family home in Goa, despite longstanding emotional distance and unresolved resentment towards her parents. Plagued by insomnia and inner turmoil, she reluctantly begins therapy with Dr. Jehangir "Jug" Khan, an unconventional and empathetic psychologist. As their sessions progress, Jug helps Kaira confront her suppressed insecurities and fears. Meanwhile, she initiates a relationship with Rumi, a charming musician, but ends it upon realizing their incompatibility.

Through therapy and reconnection with her younger brother Kiddo, Kaira gradually confronts the root of her emotional struggles—her feelings of abandonment stemming from being left with her grandparents during her childhood while her parents rebuilt their lives. Jug helps her understand that this abandonment has caused her to fear emotional attachment and preemptively end relationships to avoid getting hurt. He encourages her to view her parents as flawed individuals rather than idealized caregivers, thereby empowering her to begin the process of emotional reconciliation.

During their final session, Kaira admits that she has developed feelings for Jug. He gently explains that it is not uncommon for patients to feel this way toward their therapists, but a romantic relationship between them would be unethical. The two part on amicable terms, sharing a warm farewell.

Kaira eventually completes her short film and debuts it at a screening attended by her family, friends, and former partners. Having come to terms with her past, she opens herself to new possibilities, initiating a conversation with a furniture designer at the event—signaling a renewed sense of self and emotional openness.

Cast

* Alia Bhatt as Kaira, an aspiring cinematographer, who is also referred to as "Shaira."
* Shah Rukh Khan as Dr. Jehangir "Jug" Khan, a psychologist.
* Kunal Kapoor as Raghuvendra, a film producer, one of Kaira's boyfriends
* Angad Bedi as Sid, a restobar owner, another of Kaira's boyfriends
* Ali Zafar as Rumi, a musician and singer-songwriter, yet another of Kaira's boyfriends.
* Ira Dubey as Fatima, Kaira's friend, who is also referred to as "Fatty"
* Rohit Saraf as Kiddo, Kaira's younger brother
* Yashaswini Dayama as Jackie, Kaira's friend
* Gautmik as Ganju, Kaira's friend
* Yashwant Singh as Kaira's uncle
* Salone Mehta as Kaira's aunt
* Baby Dishita as little Kaira
* Nitika Anand as family friend
* Amit Nagraj as little Kiddo
* Aban Deohans as Kaira's mother
* Atul Kale as Kaira's father
* Martha Xavier Fernandes as Kaira's maternal grandmother
* Madhav Vaze as Kaira's maternal grandfather
* Ivan Sylvester Rodrigues as vice president of a hotel, friend of Kaira's father
* Akanksha Gade as maid Alka
* Aditya Roy Kapur as a furniture dealer (guest appearance)

''Source'':

Production

Development

''Dear Zindagi'' marked the second directorial venture of Gauri Shinde following her acclaimed debut ''English Vinglish'' (2012). The film was jointly produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment, Karan Johar under Dharma Productions, and Shinde under her banner Hope Productions. Speaking about the film’s inspiration, Shinde stated that ''Dear Zindagi'' was not based on any singular personal experience but was “inspired by life in general,” particularly the emotional connections people form and how those influence their worldview. By August 2015, Shinde confirmed she had nearly completed the screenplay, and pre-production work began in December of the same year.

Much of the technical crew from ''English Vinglish'' returned for the film, including editor Hemanti Sarkar, co-writer Krishnan Hariharan, and cinematographer Laxman Utekar. Kausar Munir, who served as the film’s lyricist, also contributed as a language consultant and co-writer. Production designer Rupin Suchak was a new addition to the team. Shinde selected Mumbai and Goa as the primary filming locations due to the narrative’s urban and coastal themes.

Casting

In early reports from ''India Today'', Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan were announced as leads. Shinde confirmed that the film would not feature a conventional romantic plot between their characters, describing their relationship as one of emotional mentorship rather than romantic entanglement. Khan played Dr. Jehangir “Jug” Khan, a therapist, while Bhatt portrayed Kaira, a budding filmmaker struggling with personal and professional dilemmas. Bhatt expressed enthusiasm about working with Khan for the first time, calling it a significant opportunity in her career.

Supporting roles were filled by a diverse ensemble, including Kunal Kapoor as a film producer, Angad Bedi as Kaira’s childhood friend, and Ali Zafar as a rock musician—his final role in a Hindi film. Aditya Roy Kapur made a cameo appearance as a furniture designer. Ira Dubey and Yashaswini Dayama portrayed Kaira’s friends, while debutant Rohit Saraf appeared as her younger brother.

Filming

Principal photography commenced on 21 January 2016 in Goa. The film was shot across two primary schedules—Goa and Mumbai—with a few sequences later filmed in Singapore. The Goa schedule concluded by late February 2016, and the team proceeded to Mumbai for the next phase. Alia Bhatt documented much of the production process on social media, including a farewell selfie with the crew in Singapore to mark the film’s completion on 20 May 2016. In interviews, Bhatt spoke about the intense emotional depth of the shoot and her excitement at working alongside Khan for the first time.

On 23 June 2016, ''The Times of India'' officially confirmed the title of the film as ''Dear Zindagi''.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for ''Dear Zindagi'' was composed by Amit Trivedi, with lyrics primarily written by Kausar Munir. It was released by Sony Music India, with the full album made available on 4 November 2016. An audio jukebox of the album was subsequently released on YouTube on 10 November 2016.

The album features a recreated version of the classic song "Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le," originally composed by Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Gulzar and sung by Suresh Wadkar for the film '' Sadma'' (1983). The rendition in ''Dear Zindagi'' was included alongside original tracks, all of which reflect the film’s introspective tone and coming-of-age narrative.

Release

''Dear Zindagi'' was released in the United States and Canada on 23 November 2016, followed by a worldwide release on 25 November 2016. It opened in approximately 1,200 theatres across India and 600 overseas. A special screening was held in Mumbai on 23 November 2016.

Reception

''Dear Zindagi'' opened strongly in multiplexes across Mumbai, Mysore, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, with a comparatively decent response in North India. In North America, the film released earlier to coincide with the Thanksgiving weekend. It collected ₹1.19 crore from 127 screens in the United States and ₹8.29 lakh from 16 screens in Canada on its first day. Over the extended two-day weekend, it grossed approximately ₹1.58 crore in North America. The film earned ₹94.67 crore in India and grossed ₹136 crore worldwide.

Critical response

''Dear Zindagi'' received generally positive reviews, with praise for Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan's performances, Gauri Shinde’s direction, the screenplay, music, and its thematic depth. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 73% approval rating based on 15 reviews, with an average score of 6.7/10.

Meena Iyer of ''The Times of India'' rated the film 3.5/5, describing Bhatt's character as "feisty" and commending the lead performances. Namrata Joshi of ''The Hindu'' gave 3/5, highlighting the chemistry between Bhatt and Khan despite "heavy-handed writing." Ananya Bhattacharya of ''India Today'' called it "an emotional joyride" and recommended it for the actors’ performances. Mayank Shekhar of ''Mid-Day'' rated it 3/5, describing it as a "conversational and mostly quiet" film.

Conversely, Rohit Bhatnagar of ''Deccan Chronicle'' rated it 2.5/5, praising the acting but calling it a "one-time watch." ''Bollywood Hungama'' echoed this rating, calling it a "slow-paced cerebral tale." Sweta Kaushal of ''Hindustan Times'' gave 2/5, criticizing its "hollow banter." Shubhra Gupta of ''The Indian Express'' found the film lacking emotional depth despite strong performances.

Internationally, Christine Iyer of ''The National'' rated it 4/5, praising Khan’s portrayal of Dr. Jehangir "Jug" Khan. Manjusha Radhakrishnan of ''Gulf News'' gave 3.5/5, calling the film “joyously entertaining.” Anisha Jhaveri of '' IndieWire'' graded it A−, citing its "powerful message." Shilpa Jamkhandikar of ''Reuters'' criticized its tendency to over-explain emotions, while Andy Webster of ''The New York Times'' called it an "insightful movie" and a “resounding victory.”

Accolades

Controversy

In early November 2016, reports emerged that Pakistani actor-singer Ali Zafar had been replaced by Tahir Raj Bhasin in ''Dear Zindagi'', following the 2016 Uri terror attack and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s call to ban Pakistani artists. However, on 14 November, Alia Bhatt denied the rumours, stating: "Nobody is being replaced. The film will release in its full form." Although Zafar had recorded two songs for the film, his versions were replaced in the soundtrack album by Arijit Singh. Zafar’s original renditions were later released online.

Following the film’s release, Canadian company Temple Street Productions served a legal notice to Dharma Productions, alleging that ''Dear Zindagi'' plagiarized elements from their television series ''Being Erica''. Director Gauri Shinde denied the allegation.

References

External links

Official website
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2010s Hindi-language films
2010s Indian films
2016 films
2010s coming-of-age drama films
Films about depression
Indian coming-of-age drama films
Films shot in India
Films set in Goa
Films set in Mumbai
Reliance Entertainment films
Films scored by Amit Trivedi
Red Chillies Entertainment films
2016 drama films
Films directed by Gauri Shinde
Films about bipolar disorder