Badhaai Ho

Humor has the key to unlock difficult social situations. Badhaai Ho takes up an unusual circumstance of a central Delhi family and sings their story in funny jokes and one liners. The underlying prejudice and patriarchal stubbornness are dealt with light and quirky jokes.

All people everywhere and more so in India live life by a code created by society. A boy must behave a certain way, do certain things, do a certain kind of job, fulfill certain responsibilities at certain age and then die. This stereotype mold is more rigid and strict for women. Any slight deviation from this set pattern will attract the scorn. mockery, gossip and ridicule from the extended family and society. We as a nation are fanatic about ‘log kya kahenge’ and keeping up with the rules, terms and conditions set up by the society. In that obsession we give up our love for our parents, family and friends. And then when you are bang in the middle of Delhi where most of the life is invested in making a great impression in front of the unforgiving ‘samaj’; things get tough. The clothes one wears, gaddiyaan kitni hai – ek tho hona hi hai, beta kitna kamata hai, beti ki shaadi kyun nahi hui etc etc.; are all indicative of your status in the samaj. It is like a pressure test on every social function under the minor scrutiny of the ubiquitous samaj.

Badhaii Ho soaks all that up and delivers a deviation from the norm in two hours of entertainment. But when love for the family takes over then nothing matters. The lead kinda takes charge and transforms lives of his family. It would be unfair to say that Ayushman Khurana plays the typical Delhi Jat boy in most of his films. On the flip side, I don’t think anyone else can do it so well. He is the best when it comes to that particular character and he has proved it many times. In an emotional second half Surekha Sikri delivers goods that one does not see coming. The proverbial saas turns the tables to shut everyone up. The chic Sanya Malhotra plays South Delhi girl minus the show off. She has a unique quality about her on the screen that stands out as original. Though the plot of the story is humorous, the extra dose of emotions in the second half was necessary to tie open threads. A nice watch.

Rating – 3.5 / 5

Tumbbad

Some films have a strong story. Others have a powerful narrative. Then there are films which work because of the star cast. But there are very few films where the cinematography and art direction are the champions. Tumbadd is a brilliant example of this genre of films. The dialogue is minimal and the story happens in the cinematography and engrossing visuals. Each frame has been meticulously designed to add to the theme. The artistic sets and costumes will delight your vision.The whole film has an eerie and cold feel to it. A story based on ancient folklore to produce an allegory; is a welcome change after being bombarded with realistic and desi cinema. Even though it is not a horror film the prophecy and mythology are captivating and entertaining. The whole film resonates with the age-old fable of the hen that laid golden eggs. We all know what happened to that story. A great experience is revealed in a hidden treasure and the quest of a man to acquire it. Consumed by greed and lust everything is lost and a moral is born.

Not loud, not pompous with just enough characters,  the narrative is dense, subtle and extremely artistic. The director gets us completely involved in the story by creating a suspense in every scene. As an audience you will eagerly wait for the next scene. Each scene has an interesting camera angle that gives movie buffs something different to savor. The background scores and the sets have never communicated like this before. The camera work, production and VFX teams have created some extraordinary work on film that should probably be reminisced as an inspiring kind of film making.

 Its like having exotic rural delicacies after having tasted junk food for ages. The taste not only mesmerizes you but wakes you up to a new experience. You savor the dish and enjoy the moment.  The actors’ expressions and movements speak to you. The minimal dialogues convey maximum meaning. Kudos to director Rahi Anil Barve and creative director Anand Gandhi. Sohum Shah keeps up with the creative director’s vision and gives a contained and wholesome performance as a lead. This is a film that HAS to be watched in the theatre. You won’t enjoy it when it is aired on TV after a month.  

Rating – 4 / 5