Alia Bhatt’s version of Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le is out, but while we were expecting something more from Dear Zindagi’s second title track, it falls short of our expectations. First, there’s the monotonous video, which at two-and-a-half minutes seems too long. We’re treated to two Alias – the singer and the camera person. For those who thought, ‘I can never get enough of Alia Bhatt,’ this video might just test your limits. While the starlet does a great job as cast and ‘crew’ of the video, the back and forth of just two scenes throughout the song becomes brain draining after the first thirty seconds.
The second point of the debate is why the makers decided to waste the opportunity of a wonderful song and singer with Take 2 of Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le. Recall Arjit’s version of the title track – it’s melodious, soulful and we loved it. Alia’s Take 2 of the song almost sounds auto-tuned – as though the composer exchanged disco beats for the soul of the Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le that Arjit had planted so lovingly into its notes. Moreover, this is the same Alia Bhatt who wowed us with her vocals in Samjhawan from Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya, so what happened?
Should you give this video a miss? Not at all. Stick around for Alia striking the signature pose of her Dear Zindagi co-star Shahrukh Khan. It’s the one highlight that catches the viewer by surprise. However, even that is ruined somewhat when in the end ‘both’ Alias decide to strike the pose again, this time in synchrony. Paying homage to King Khan once is memorable, doing it twice feels repetitive – particularly in a video that feels like it only has two scenes shot from various angles.