'The Sky Is Pink' review: Terminal illness done right

Director: Shonali Bose

Cast: Zaira Wasim, Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Rohit Saraf

Score: 3.5/5

All dramas about medical conditions suffer from one major drawback -- there's a complete absence of mystery. The Sky Is Pink is no different, except that the film wears this supposed failing proudly on its sleeve.

Told through a non-linear narrative, this movie is all about the relationships of the Chaudhary family with each other and with the world around them over several years as the shadow of a terminal illness hangs over them. The narrative based on a true story is wonderfully woven as there's no time for schmaltz, only conversations and situations that feel real even if we haven't experienced them.

The Sky Is Pink is well cast for the most part. Eighteen-year-old Zaira Wasim as Aisha is a luminous presence at the centre of the film and she draws you into her tale in spite of any preconceived ideas that may linger in your thoughts. This is Zaira's final film as she has since retired from acting and this performance is a worthy sendoff. It's a character that threads its way into your heart and stays with you.

Farhan Akhtar continues to impress with each new character that he embodies. His Niren is a man that seems to be constantly battling with himself and needs to find the strength within each moment to keep himself from drowning. Farhan's is a praiseworthy performance that cuts deep into our doubts and insecurities.

The length of each scene seems to be timed so that the camera cuts out before you can tune out. The tale snaps back and forth between the present, the past and somewhere in between but it somehow never feels jarring. We are fed bits of information a little bit at a time but it almost doesn't matter because the characters do the heavy lifting in each scene and you begin to care about them more than anything else.

Speaking of which, the relationship between Aisha and her brother Ishaan (Rohit Saraf) might be the most memorable sibling relationship in a Bollywood drama that's been seen in a long while. It strikes all the right notes while feeling lived in and challenging at the same time.

One character, however, does not quite deliver. Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Aditi feels at times as if she's disconnected from the rest of the cast. Priyanka seems to be giving it her all but her character just takes you out of the film in several scenes. While she and Farhan have comforting chemistry, she's not able to sell the idea of a marriage that is under siege. The less said about her hairdo in the latter part of the film the better.

Director Shonali Bose seems to have a strong grasp of the narrative and her commitment to forging a real family that one might see in everyday life comes through across the length of the movie.

And a note on realism. Shooting a scene of family fun while snorkelling is a good idea only if you have time to film actual fish. Strange CGI sea life is always a bad idea.

The takeaway - The Sky Is Pink works due to multiple stellar performances and is only hampered to an extent by Priyanka's latest acting effort. Highly recommended.