While the central premise in and of itself is funny, there is little else that Badhaai Ho could have offered from a plot perspective. However, the way the movie is packaged and presented, coupled with wonderful performances from the entire cast (especially the older folks), elevate what would've been an ordinary movie to a celebration that stays with you long after its final moments.
You may be familiar with the central premise after watching (or at least hearing about) the movie's trailer. What you won't get from that though, is the extent to which that premise is milked at various points in the movie - each time bringing laughs and at no point outstaying their welcome. That and the most apt use of background score to convey its more comic moments, Badhaai Ho holds your interest through the movie and never feels forced or stretched. Never taking itself too seriously, the movie slowly makes its way into your heart and firmly rests there.
You constantly get the feeling that post this the movie will run out of content, but surprisingly it makes enough for its 2 hour runtime to feel a breeze and also give that warm, fuzzy feeling - most movies can only hope for. To add to the joy, there are virtually no songs and while the 'badhaaiyan bibi tenu' strain plays off in the background every now and then, its just that line and there isn't a pause in proceedings.
There are moments in this movie that lift it to new levels - the wonderful bond of eternal love between a husband and wife even after they are technically now labelled as parents, Indian family values that every kid should aspire for and also the very Indian family squabbles and chatter that I am sure most would relate to. There are other subtle moments that happen in the background or in conversations - again portraying a message but not quite spelling it out.
If the presentation is good, its starcast is what lifts the movie further. Its real leads are not Ayushmann Khurana and Sanya Malhotra but rather the older pair of Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta. In fact, the movie's best moments are the (often subtle) exchanges between these two. So much so, that when the movie focuses on the younger love story it seems forced and even out-of-place. Neena Gupta in particular is in vintage touch as she perfectly pulls of a restrained yet impactful performance. She owns every scene she is in and is a delight to watch. Equally restrained, yet no less endearing is Gajraj Rao with his quiet mannerisms. Ayushmann too is going only from strength to strength and puts in another convincing performance with Badhai ho - not trying to steal the show but playing the perfect foil to the older couple. A surprise package is Surekha Sikri as the Dadi of the household, who has many more lines than you would typically expect and is explosive, playing the typical grumbling elder in the house, who is blunt to the hilt.
When I saw its trailers, Badhaai Ho was not a movie that I was all that enthusiastic about. It seemed too wound around its central premise and it seemed like all its funny moments were captured in the trailer itself. As it stands though, Badhaai Ho is a sweet bundle of joy that I am more than happy to announce the arrival of. Go catch its delivery in the theaters.
Your positive review makes it on my must watch list.
ReplyDelete