(Following his unexpected return from a long break, our ultra secular reviewer Gurmeet Shankar Khan has joined the Rightlog.in as our brutally honest film critic, with no room for mediocrity. He landed his very first assignment with the quirky movie Badhaai Ho. Here’s what he observed, as told to our Rightlog columnist, code-named Panditji.)
Panditji:- Pranaam Gurmeet Bhai, wassup?
Gurmeet Bhai (humming to Badhaiyaan Tenu):- Pranaam Panditji! You here? Happy Vijayadashami by the way!
Panditji:- Thanks, but what to do? You had forced our fellow journalist to go into hiding!
Gurmeet Bhai:- Why wouldn’t I? I swear on Wahe Guru, Mahadev and Allah, I was on cloud nine when our founder welcomed me back to Rightlog as a film critic, and your dear friend wanted that I should start with ‘Namaste England’! Am I nuts? Can’t I give one positive review?
Panditji:- So what did you choose?
Gurmeet Bhai:- I chose the other option, ‘Badhaai Ho’, and trust me, I’m really happy to have shelled out those three hundred bucks for the ticket! Total Paisa vasool I must say!
Panditji:- How?
Gurmeet Bhai:- Badhaai Ho is one of the rare films that depicts a sensitive issue like sexual relations post youth in such a beautiful way that you’ll laugh your heart out.
Panditji:- Nice to hear that, but what is the plot?
Gurmeet Bhai:- Take it easy Panditji, basically, it’s the tale of how Jitendra Kaushik, a middle class railway official, is in a dilemma, when his wife Priyamvada (Neena Gupta) gets pregnant again, after having two full grown children, including their 25 plus son Nakul (Ayushmann Khurrana). How the entire family deals with the’unexpected guest’, and how Nakul faces the societal pressure, apart from handling his relationship with Renee (Sanya Malhotra) is the crux of the movie.
Panditji:- Impressive. What worked for this movie?
Gurmeet Bhai:- Worked? The very first thing that surprised me was how much has the director improved. I couldn’t believe this was the same director who had filmed the obnoxious ‘Tevar’. Hats off to Shri Amit Ravindernath Sharma for such a remarkable improvement. The story was crisp, the dialogues kept you on the edge of the seat, and also, the essence of the vibrant city that Delhi was beautifully captured in this movie. Badhaai Ho was literally just what the doctor ordered for the Bollywood.
Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao, please take a bow for your stupendous performance. You guys literally rocked as the quirky couple Jitendra and Priyamvada. Also, I loved the way Shardul Rana captured the tang of Meerut dialect in his role as the younger son Gullar. While Sanya Malhotra’s role as the modern progressive girl Renee could’ve been a bit overboard, her skillful acting didn’t let that happen.
Panditji, even you know how much I hate over the top romance. But for once, even I couldn’t help but giggle and smile at the romantic overtures of the Kaushik couple. A special shout out to Surekha Sikri, who has played the quintessential dadi in this movie. Not everyone has the ability to pull off such a vivacious as well as hilarious role the way this lady has done.
Also, I’m curious to know if the Filmfare Awards has some extra slots for Ayushmann Khurrana. That chap literally killed it in this movie.
Panditji:- Is that so?
Gurmeet Bhai:- Of course I do. First AndhaDhun, and now Badhaai Ho. If this man (Ayushmann Khurrana) continues choosing sensible scripts, my dream of a logical Bollywood could soon become a reality. I literally rolled on the floor laughing when the situation of ‘Log Kya Kahenge’ was reversed and followed by Ayushmann almost throughout the movie.
Finally I found the movie that won’t send me to coma!
Panditji:- Was there anything bad in this movie?
Gurmeet Bhai:- Not much, except that the movie could’ve been a little shorter. Otherwise, ‘Badhaai Ho’ would be a near perfect masterpiece. No one should miss it. If my ratings have some salt, Badhaai Ho is definitely worth watching in the best class available! You won’t regret it, trust me!
Panditji:- Fantastic. I’m sure viewers would love this film. Will you continue enlightening us like this?
Gurmeet Bhai:- Do you need to even ask that? If Wahe Guru and Mahadev continue giving me strength, I shall continue roasting Bollywood badly until they come on track with content oriented cinema. Just on one condition.
Panditji [With a glint] :- What would that be?
Gurmeet Bhai:- Banarasi ki chai pilao be!
