Laugh, cry through this emotional ride
If you have seen 18-year-old Aisha Chaudhary’s TedTalk on YouTube, you’d understand why The Sky is Pink is so close to director Shonali Bose’s heart. The tale of an terminally-ill teenager waiting patiently to embrace death, yet living each moment with undying zeal, and her family dealing with the tragedy, touches your heart from the world go.
The film, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar as the parents, transports you to a world of love, family, relationships, life and death. Depicting real-life stories on the big screen can be tough, but Bose keeps it real, free of melodrama. If you assumed from the trailer that you’d have to reach for the tissues, you’d be pleasantly surprised. It starts with a voiceover by Aisha(Zaira Wasim), who wants to prove that it’s okay to die: “It’s cool”. Travelling through timelines and flashbacks spanning over twoand-a-half-decades, Aisha covers the love story of her mum Aditi and Niren (whom she lovingly refers to as Moose and Panda), their marriage, parenthood, even, their sex life. Awkward? Not really.
The film tries to assert how normal it is for kids to discuss sex with their parents today. We’re also told that Aditi and Niren lost their first child to a rare genetic disorder. Their second child, Ishaan (Rohit Saraf) is healthy, but Aisha is diagnosed with the same disorder. The Sky Is Pink gets credit for on-point casting. Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s sincerity looks effortless. Farhan Akhtar is in his element, though a bit controlled. There are layers to her performance and she pulls it off with ease. The sibling bonding between Rohit Saraf and Zaira is also endearing to watch.
The story moves us to tears one moment and sparkles with light humour the next. The narrative, however oscillates. Jumping from one timeline to another only makes it the film sound and look confusing. If you miss the date, year and place flashing on screen, you’re lost.
Farhan and Priyanka’s love story also takes away from Aisha’s battle; though the second half does focus on her treatment. Aisha’s grandparents —both maternal and paternal — aren’t shown sharing her pain until she’s on her deathbed. Overall, The Sky Is Pink is a balanced, heartwarming story. While the performances shine, the story leaves an impact minus any noteworthy loophole. Do sit back a little for the end credits because they truly are the winning shots.