Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara turns 11: How Reema Kagti-Zoya Akhtar opened up urban audiences to layered stories

NEW DELHI: Throwing together a road trip, romcom, family dynamics and bromance in a single picture doesn't sound like an easy feat but Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, managed to beautifully blend it together in 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', which today completes 11 years.

The feel-good film directed by Zoya Akhtar and penned by Zoya and Reema Kagti, on the surface was all about three friends on the verge of making commitments but was so much more! The entertainer shed light on modern-day relationships, both romantic and familial and had huge appeal with urban audiences, who related to the characters and plots.

First the equation between Abhay Deol and Kalki, a hasty engagement that quickly led to reservations, then the conflict between Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar's characters owing to a past relationship, the beautiful relationship that unfolds with Katrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan's characters a perfect yin-yang, the resentment and hostility between Farhan and veteran Naseeruddin Shah's characters with a sense of abandonment, and even that of Hrithik's toxic relationship with his work, one that consumed him more than other aspects of his life.

While Bollywood has always preferred the tried and tested romantic stories or the stereotypical one's on friendship, 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' broke new ground with everything it had to offer audiences! 

The movie had everything going for it - from a great versatile starcast, picturesque locations, popular music, strong storytelling. stellar performances and above all a narrative that resonated with young India.

'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' found takers both on home turf and overseas as it mirrored the dynamics between different couples, different family dynamics, cutting across geographical boundaries - In the time and age of commercial potboilers that were all about song and dance, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was a beautifully scripted journey of catharsis.

It was also one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2011 in India and internationally; and was declared a blockbuster in India and in overseas territories

Directed by celebrated director, Zoya Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar of Excel Entertainment, the film was praised for bringing more evolved and mature content to the cinema-literate audience that was ready to embrace and support newer genres of cinema. In fact, the critics even mentioned how convinced they were that no one could portray bromance as beautifully as Reema and Zoya did with their writing.

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