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Life in the times of Dear Zindagi

Posted By : Administrator Tuesday 06 Dec, 2016
Life in the times of Dear Zindagi

Written by Dinika Anand

The first time my friend told me that Dear Zindagi dealt with mental health in a sensitive way, I turned around and rolled my eyes at her but then I don’t think I have ever been happier about being proved wrong. Dear Zindagi is a beautiful portrayal of a much needed conversation around mental health and therapy which does a lot to challenge the stigma around therapy and counselling. The movie scores not only for telling our largely ignorant society that therapy and counselling are not about being ‘crazy’ or ‘mad’ but also for showing characters that are like us- you and me.

Dear Zindagi teaches us not just about mental health but also touches upon the various shades and nuances of love and relationships. Kaira floundering her way through romantic relationships resonates deeply with the state of today’s youth. The youth of today are so caught up in their desire to move and to forge ahead that they often forget to pay heed to their own self!

The journey of Kaira from one man to another is marked with pain, suffering and a complete lack of clarity until the therapist aka Shah Rukh Khan steps in and teaches this go-getter that it is ok to slow down and pause. Our relationships today are also fraught with tension because we are always so worried about the next thing and moving ahead to an extent that we miss the moments in which we are present even.

In a previous article, I shared the importance of communication for creating healthy relationships. Dear Zindagi shows with ease how the absence of clear, honest communication sabotages relationships. As a society we keep talking about self-respect but the discussion never moves towards self-love or the ability to pause and allow ourselves the space to breathe and the space to experience and express our feelings, emotions and thoughts openly. Even for Alia Bhatt or Kaira, accepting that her trip to New York would be painful and traumatic despite the professional gains is not an easy process.

We live in the age of hyper connectivity and yet we have lost touch with our own feelings and emotions today. The inability of Kaira to admit or express her deep hurt over being left alone by her parents or her parent’s inability to acknowledge the same are a reflection of our relationships- picture perfect on the surface and yet fraught with tensions and anxieties on the inside.

Dear Zindagi teaches us that life is not just about looking ahead but also about acknowledging and assimilating the impact of the past on our today. It is about embracing ourselves fully without any questions and conditions because unless we love ourselves with all our failures and faults, how can we be there for anyone. So go on and embrace yourself because you are just as dear as Zindagi!!


Catex Health is a large network of mental health experts who are available 24x7 for your support and will ensure confidential, dignified and empowering support for any sort of emotional distress. Click here to reach out to an expert or call +91 9911775626.