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Double XL Movie Review: Sonakshi Sinha & Huma Qureshi starrer is largely superficial
Planning to watch Double XL over the weekend in cinema hall? Read Pinkvilla review of this Sonakshi Sinha, Huma Qureshi starrer to clear all your doubts.
Plot
Double XL is about how destiny brings two plus-sized women – Rajshree Trivedi (Huma Qureshi) and Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha) – to rediscover life against all odds. While Rajshree aspires to be a sports commentator, Saira wishes to make a fashion documentary with the aspiration to start her own brand. The two leads are often pulled back by social factors, who prefer to focus on their weight and not their might. At the plot level, Double XL picks up a subject that had the potential to touch upon stereotypical human behavior, but their execution is as superficial as it gets.
What works?
There are three aspects in totality that work for Double XL. The thought is noble, though seldom do noble thoughts translate into fruitful returns. At the idea level, there was a lot on the table for the makers to amp up the drama, but the journey in the 2-hour-plus film is unexplored due to the convenience factor. Sonakshi Sinha’s act touches the right notes, and she proves that the right director can extract the performance from her. Huma Qureshi is decent, though her character goes off the track when trying to touch the high pitch at multiple over-the-top moments.
What doesn’t work?
The main issue with Double XL lies in the fact that the core conflict of the film is not exciting enough to spark interest. Yes, it’s a story of two plus-sized women, but what does the maker intend to do with this aspect? The idea of interlinking the story with the sports commentator and fashion designer element is hollow and the medium to attain the dream is full of convenient moments. There’s little drama, and no challenges – which makes the final achievement of the characters look easy. You don’t feel when the characters rise, but why? Because they never fall in their journey. Zaheer Iqbal made a fine and confident debut with NoteBook, but he seems to be in a different zone in Double XL. The entire Kapil Dev episode is also a letdown. The romantic track doesn’t connect and just pops out of nowhere. The dialogues don't work either.
As mentioned above, Sonakshi Sinha is honest and sincere as Siara Khanna. Her character has some interesting dialogues and a vague sense of redemption too. The performance deserved a better script to be noticed by the audience, as this one won’t be seen by many. Huma Qureshi is decent as Rajshree Trivedi, though, there are some humorous episodes that needed a slightly subtle approach. The over-the-top elements in her character are not impressive. Zaheer Iqbal is a letdown on the part of the line producer, Zoravar. Mahat Raghavendra as Srikanth is funny in the first half, but the same joke around his character is stretched for far too long. Jimmy Shergill is wasted in his cameo, same can be said for Shikhar Dhawan and Kapil Dev, though both of them get a dynamic introduction.
Final Verdict
Double XL misfires on multiple levels – It’s neither dramatic nor entertaining – and ends up being a rather dull affair, which won’t do well at the box office. It's a subject that needed mature treatment, with a fine blend of drama and humor and some depth in the emotions.
ALSO READ: Ram Setu Movie Review: The novel idea of this Akshay Kumar film gets diluted in execution
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