brilliant actors, brilliant editing

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

because of good reviews I started watching on Netflix. Got so bored and stopped. Then I thought I should watch till end to whats good about this movie. I just cant stand this stupidity. Horrible movie. Read the story in wiki. Just because her parents left her at her grandparents Alia is scarred for life!! like really? I was in same position. I don't feel same way. Alia has acted horrible. SRK OK for whatever role he had. I didn't get why Alia's parents tolerated her all along. I would have shown the door.

When Dear Zindagi was released, it got good reviews here in India and my frds were all gaga about. When I finally saw the film, a good two weeks after release, it reminded me a about Haider.Haider based on Hamlet was a difficult film to watch because of one - the blood and gore and two - the uneven writing. But that got compensated by Shahid & Tabu's award winning performances. I saw the same issues with Dear Zindagi. Gauri Shinde trying to capture the restlessness of a young girl who does a lot of abstract things in her life but the writing was not upto the mark making me wonder what was happening all the time. Alia tries her best like Shahid but the 1st half was I felt too much for the audience to grasp.It the entry of SRK towards the end of 1st half that the movie rises. And the writing is brilliant from here. SRK's character not only brings peace to Alia's life but to me as audience. Its here that Alia shines and proves that she is the next big thing in Bollywood. She and SRK take grip of the movie. Her performance is fanstatic through out the film but in the 1st half at times I could not connect with her because of the writing. The 2nd half you understand her and accept her faults and weakness.SRK is a revelation. I tell people that he is a fine actor who wasted 10 years of his career playing useless roles in Chopra and Johar productions. Finally, he plays his age and the guy with a beard looks fabulous. He so natural that it difficult to believe that SRK is playing this role.The rest of the cast are fine and the film has lovely soulful music. And, Goa is looks mind blowing and amazing. Most movies capture the party scene of Goa. This movie shows the true beauty of the Goa.Hindi movies are known to have poor 2nd halves. Dear Zindagi is rare film. It has I say an average 1st half and great 2nd half. A good Sunday watch.

First 40 mins show a young girl who doesn't understand the nuances of sentiments, feelings and relationships and that's fine. But, trying to portray her own world of thoughts where she is right for everything she did and just not trying to figure out what she did wrong, or what she didn't do right. What are we trying to convey here?Her conversations with her parents are over the top and unwarranted. The next 20 mins and her initial conversation with the therapist are bizarre. A therapist in the real world doesn't talk and behave like that.1 hour into the movie and I'm asking myself - "Do I have the patience to watch it till the end?". But, as it keeps going, it gets a little better as they show the girl's past and adds some justice to her actions but nonetheless, it's a bit too late.

I bought a ticket to this movie on a whim. Knowing nothing about the premise or the actors, I went in blind with no real expectations outside of "this feels like it would be a romantic comedy." I came out of the theaters completely floored. The film was an emotional roller-coaster, in which the audience was able to commiserate with, celebrate alongside, and root for Kaira, the protagonist. The characters were solidly built, very consistent, and were a lot of fun to watch in interaction. Flashbacks were unobtrusive, and actually served the purpose of building characters out, rather than simply drawing the movie out. Cinematically stellar, purposeful, and nuanced; something that people from all cultures can enjoy. This film transcends Bollywood, and has themes of love, acceptance, support and the struggles of modern adult romance that we can all appreciate. I can comfortably say that this movie is a well crafted work, and deserves to be listed as an example for Overall, I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a solidly crafted romance film.