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Badhaai Ho Movie review: Ayushmann Khurrana's film is a circus, ticket to which you don’t want to miss out on
Badhaai Ho starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta manages to ruffle many emotions in us while keeping it engaging and progressive. It is definitely a circus, ticket to which you don’t want to miss out on. Read on.
Badhaai Ho
Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta, Garaj Rao
Rating: 3.5 /5
Imagine sharing a drink with your parents in a middle-class family set up. A-w-k-w-a-r-d. Yes, that's exactly what makes the first half of Badhaai Ho, which stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao in pivotal roles, only the more awkward the situations got, the more laughter it erupted. Kaushiks are a typical lower middle class family set in Delhi where there is a mother-in-law [played by Surekha Sikri) who doesn't leave an opportunity to taunt her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Priyamvada Kaushik (played by Neena Gupta). The banter between the two is made apparent in the first five minutes where ironically the ladies in the colony assimilate to conduct Hanuman aarti (the Brahmachari God). Ayushmann Khurrana plays Nakul Kaushik, the elder son of the couple, in his mid-twenties, who doesn't know how to handle female attention. Yes, he is that 'shy' guy who heaps about his 'mardangi' to his friends. Typical Delhi boy, yes! (Pardon me for generalising)
But one fine night, a thundering sound in the background tells us that a storm is awaited only this time in the form of a "good news." As the couple gets cozy, the camera pans toward the windows where it is raining cats and dogs, a new way to show us consummation, after flowers. What follows next is a circus, with the dilemma the couple feels to break this news to the family. It is a laughter ride throughout the first half where both the sons find it difficult to accept this "good news" and abandon their parents. There is a scene where Ayushmann tries to hide himself from his notorious friends and his girlfriend, Renee (played by Sanya Malhotra) to avoid any conversation on this. A natural reaction portrayed very well by Khurrana.
The dilemme and the aftermath of the decision to go ahead with pregnancy was beautifully handled. Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao have performed exceptionally well throughout. The tension, the emotion, the naughtiness and the warmth they show as Mr and Mrs Kaushik will make you smile and laugh at the same time. Mind you, they are embarrassed but not ashamed of being in love and having a baby. The scene where they secretly gush about keeping the chemistry alive is too cute. While the first half concentrates more on the revelation and the society’s tauntful reaction to it, the second half is a more matured take, riding high on emotions.
Ayushmann in an inebraited state realises what Renee meant when she explained him how age and romance are not correlated. Funnily, a reference to Anup Jalota is made and the irony of it cannot be missed. There is also a scene where Nakul comes and hugs his mother post realisation while she being the mother is more worried if he has eaten anything. Typical mother! Thereon, it is a journey of embracing and prepping themselves to welcome the new member in the family.
Director Amit Ravindernath Sharma has kept the pace smooth while keeping the screenplay engaging. The dialogues are kept colloquial and the dialect has been kept in mind considering the movie is set in a small town. However, I did feel that the romance and later misunderstanding between Nakul and Renee was unnecessary and could have been avoided. Special mention to Surekha Sikri who is a riot to watch. Her situational comedy is on point and we wish to see her more on the big screens.
Ayushmann portrays the various layers in Nakul flamboyantly. He is here for a hatrick and we only want to see him more and more. On the other hand, Sanya had very little to do in the movie except for being the love interest. Except for the scene where she indulges Nakul to think of this situation with an open mind, there is hardly any layers to Renee. On the other hand, Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao are the real stars, the heroes of the movie.
Badhaai Ho manages to ruffle many emotions in us while keeping it engaging and progressive. It is definitely a circus, ticket to which you don’t want to miss out on.
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