Badhaai Do - Bollywood love stories come of age

 BADHAAI DO - A Beautiful Film with an Important Message 




Near the end of Badhaai Do, during a stirring monologue where he comes out to his family, Rajkumar  Rao explains to his family how homosexuality is natural, a voice that comes from within, and not a choice that you make. This dialogue beautifully encapsulates the nature of this film.

Therein lies the beauty of Badhaai Do. The movie, directed by Harshvardhan Kulkarni, is a winner because of how real it is. The script is not written to be overly preachy or set unrealistic expectations of acceptance. The relationships are portrayed as very organic and nuanced, with layers that till now on screen have been reserved only for the portrayal of heterosexual relationships. It is a cocktail of an adequate amount of genuinely funny humour, mixed with emotional, heart-wrenching scenes, which take you on a ride with the characters. The direction and lighting are spot on, with the use of subtle camera angles at times and wide-ranging shots filled with multitudes of colour at others. Interestingly, the film credits Prateek Vats and Kirti Nakhwa as Co-directors, a term not seen very frequently in Bollywood. It will be interesting to see if this is a one-off instance or is a new trend emerging in Bollywood. 

The acting in the movie is top notch. Rajkummar Rao (Shardul Thakur) is in flying form and delivers a show-stopping performance complete with layers of emotions and tones, provided with an exclamation mark by his wonderful monologue at the end. He is very ably matched by Bhumi Pednekar (Sumi) who brings vulnerability yet strength to her character. She grips you very early on in the movie and takes you on her journey with her. Their camaraderie and chemistry is evident and they display the intricacies of a lavender marriage with subtlety and care. Apart from the two stars, debutant Chum Darang delivers a solid performance as Bhumi's love interest. Similarly, Sheeba Chaddha, playing Shardul's shirker mother, gives a masterclass in acting, putting her message across through her body language and actions, rather than only through her words. The rest of the cast ably hold up the film and never let it seem as though it is slacking. 

The soundtrack of the film adds to the entire vibe. It does not seem as though any of the songs are force fit or carry on for any longer than necessary, with the lyrics giving an insight into the characters mental state or situation in life. 'Hum rang hain' and 'Maange Manzooriyan' are my personal favourites and have already been added to my playlist. The background score is understated and doesn't overpower the dialogue delivery. 

In conclusion, Badhaai Do is a very necessary movie and one that does its job beautifully. It takes the next step from films like 'Ek ladki ko dekha toh aisa laga' and 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan', by grounding homosexual relationships in reality and giving them the same treatment as heterosexual relationships. The normalisation of homosexual relationships is extremely important in a society like India's and more films like this are the need of the hour. My only issue with the film was that it could potentially have been made slightly shorter and crisper, however, it is one I would highly recommend. 

- Ahaan Gupta

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