The weakest part of Gehraiyaan, I thought, was its abrupt transition into a crime thriller. This was always destined to be an emotional drama, and the unexpected jump in pace startled me, and not in a very reassuring way. That aside, the drama bits are fantastically done. The contemporary struggles and feelings of two lived-in couples are splendidly captured. The leads, to my surprise, have incredible chemistry. What also helps is the character texturing. It's a family affair (pun intended!) alright, and leaving some dots deliberately disconnected for that end reveal made that climactic exchange between the characters of Deepika Padukone and Naseeruddin Shah a lot more impactful. Padukone also depicts breakdowns and anxiety attacks as they are, in a remarkable performance. Also liked how they ended it with effective throwbacks to phrases like "small world" and "the past always catches up." While the songs, visuals, and some of the dialogue carry the feel of regular Bolly fare, I'm glad they don't weigh the film's engagement factor down.
Review of Gehraiyaan
