Badhaai Do Movie Review: Bhumi Pednekar and Rajkummar Rao dramedy on lavender marriage struggles

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Seema Pahwa, Sheeba Chadha, Chum Darang, Lovleen Mishra, Nitish Pandey, and Shashi Bhushan

Director: Harshavardhan Kulkarni

Rating: 2.5/5

Based on the concept of lavender marriages, 'Badhaai Do' captures the life of Shardul Thakur (Rajkummar Rao) and Suman "Sumi" Singh (Bhumi Pednekar). Sumi who works as a physical education teacher has been evading her family’s pressure to tie the knot. Police officer Shardul too has been traversing the same journey.

Alos watch | 'Badhaai Do' trailer: Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar get into a 'lavender marriage'

When an incident introduces him to Sumi, he learns that she is a lesbian. To Sumi’s surprise, Shardul also confesses that he is gay. He proposes that they should get married for convenience and continue to lead their life in secret. The dramedy takes shape as the two try to keep their life hidden from family and society. However, one day it falls into a tailspin.

'Badhaai Do' carries on with the formula which has in the past created both critical and box office success for Junglee Pictures. The first half of the film has an adequate dose of comedy while the second half is focused on the subsequent chaos and drama. Writers Akshat Ghildial and Suman Adhikary have managed to pick a socially relevant subject that warrants attention.

Also watch | Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar groove to the title track of 'Badhaai Do'

Though director Harshavardhan Kulkarni and the team took a bold subject, they fell short of pushing the envelope. With a stellar ensemble cast like Seema Pahwa, Sheeba Chadha, Chum Darang, Lovleen Mishra, Nitish Pandey, and Shashi Bhushan, there was never a doubt on the acting arsenal. Each of the actors engages the audience through bursts of moments. Bhumi Pednekar and Rajkummar Rao yet again brilliantly showcase their acting prowess. It is nice to see Rajkummar’s transformation.

But, despite their efforts, the film fizzles out in the attempt to do many things at a time. After the point, one gets a feeling of the subject getting dragged in parts.

Watch the film if you are a fan of dramedy or want to explore the concept of lavender marriages embellished with humour.