Badhaai Do not just normalises, but also takes a step forward by giving a peep into the life of those ‘different’

Mona  

Lavender marriages, you may not have heard the term but might have come across such couples! Differently oriented, hiding their reality, giving the semblance of ‘normal’ life for the happiness and peace of the family. Cop Shardul Thakur is delaying his wedding, making excuses, but for the happiness of kuldeepak, his family that didn’t consider out of caste marriage for their daughter, agrees to have a daughter-in-law from a different religion. Little do they know that their son has other plans! 

In Dehradun, where Shardul is posted, he meets Suman Singh, 31, same caste, but, most importantly, she is not interested in boys. She comes with her own cover story to put off the marriage. But as both cross 31 and the  increasing pressure to settle down, they decide to get married. More of roommates, than a married couple, they go through their own trials and tribulations in pursuing love. Relationships are hard even for those ‘straight’; couple it with being not considered ‘normal’, and the compulsion to keep it a secret.

Trouble brews as Shardul’s mum (Sheeba Chaddha) comes to stay with the married couple to see what’s stopping them from having a child. The three a sharing small house, with an overindulgent taiji remote controlling from Haldwani via phone, there are twists, turns and tensions brewing up. It’s duly peppered with moments of love and laughter. The child issue is resolved with the family agreeing for ‘adoption’, and that our ‘Sumi’ wants to experience motherhood, and the story moves ahead. But with a chance happening, secrets tumble out. What would the couple, who finally had found a true friend in each other, do? 

Trust Rajkummar Rao to be the character he takes on. He becomes the ‘homo cop’ Shardul, the boy who dreamt of being Mr India but circumstances make him take the cop’s job, where he is more scared of being caught than fighting for justice. ‘Yahan koi bus ki seat nahi chodta, sarkari naukri kaise chodta’, shares a drunk Shardul.  

Bhumi Pednekar plays a PT teacher who wants to spread her wings. Her character is strong and spunky; she enacts that with élan. Together they make for a lovable couple. Chum Darang, as Rimjhim, wins hearts in her debut. It’s refreshing to see an actor from North-East who is not stereotyped. Gulshan Devaiah, as a gay advocate who is comfortable in his skin, is endearing. 

What makes Badhaai Do stands out is that each character adds beautifully to the drama—a  jijaji who can’t keep secrets, a taiji  taking the family forward, a widowed mother too simple to be a strict saas. 

The peppy title track is fun, Hum Thay Seedhe Saadhe, Atak Gaya! Other romantic tracks take the story forward. One enjoys the natural beauty of Dehradun, which makes it a dreamy seat for a love story. Cops swooping up on lovers in the park, the Pride parade over the flyover, one sees the glimpses of the city, still why Dehradun of all places, one wonders? 

Also, watching a film in the theatre offers a different experience. No more is one used to ‘just’ viewing the film. With OTT being the new normal, multitasking is a given! And seeing Badhaai Do in an almost empty theatre, one finds it slow and stretched.  In 2022, one’s sexual orientation is no more a taboo. But this Harshavardhan Kulkarni-directorial takes a step ahead. Now that we know the world is full of ‘different’ kinds, how challenging it is not to fit into the societal frames? How about their dreams and aspirations, and how do they realise it? If not more, those on the edge feel more sympathetically for the differently oriented by the end of it. 

Watch this film for it raises a pertinent question, sensitises the viewer and offers a calm, soothing outing in the hills; isn’t cinema about transporting one to a different world?

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