October ‘Feeler’ Is Filled With Feelings

Shoojit Sircar’s October looks like his gentlest film to date. The ‘feeler’—that’s how Varun Dhawan chose to describe the teaser that was released today—is so silken-smooth and dreamy it reminded me of the most intense moments in David Lean’s Dr Zhivago .

The captivating teaser shows Varun Dhawan staring dreamily in a forest filled with resplendent light. It cuts to the debutante Banita Sandhu staring out of the window into the vast terrain outside. Though we don’t see them together Varun and Banita belong together.And although we get only a glimpse of her the girl is a star.

Clearly then , October is a new territory for Shoojit and Varun. Shoojit has dealt with romance earlier in Vicky Donor and Piku .But nothing so single-mindedly focused on creating an aura of anxiety and yearning heightened by Shantanu Moitra’s evocative music score.

Varun’s last two films Badrinath Ki Duniya and Judwaa 2 were fun fests. Time for fun and games is over.