Dear Zindagi director Gauri Shinde says people have started taking therapy seriously because of SRK

Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt’s film Dear Zindagi was groundbreaking for its focus on therapy, a theme seldom explored in mainstream cinema. Alia played Kaira, a young woman, while SRK portrayed a psychologist aiding her through life’s challenges. Directed by Gauri Shinde, the movie marked a departure from traditional narratives, contributing to the normalisation of therapy in storytelling.

In a recent interview with a leading news portal, Gauri Shinde shared that Shah Rukh Khan agreed to do Dear Zindagi after hearing just 4-5 lines. She mentioned having a full script ready but only narrated a few lines to which Shah Rukh responded with, “Okay, got it. What do I have to do?” Shinde added that Shah Rukh also provided his own insights on how he wanted to portray the therapist in the film.

Gauri Shinde emphasised that she couldn’t think of anyone else but Shah Rukh Khan for the role of Dr Jehangir Khan. She credited Shah Rukh for contributing to the increased seriousness people now associate with therapy. She said she needed a mainstream actor and a star so that the audience would listen to him.

She also discussed Alia Bhatt’s character Kaira, noting that Kaira isn’t always portrayed as likeable or attractive. Gauri expressed her intention not to depict the character always looking her best, aiming to reveal the inner complexities of the character to the fullest extent possible.

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