About How ADHM’s Saba teaches us to love unrequited love
Love in the post-corona era isn’t the love we remember and reminisce. Just like the masks we wore to protect ourselves, we now protect our hearts through situationships and ghosting. While evading the pain of a broken heart is much easier today, a trip back to Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’s romantic drama instantly transports us back in time. Like so many of us, the juvenile Ayan tries every play in the book to simply win Alizeh, but it is the beguiling Saba who shows the mature, kinder way to love. Her enigma captures us from the very first frame, in an airport lounge reading a book. Initially annoyed by Ayan’s persistence for small talk, she is quick to understand how he’s deflecting from his pain. She listens to his unfiltered confessions and empathises with him. This empathy evolves beyond a shoulder and a smile, and they soon start a torrid affair in the cinematic streets of Vienna. Having faced the brunt of a failed marriage and infidelity, Saba is careful yet curious. She s