Happy birthday, Abhay Deol! Decoding 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara's Kabir
Abhay Deol is one of those actors who has been doing content-oriented cinema for ages. Deol has an enigmatic personality and that is what attracts his fans. Back in 2011, he starred in Zoya Akhtar's ensemble travel film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and that film is etched in our hearts to date. On his 47th birthday, we analyze the intricate character of Kabir.
The story runs around Kabir
Back in the day, Deol had expressed his displeasure for being noted as a supporting actor by award ceremony juries for his portrayal. If we look closely, Akhtar designed the screenplay so tactfully, that it's Kabir who is the center point of the film. The story starts with him proposing to Natasha (Kalki Koechlin) and the Spain plan unfolds due to his bachelor trip.
He's the binding factor of the film
Deol is not only the starting point of this film, but he also serves as the person who reconciles the other two friends, Imran and Arjun (Farhan Akhtar and Hrithik Roshan, respectively). The two friends drifted apart due to a relationship issue and Kabir does school them in his way. He acts as the binding factor in the narrative.
Layers in the character of Kabir
In the first half of the film, Kabir is the prankster of the group who has a unique ability to understand human instincts. He has a unique way of dealing with things. Akhtar and Reema Kagti wrote the character so well that there is a piece of Kabir in all of us who try to hide their pain and dilemma with their jolly nature.
Normalizing vulnerability on the silver screen
In the second half of the film, we see the true shades of Kabir who is as vulnerable as we all are. The best thing about Akhtar-Kagti's writing and Deol's portrayal is that we root for the character and feel the exact dilemma Kabir is going through. In the Indian family structure, we're not allowed to be vulnerable and Deol shows it with ease.
Owning up to himself
In the scene where Imran and Arjun confront Kabir and the latter confesses that Natasha has changed, and he might not be in love with her, Imran tries to make him understand that it's human to make mistakes. In an era where we don't identify our issues properly, Kabir did take a stand on behalf of his beliefs in the end.
Importance of creating a safe space
In the last scene just before they start running with the bulls in San Fermin, Kabir confesses that he cannot marry Natasha and he is embraced by his friends who make a safe space for him. Der Lagi Lekin lyrics ring true for Kabir! We thank him for telling us that it's okay to be confused and it's okay to be vulnerable.
