Why I Think Deepika Is Gutsy For Playing Alisha in Gehraiyaan, Complete With The Much Discussed ‘Revealing Clothes’

I’m sorry that I’m late to the party. But I finally decided to write on why I think Deepika’s  character in Gehraiyaan is actually one of her best chosen roles.

Disclaimer: Deepika is a tall, good looking actress, who I never really considered a phenomenal or decent actress. After noticing the hullabaloo around this film, I dared to watch it on Amazon Prime. To be frank, the movie offered me nothing interesting or new, and as someone who is both a movie and TV show buff, I didn’t even lift an eyebrow. However, if there was one thing that I found realistic in the film, it was Alisha’s character. No, this is not another review, but a character analysis of the female protagonist in this film. Honestly, this is one of the most real characters that I have seen this actress play.

A father and partner that she feels are incompetent

A woman hailing from a middle- class family, trying to make ends meet, while her incompetent father and partner have failed to be financial heads of the family. They have failed to keep the family afloat, and Alisha’s character has no choice but to take on the responsibility.

A cousin who has it all

Then, there’s her relationship with her cousin, played by Ananya Pandey. Tia Khanna, the younger, richer, and happier second female protagonist.

This girl has everything Alisha ever wanted, a rich husband, the looks, the opulence, and relaxed lifestyle. While Tia’s father spoilt her silly, Alisha’s father’s attempts at being a good father went unnoticed. The woman abhors her father, as she blames him for her mother’s death, which coupled with her frustration over his financial incompetency had led her to be oblivious to what a good parent he actually was.

These stark contrasts between these women makes their relationship even more awkward, as Alisha adores the cousin, but envies her in every possible way. Unable to neither completely loathe nor love Tia, Alisha’s equation with her is strained and unnatural.

Then, the fact that Tia and her fiancé seem to have a playful, effortless friendship has made things all the more worse for our protagonist. With all these emotions crashing against her heart like the waves on the beach, it was very obvious that Alisha would choose to have an affair with Tia’s fiancé.

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I’m not justifying her fling with her cousin’s fiancé, I’m explaining why she did it

Zain Oberoi is everything Alisha hunts for in a partner. I think Oberoi, played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, is the embodiment of perfection in my eyes, on the surface, and I’m sure many women agree with me. Rich, good – looking, funny, has a lot of financial assets, and is a breath of fresh air in comparison to the angry, frustrated washed out fiancé, Karan Arora, played by Dhairya Karwa.

Even if Zain wasn’t interested in Alisha, it is obvious that she would have tried to make a move on him, without making it obvious.

Dating your cousin’s man is breaking the girl code, but what motivated Alisha was not just her useless lover, but the smug satisfaction of obtaining Tia’s man. As Alisha had a severe inferiority complex when it came to Tia, she now has proved that she too can snag a rich man. She doesn’t have to rely on her father’s help and influence to snag a competent man. I’d be surprised that she didn’t try to steal her cousin’s man at this point.

I know what you’re thinking, why the hell would anyone fool around with their cousin’s man? You must be mad, as once it is revealed, it will lead to destruction. But look at it this way, Tia’s parents and Alisha’s father aren’t on speaking terms. They seemed to be estranged from other extended members of their family, so Alisha was willing to take the risk.

The pleasure of hurting Tia and flaunting Zain as a trophy partner was what she always secretly desired. Besides, a rich man like Zain was worth the ostracism, character judgements and hate. Alisha believed that Zain would whisk her away to a new, exciting world, away from those parasites she loathes.

Here’s the problem with Alisha. After a string of bad luck, being undermined at work, and not receiving the due credit and success she deserves, the woman has settled for Karan. She diligently tried to make the relationship work, give the man too many chances because she wanted some form of stability. Though this is a huge mistake, she should have dumped her fiancé long ago. I’m pretty sure many of us have given our partners many chances, believing that they will change. But some never do.

Why did she continue to have an affair with Zain?

It was only a matter of time for the couple. Alisha is not holier than thou. The reason she continues this affair with Zain, despite being overcome with guilt, are the positive emotions she finally experiences.

With Zain, she felt free, she felt alive. But here’s the problem with this illustrious couple, they aren’t in love with each other. They never were.

Tia is the dumb bimbo, who Zain is fed up with, and Alisha is the shiny new toy he is obsessed with. What Alisha wants is an illusion that Zain provides, an escapism from the harsh economic realities of her life. No wonder she continues to confide in him.

Other than being a sexual partner, however, Zain is not her salvation, nor her escape route from her personal hell. But she realises that a little too late.

Not all that glitters…

But then again, you have to pay for being unfaithful. Alisha learns that the hard way, as engaging in constant sexual activity has consequences. Pregnancy. The being that is about the size of a pin living inside her gave her another harsh reality check.

Her ‘saviour’ was also experiencing financial difficulty, and until things were going well for her, Zain was her perfect man. Now that he couldn’t be sugar daddy (I apologise for using this term, but in actuality, this is what it was), the threats to tell Tia, the need for an abortion, the demands to get married, were beginning to scare Zain. Alisha’s claws have come out to play. She had suffered enough and finally was going to obtain her Cinderella fantasy at all costs. But when she realised that her dream was falling apart, her claws began to scratch the very Prince Charming she wanted.

Fooled again by a man’s promises, Alisha learnt the ramifications of trusting her partners, as Zain attempted to kill her.

One would agree that an affair takes many prisoners, and their lives as well. Realising that she had a miscarriage, the physical pain, emotional trauma, and the regret of making poor personal choices had all led up to this moment.

Sidenote, what I found offensive in this film was Mr. Grover, Zain’s partner, played by Rajat Kapoor. Though she accidentally kills Zain, his business partner is more disgusted with her, than with Zain who actually attempted to murder her. This Mr. Grover, the partner, was well aware of what Zain would do. And yet, somehow Alisha is the ‘appalling’ person here. Oh male chauvinist, you must think that rape is not a crime.

The climax of the story

Now, coming back to Alisha, though was painfully obvious to me that Alisha’s mother and Tia’s father were having an affair from the opening scene, Alisha’s inner turmoil is comprehensible. After all, the man she considered her father was actually an angel, while the woman she adored turned out be a cheat.

This is too much information to digest for one human being, and post the traumatic experience of almost being murdered, Alisha’s desire to move on is commendable. But I think that she wanted to reform herself, mend her relationships, and make something of herself.

Her attempt at building her friendship with her ex, again proves that Alisha will choose to move on, change herself, and let bygones be bygones. That a rare quality to have, and a difficult choice to make especially with an ex like Karan.

I also really liked the fact that she didn’t tell Tia about the affair or murder, as this is what a normal person would do. Blurting out the whole truth could have repercussions on the relationships she’s building. Not to mention, the legal consequences. But as they say, two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead. The ending hinted at the truth being possibly revealed and everything going awry again, and Alisha’s life which is barely made, could fall apart. Her father would be disappointed that history had repeated itself and everyone would say, ‘like mother, like daughter’, which has a completely different connotation in this context.

Finally, the question of Alisha’s ‘revealing clothes’

To conclude, I think many people failed to see the reason why Alisha was wearing ‘revealing clothes’ as they call it.

The woman knows that she has a great body, she is attempting to flaunt it, seduce Zain, and finally show herself some self love. Alisha’s minimal to no makeup, her flaws, exhaustion, her 30 – year – old face, was what sealed the pragmatic character for me.

Also, all those questioning Ranveer Singh as to how he let his wife walk around ‘half – naked’ in the film, did not surprise me. If a husband restricts a woman’s wardrobe in real life, or takes issue with it a film, he is clearly a bad choice for a husband/partner. Dear incels, moral policers, and envious goons, if you don’t have the gall to flaunt what you have, and you know that you’ll never get a woman who looks like Deepika, ask your therapist for advice, and stop ruining the most pragmatic character she has ever played.

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