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He sells his kidney for his sister's dowry? Or sacrifice his love( lover) for his sister?..
Damn didnât even know about this one until saw Twinkles post, seems like Akshay gave a good one
Raksha Bandhan movie review: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar film though flawed has its heart in the right placeAkshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar's Raksha Bandhan looks at a society - real world, contemporary times - which more often than none treats its women, girls more as objects, assets for transactions - often with disastrous consequences. However, Rai excels in etching out a beautiful story of sibling love amid this problematised context.
Updated Aug 11, 2022 | 05:55 AM IST
At the very onset, letâs be honest dear readers, Akshay Kumar, despite his all-encompassing popularity, has not really clicked at the box office with his last few films. Sooryavanshi may have been a pandemic year success, but films likeBachchhan Pandey (yes with an extra âhâ) and Samrat Prithviraj did less-than-favourable business at ticket windows. So, it is with rightful trepidation that I ventured to endure this 110 minute Aanand L Rai directorial called Raksha Bandhan on the big screen.
And one of the few actors of contemporary times who has no issues with multi-starrers, this Akshay Kumar ensemble, though flawed, has its heart in the right place.
Lala Kedarnath (Akshay Kumar) the only elder brother to 4 sisters runs a chaat shop in old Delhiâs Chandni Chowk that promises pregnant women a son if they partake of the golgappas made by him. Riddled by a promise made him to his mother at her deathbed, Lala keeps his childhood beloved Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar) hanging, waiting to marry off all four of his sisters before tying the knot himself, much to the angst of Sapna's father, tired of waiting to see his only daughter settle down.
Aanand L Rai does not give his audience any breathing space, thrusting them right in the middle of a marriage negotiation, where the worth of a daughter is judged on the amount of dowry the girl's family can give. Our hero, haggles with the prospective groom's father like a deranged chef at the vegetable vendor, trying to decide upon an amount that will see his sister don the bridal lehenga and get on to the doli. However, he fails (someone else offers more) and his quest to finding matches for his sisters continue.
Sounds problematic? That is because it is.
Raksha Bandhan looks at a society - real world, contemporary times - which more often than none treats its women, girls more as objects, assets for transactions - often with disastrous consequences. The subject may be stark, but Rai's treatment turns it into something poetic, at best. That is because within this problematized context, Rai weaves in a story of a brother and his four sisters down to the intricate details of their daily lives, reeling the audience slowly in and getting them so invested into their lives that, as Shakespeare said, âReturning were as tedious as go o'erâ. And thus the labyrinthine bylanes of Chandni Chowk play out the story of an elder brother whose goal in life is almost and Austenian quest of collecting money for dowry and getting his sisters married.
But life does not play out like a Victorian Drawing room novel always, and when his sister Gayatri (Sadia Khadeeb), whom he got married by mortgaging his shop succumbs to her in-lawsâ torture, realisation dawns.
At just two hours in length, brevity perhaps is one of the biggest draws for Akshay Kumarâs film. The makers provide enough twists and turns, including a filial secret revealed, that will keep you engaged to your seat till the end. And even though, preachy in bits, provides enough fodder for some wholesome family entertainment.
Honestly, dear reader, cannot remember the last time, a film made me (and a theatre full of people), laugh and cry in equal portions. Akshay Kumarâs chemistry with his sisters (Sadia Khateeb, Sahejmeen Kaur, Deepika Khanna, and Smrithi Srikanth) translates into something extremely pure on screen, while Bhumi Pednekarâs Sapna manages to hold on to her own amidst an equally intriguing ensemble cast.
Raksha Bandhan works because it is rooted in reality that is effectively etched out onscreen by some simple yet beautiful storytelling and performances. Inspiring and interesting, Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekarâs film is a must watch.
Raksha Bandhan review: Akshay Kumar film moves you to tears with strong message on dowry, entertains with clean humourBollywood
Published on Aug 11, 2022 09:58 AM IST
Raksha Bandhan review: Akshay Kumar's films delivers a strong message on dowry without trivialising the issue while managing to be an entertaining watch.
Raksha Bandhan stars Akshay Kumar as a brother of four girls, tasked with marrying them off.Follow Us
It's not for nothing that people say Akshay Kumarknows and understands the pulse of his audience and accordingly makes films. With his latest release, Raksha Bandhan, Akshay only proves that if a film has its heart in the right place, it will connect with the audiences. This is not the first time the actor has done a film that's relevant and has a strong social message â Raksha Bandhantouches upon the issue of dowry system in India. But it's the way director Aanand L Rai chooses to narrate the story, weaving together the most delicate threads to deliver a strong message, that does the trick. Also read: Akshay Kumar calls dowry âextortionâ ahead of Raksha Bandhan release
Set in the lanes of Chandni Chownk in Old Delhi, the film introduces us to Lala Kedarnath (Akshay), who owns a pushtaini golgappa shop which has been there for three generations now. Pregnant women queue up outside the shop and believe that eating panipuri from Lala's shop will help them deliver a baby boy. Meanwhile, Lala had promised his mother on her deathbed that he'll settle down with a girl only after he has married off his four sisters to suitable boys. And that's the big task at hand for the sisters, as described by matchmaker Shanu (Seema Pahwa), are a mixed variety. While the eldest of the four, Gayatri (Sadia Khateeb) is the ideal and sensible one, Durga (Deepika Khanna) is chubby and on the heavier side, Laxmi (Smrithi Srikanth) has dusky skin that doesn't fit the society's beauty standards, and the youngest, Saraswati (Sahejmeen Kaur) is tomboyish, who has grown up watching films like Ghatak, Ghayal and Ziddi, all starring Sunny Deol. Amid all this chaos, Lala's childhood sweetheart Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar) is desperately waiting to get married to him but only after his sisters are taken care of. How Akshay fulfills his promise and what hardships he faces on the way is the gist of what we see in Raksha Bandhan.
What I loved the most about the film is the beautiful balance it brings in terms of emotions. It's loaded with humour in the first half and there are some genuinely funny and heart-warming scenes including constant nudging from the sisters, teasing their only brother, Sapna's desperate attempts to lure Lala and so on. Cut to post interval, and the emotional arc of characters, as well as the storyline leaves you immersed, and gets you teary-eyed more often you'd expect.
Himanshu Sharma and Kanika Dhillon's story never attempts to overshadow an important subject like dowry in the garb of comedy. There are lighter moments which kind of address the trouble but there are also some extremely hard-hitting dialogue and scenes that are powerful and succeed in sending out a strong message. Groom's family demanding dowry or bride's family giving it concealed as gifts is a problematic arrangement that nobody really talks about. While many think it's a thing that's more prevalent in the rural sectors and the cities have advanced on this front, it's just not the case. In fact, richer the family, there's more exchange (willingly or forcibly) of these gifts. Raksha Bandhan calls out this practice in a very effective and emotional manner. For once, it's good that Bollywood hasn't trivialised an issue to make a point.
Consistency in the narrative is one of the biggest strengths of the film. The storyline rarely loses focus and is well-paced. We're told only that much backstory of these siblings that required to make a connection. Director Aanand L Rai doesn't go overboard taking us back and forth with flashbacks. At 110 minutes, the film is very cleverly edited and doesn't leave any room to look repetitive or boring.
However, the stereotypes attached to some of the characters might not go down well with everyone. The way some scenes normalise body shaming calling Durga 'double decker', skin shame Laxmi calling her 'amavas ki raat' who needs to be 'marinated in uptan', aren't really necressary. In one of the scenes, Shanu whose marriage bureau is called Saubhayashali: Beti aapki, chinta hamari, calls Saraswati 'Chota Shakeel' and says 'isko Sunny Deol se Sunny Leone banana hai'. (Ouch, that's a bit below the belt). Though, the sass with which these sisters reply, 'Big is beautiful' or 'Black is back' shows how girls are ready to hit back at the society that constantly judges.
Akshay is terrific as a doting brother. He is hilarious in the comic scenes and unbelievably vulnerable in the emotional ones. This is perhaps after a long, long time I've seen Akshay cry so much on screen for a film. His charisma, conviction, pain, passion and energy reflect throughout. Bhumi as the helpless lover is convincing and has a pleasant screen presence, though her chemistry this time around with Akshay wasn't quite as good as their previous outings.
The way Raksha Bandhan approaches the brother sister bond is quite unusual. We never really see these sisters open up to the only brother they have yet they have so much they expect from him. Knowing his sisters are the only reason he can't marry anytime soon, Akshay never shows any sense of annoyance or feeling burdened. While all the four girls get ample screen time (maybe not as many lines) to shine and perform â it's the camaraderie between Sadia and Akshay that stands out. Their scenes together are endearing, especially the one when she's getting married and the song that plays.
Raksha Bandhan is a family entertainer that takes the form of social commentary at some places, but not at the cost of losing its main essence of celebrating the sibling bond and its beauty. Watch it with your folks and definitely your partner in crime, your siblings.
Raksha Bandhan
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, Sadia Khateeb, Deepika Khanna, Smrithi Srikanth, Sahejmeen Kaur
Director: Aanand L Rai
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