A Year of 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan': Why This Quiet Romance Still Echoes

Today marks exactly one year since Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan graced our screens on July 11, 2025. In a cinematic landscape often dominated by high-octane action and massive marketing spectacles, this film arrived as a gentle breeze. Now streaming on ZEE5, it has firmly cemented itself as a beloved, "sofa-friendly" weekend watch — a testament to its enduring, quiet charm.  

Why It Worked: A Love Story Without Sight

At its core, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan is an ambitious adaptation of Ruskin Bond’s cherished short story, The Eyes Have It. The premise is beautifully offbeat: a visually impaired musician, Jahaan, meets Saba, a theatre artist who has blindfolded herself for several weeks as a character study for an upcoming role. They cross paths on a train journey through the Himalayas, forming an emotional bond through voice, touch, and conversation, without revealing their visual realities to one another. What makes the film a genuinely good watch is its serene pacing and poetic atmosphere. It steps away from heavy-handed melodrama to explore the complexities of love, perception, and the little lies we tell ourselves to keep a connection alive. Cinematographer Tanveer Mir played a massive role in this, capturing the misty ridges and slow-moving trains of Mussoorie with a painterly, soft light that makes you want to pack your bags immediately.  

The Cast: Anchored by Nuance

The film’s emotional weight rests securely on the shoulders of its cast:

• Vikrant Massey (Jahaan Bakshi): Massey anchors the story. He delivers a deeply nuanced performance, proving once again his ability to speak volumes in complete silence. He captures the ache of a lonely artist so well that you feel he is hearing secrets the rest of the world simply misses.  

• Shanaya Kapoor (Saba Shergill): Making her acting debut, Kapoor faced a massive challenge but delivered an impressive, heartfelt performance. Her strongest moments are in her quiet listening rather than speaking, bringing a refreshing realism to the screen.  

• Zain Khan Durrani (Abhinav Grover): Durrani shines in a limited but crucial supporting role as the empathetic, ideal boyfriend, adding necessary texture and maturity to the narrative's second half.
  

The Visionaries: Mansi Bagla and Santosh Singh

Behind the camera, director Santosh Singh brought a tender, sensitive eye to the storytelling, balancing the film's light-hearted moments with its more serious undertones.  

Also, the driving force was writer and producer Mansi Bagla (producing alongside Varun Bagla). Bagla saw the cinematic potential in Bond's short story and took on the ambitious task of expanding it into a two-hour and eighteen-minute feature film. Her dedication to the project was profound; she reportedly made significant personal sacrifices — including selling property and jewelry — to help finance the film's ₹35 crore budget. It was her persistent vision that brought this unconventional narrative from a beloved short story to the big screen.  

The Soundtrack: An Emotional Core

A romance in the hills is incomplete without a soulful soundtrack, and composer Vishal Mishra delivered exactly that.

• The Title Track: Performed by Jubin Nautiyal, "Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan" serves as the emotional core of the film, lingering in your head long after the credits roll.  

• "Alvida": The heartbreak anthem of the movie. While somewhat predictable in its placement, it hits hard thanks to its raw, powerful vocals.  

• "Nazara": The first single released, setting the perfect atmospheric tone for the Himalayan journey.  

One year later, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan remains a warm reminder that sometimes the most memorable love stories are the quietest ones.