From Bollywood to OTT, Gen Z stories have become increasingly common. While a few have managed to get the formula right, several have failed to resonate. Unfortunately, Alia Bhatt-backed Don’t Be Shy is another addition to the latter list. The film reminds one of Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year and Zoya Akhtar’s Nadaaniyan. Like them, it is set around young students dealing with love, friendship, drama and heartbreak, while studies take a backseat. However, that’s where the similarities end. What tries to be a glossy and relatable Gen Z drama ends up feeling chaotic, with a weak story that often leaves you wondering, “What is happening?”
What is Don’t Be Shy about?
The story revolves around Shyamali ‘Shy’ Das (Aarushi Bajaj), who dreams of making it big by relying on her boyfriend Mayank Jhunjhunwala (Piyush Khati), the heir to a billionaire family. But all her plans fall apart when he suddenly breaks up with her. Hurt and angry, she sets out to seek revenge and soon crosses paths with his new girlfriend, Tara (Bianca Arora). What follows is a journey of finding herself and becoming her own person.
What holds the film back
Directed by Sreeti Mukerji, the film has a youthful look, filled with college romance, friendships and ambition. However, it lacks depth. At times, it feels like the film is more interested in looking cool than exploring its story and characters in depth. While there are moments of quirkiness, the film eventually becomes tiring because of its constant attempt to be edgy and relevant.
Honestly, we have had enough of this version of Gen Z on-screen. Gen Z stories should be fun, real and relatable. Don’t Be Shy tries too hard to capture the vibe, but in doing so, it loses the authenticity, becoming quite difficult for the target audience to connect with.
Cast and performances
The performances have their highs and lows. Aarushi Bajaj makes a promising debut as Shy and gives an honest performance. However, her overly cranky and annoying behaviour starts to feel irritating after a point. Bianca Arora brings warmth to the film as Tara, while Piyush Khati as Mayank and Ansh Duggal as Dhruv make decent debuts.
Filmmaker Anurag Basu, playing Shy’s father, barely adds anything to the plot. Kunal Roy Kapur is convincing as Professor Mr Q, but his performance does little to keep the film moving.
Well, Don’t Be Shy touches upon ambition, insecurity, friendship and heartbreaks, but doesn’t spend much time exploring any one idea. The film needed more depth, a stronger script and something fresh or unconventional to do with its young cast.