Badrinath Ki Dulhania - Reviews & BO Thread: Celebrating 100cr+ - Page 5

Director - Shashank Khaitan

Starring - Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan

Rating - 3 out of 5

Hindi cinema loves weddings. And Alia Bhatt has been in three of them, actually four, if you also want to count Two States. Set in the towns of Kota and Jhansi (the city is chosen with good reason known for the fierce Rani of Jhansi), Badrinath ki Dulhaniya (BKD), as it entertains, does address a very pertinent issue of patriarchy and the practice of dowry. Heard it before in Daaawat-e-Ishq where the bride turns to conning grooms for money? Here the same issue by director Shashank Khaitan is dealt with greater finesse.

As most filmmakers will tell you, to show a progressive society, you do depict a regressive one. Badrinath Bansal's patriarchal father played by Rituraj believes that boys are assets and girls are liabilities and need to be relegated to domestic roles only. Before we scoff out a clichd reaction, let's understand that despite the welcome change, there are families in India that are totally male-dominated and have assigned roles for women - solely as caretakers and homemakers. And all that is a ready ground to prove that the female protagonist is none of the above. She is Kranti and not Shanti as one dialogue of the film states. Alia has played this kraanti-kaari role before in Two States where she addresses the issue of dowry. Only here, she embodies it and rallies against it by living a life she chooses.

Vaidehi (Alia's character) is a fiery lass from Kota, who has been cheated in love and now only has eyes towards her career. Varun in his most endearing role to date, charms as Badrinath Bansal, who assists his father in recovering money from debtors. The rustic Badri falls in love with Vaidehi and woos her with song and dance and more. Some of Hindi cinema's most memorable scenes by male protagonists have been drunken scenes. Varun in one such heart-broken scene at the beach steals your heart. But my favourite scene in the film is when he buys a kamino' (kimono) for Vaidehi and straps on her seat-belt' - the sheer guilelessness of the character is what makes you go awww!

The lyrics fit the film really well. "Tune English mai humko daanta toh aashiq surrender ho gaya" depicts the protagonist's inability to master the language. His macho character in the film is no match for Alia's witty interludes and he even breaks down. And you realise that it is not every day you see the male protagonist cry on his friend's shoulder saying, "Ab rona aa rahi hai toh kya karen?"

The film has various small pointers to characters - the giant chess-board outside Badri's house that is dominated by his father, Alia answering claustrophobia' to a question posed to her and later explaining it as ghutan or being stifled into roles expected of her.

The film has ample room for humour - the JMD (Jai Mata Di) song for instance or bus conversations between Alia and Varun, where she asks him full forms of IIT, ABS and the difference between simple and compound interest. Some humour is subtle as well such as the scene when the two fathers, played by Swanand Kirkire and Rituraj, meet each other and one compliments the other's oxygen cylinder. The fight between Badri and his friend Somdev is endearing too - the film is nuanced with these instances and well-chosen moments.

Badrinath... stretches post interval and the much-awaited Tamma Tamma Loge song appears towards the end. The groom-choosing scene didn't work for me - it was too flighty in a set-up that was real. The film twists towards the end when Badri's character changes from being totally patriarchal to understanding the challenges of women and then, accosting his father. It ends as being idealistic but takes forward the cause it espouses. Varun is endearing and earnest and shines in the role matching it with Alia's luminous presence and histrionics.

Succinctly put, it is a Varun Dhawan film and adds to his repertoire of memorable roles.

^^ Yes..yes..cant wait 👍🏼 so far so good 😆

Movie Review : Badrinath Ki Dulhania is a cocktail of varied emotions

A bride who's a flight-risk, a groom who's struck by the love bug and families that are comically patriarchal and dowry-happy: welcome to the chaotic world of Badrinath Ki Dulhania.

Director Shashank Khaitan has displayed impeccable taste in casting in this romantic comedy as he hoists the well-adjusted young actors Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan onto the proverbial horse and hands them the reins. The pair is sparkling as the goofy Badri and the strong-willed Vaidehi. Badri, who belongs to a rich family from Jhansi, falls madly in love with Vaidehi after he meets her at a wedding, but she isn't interested. She doesn't beat around the bush and turns his proposal down.

Watch: #Review of #Bollywood film Badrinath Ki Dulhania starring Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhattby Manjusha Radhakrishnan, senior reporter ofGulf News tabloid

While Dhawan's persistent courtship may be considered stalking in some parts of the world, in the universe of Hindi romantic films it's considered the norm and given romantic tones.

Badri won't take her no' for an answer and doesn't let the relentless rejection get to him.

But credit has to be given to Dhawan for making his stalker-like behaviour endearing. He can dance, sing, cry and make people laugh and has enough screen presence to make it all convincing.

His object of fascination and desire isn't ready for marriage and wants to pursue a job as an air hostess. Bhatt, like Dhawan, has charisma enough to pull off a role of a pro-choice champion.

The timing of this romantic comedy is also apt. A day after we observed International Women's Day, we have a heroine who isn't shy of exercising her right to choose " be it about life or her life partner.

Even morose subjects such as the dowry system, rampant in India, is treated with a deft hand by the director. Without ever turning didactic or intense, Khaitan does a neat job of taking a grim subject and treating it with a light hand. Some of the conversations around taking and giving money to the groom by the bride's family is dealt with in an adult manner.

The first half of the film moves at a brisk pace, while the second half gets bogged down by an overly long stretch about Vaidehi's profession as an air hostess. We are given a crash course on what it takes to be a flight attendant and it isn't always riveting.

However, it's the chemistry between the lead pair is what keeps you hooked to this romance.

While the comical twists put a smile on your face, a stray joke about homosexuals was unwarranted and grating.

But just like a big fat Indian wedding, there's a bit of colour, dance, music and loads of drama thrown into Badrinath Ki Dulhania. Take the plunge with Dhawan and Bhatt. Their combined acting skills and comic timing will make it an enjoyable affair.

Language: Hindi

Run time: 150 minutes

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Rating: PG13

Cast: Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan

Gulf News rating: 3 out of 5.