Here's Who We Think Would've Done A Better Job Than Aishwarya In Sarbjit!

I went to watch Sarbjit on a crowded Sunday afternoon where all the families and working professionals are out on the streets to let off some steam. The mall I went in was severely occupied, and the longest line was outside the Audi where 'X-Men:Apocalypse' was showing. Nonetheless, I walked into the other one to watch Sarbjit. I wanted to know about the guy whose name raked up an international storm, thanks to the consistent efforts of his sister. 

Honestly, I wasn't hoping much from this film as I had seen the trailer and it had revealed a lot about how it is going to unravel. But I wanted to watch Randeep Hooda, Richa Chadda, and how Aishwarya Rai Bachchan deals with such an intense role like this. The film began, and 20 minutes into it, I was actually feeling uncomfortable.

Reason? I just couldn't picture Aishwarya Rai in this role. Whenever she would come onscreen, I would promptly slump back in my chair and think about how it would have turned out, had Divya Dutta essayed this role of Dalbir Kaur.

No offence to anyone here, but I am of the opinion that the treatment of a story which deals with such a sensitive issue like this, could have been better. The gut-wrenching and multi-faceted journey of Sarbjit and his family was reduced to a mere emotional sob fest on screen. None of the intricacies could be addressed ever so slightly, but that's just my opinion. 

Coming to the fact that why I couldn't stop picturing Divya Dutta on the screen, I want to explain that I am not a huge fan of either Divya Dutta or Aishwarya Rai. But I definitely think, that for a role like this, which reflects the life of a Punjabi woman born and brought up in the rural Punjab, Divya Dutta would have been a better choice. I'm all claps and praises for Aishwarya's beauty, I seriously am. I think she is a wonderful woman and she does a really good job at playing the typical roles which she has done up till now. And that's okay, as it doesn't mean she's being put down or anything. But there are certain roles which are just not her cup of tea, and that is just the observation of another person sitting in the audience. 

I have a brother, and I love him to bits. God forbid if something were to happen to him, I would go nuts too. I wanted to see the pain of Dalbir Kaur in Aishwarya Rai's eyes. I wanted to see the helplessness which is not washed down with tears but shines resolutely in pained, yet determined eyes. And all I could do was to picture Divya Dutta, essaying the role with ease and perfect grace on screen. 
You ask me why? Because half of the time I was distracted by the horrible dubbing that it was which tried to make Aishwarya Rai sound like a Punjabi woman with the perfect accent, and went horribly wrong.  All I could see was an actor trying to be someone they are not and failing badly at this. No, I could not imagine Aishwarya as a Punjabi woman with that unnatural accent. It just didn't work for me.

Remember her role in Veer Zaara? Or any film for that matter? She has carried out many roles like these and she has the perfect profile too. As an actor, she has proven herself time and again with her flawless acting and dedication to the role. Not to say that Aish was not dedicated to it, however, I found her make-up team more dedicated to making her look like she means business. But the moment her dialogues started, it all went down the drain for me. 
There is  a scene in Sarbjit where Dalbir Kaur is informed about a letter from Pakistan. She is sitting there on a cot and suddenly loses her breath and starts running to the post office.That run immediately reminded me of Devdas and Aishwarya's epic run towards the exit of the haveli.

You see the problem now? I was watching Aishwarya on the screen. Not Dalbir Kaur whom I wanted to see. Hence, it was a miss for me.