Badhaai Do is directed by Harshvardhan Kulkarni and written by him along with Suman Adhikary and Akshat Ghildial. The film stars Rajkummar Rao as Shardul Thakur, Bhumi Pednekar as Suman/Sumi Singh, Chum Darang as Jhilmil, Sheeba Chaddha as Shardul’s mother, and many others. The cinematography is by Swapnil Sonawane, and the music is by Amit Trivedi, Tanishk Bagchi, Ankit Tiwari and Khamosh Shah. It is produced by Junglee Pictures.
The IMDb synopsis reads, “Shardul Thakur and Suman Singh enter into a marriage of convenience but chaos ensues when her girlfriend comes to stay with them.”
Badhaai Do Review Contains No Spoilers
In Harshvardhan Kulkarni’s Badhaai Do, Shardul Thakur is a cop stationed at ‘Mahila Police Thana’. Shardul is a gym freak, doesn’t want to miss out on a single ab and a dedicated police officer. His family back home is planning his wedding. Like every Indian family, his family members are desperate to see their boy “settle”. Suman, a Physical Education teacher, is a disappointment to her mother. Her mother doesn’t like her job, her dressing sense and wants her daughter to get married ASAP!
As seen in the trailer, both Shardul and Sumi carry a big secret about being gay and lesbian. When the two cross paths, something happens where their secrets are out to each other. Shardul and Sumi decide to get married to escape their family’s pressure and decide to stay as roommates. The two stay far away from their families, so the chances of not getting caught are high. But life brings in many surprises in their lives. For how long one can stay in a pretend marriage? Will they ever come out of the closet? How will their families react? Will they get their happy ending?
When the Badhaai Do trailer was released, I felt that the makers had shown a lot in it. But to my surprise, the film has so much depth, and the characters have so much to say. Society has such expectations from people that they start living a lie. Shardul and Sumi also leave behind their dreams and pretend to be something else. The LGBTQA community is not treated with respect in our country and anywhere in the world. So many decide just to live a dual life that can get exhausting.
Shardul Thakur is quite a “macho” police officer on the surface. But as the story progresses, we learn he’s more than a tough cop. He had dreams and refuses to express his emotions like a normal person. Shardul lives in society’s fear and acts quite manly. Ironically, a cop fears the same society he protects others from. At times, Rajkummar’s character makes sexist comments towards Sumi to show others that he is the “man”. It shows how deeply the patriarchy is rooted in the minds of every man.
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Just like Shardul, Sumi had beautiful dreams. She wants to live a normal life with something the society refuses to give the LGBTQA community. While she keeps her secret from the family, Sumi is fierce enough to take a stand for herself when someone treats her with disrespect. She isn’t shown the “bechari” girl who needs to be saved. Sumi knows how to save herself and walk away from a place that doesn’t respect her.
All Shardul and Sumi want is love and live freely with their truth. Their yearning for acceptance is no more as they understand that they will never be accepted as normal. While I admire how deeply Kulkarni immerses us in each character’s life, the segments can sometimes become tedious. If the film didn’t have a lot of humour, the audience would be restless and waiting for the plot to pick up.
Harshvardhan Kulkarni’s approach to show the struggles and life of the LGBTQA community are sensitive, respectful and heartfelt. Along with the LGBTQA issues, he casually calls out society’s sexism and double standards. The romantic scenes are captured in a very mesmerising manner. The performance, music and camerawork during these moments are noteworthy. You are immersed in the love story of the certain characters you see on screen.
Rajkummar Rao has given a fantastic performance as cop Shardul Thakur. Shardul has many layers, and Rajkummar balances them with such ease. His comedic timing is amazing, and when Shardul gets emotional, you feel the emotions through the screen. The same goes for Bhumi Pednekar, who is remarkable and very likeable as Sumi. Kulkarni has used the actor to her fullest potential, and this can be touted as one of her best performances. Other actors who leave a great impression are Sheeba Chaddha, Chum Darang, Seema Pahwa and Loveleen Mishra.
Badhaai Do Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, Badhaai Do provides great entertainment and awareness on how society doesn’t accept love of all kinds. It’s a very lengthy affair, and the plot doesn’t move ahead several times. But some moments will touch you and make you smile.
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