WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
When worlds collide, it’s an explosive combination, and the ramifications of what comes from it can either build up a resolve to make things work or otherwise threaten to tear down everything that was already constructed, much more so when it comes to matters of the heart. Badrinath “Badri” Bansal (Varun Dhawan) hails from the small town of Jhansi, is part of an affluent family, and trying to find his own identity amidst his father’s (Rituraj Singh) strong-willed rule over his children’s lives. Along with his best friend Somdev (Sahil Vaid), a wanna-be wedding arranger, Badri simply tries to live his existence with as much fun and carefree fervor that he can, even as he sees the structured path his older brother (Yash Sinha) and his arranged marriage to wife Urmila (Shweta Basu Prasad) has unfolded.
However, things get shaken up when Badri meets Vaidehi Trevedi (Alia Bhatt), a young, educated woman from the equally small town of Kota, whose ambitions for a career seem to supplant any notions of settling down in marriage, despite Badri falling for her and pressing the issue. Continuing to clash in ideologies, Vaidehi ultimately teams with Badri and Somdev to have them assist in finding a groom for her older sister Kritika, but during the process, Badri and Vaidehi ultimately come together as well. Yet, when an unexpected circumstance occurs that throws a seriously hurtful wrench into the entire relationship, it not only jeopardizes Badri and Vaidehi’s respective notions of what the future holds, but also who they are both becoming as individuals. Can two people so drastically different truly make it work?
Next, my Mind:
Once again tapping into the sheer force that is producer Karan Johar and Dharma Productions, writer/director Shashank Khaitan delivers this follow-up to 2014’s “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania” and does so with style, ever-growing skill, and a sense of even deeper intent in tackling themes involving the confrontations of traditional vs. contemporary ideals, love vs. career, family vs. independence, and being willing to overcome it all for the sake of finding true happiness in life. Beautifully shot cinematography captivates as it whisks the viewer from cities like Jhansi and Kota to metropolises like Mumbai and Singapore to tell its narrative of two fiery and very stubborn individuals whose battles over what either of them truly wants ultimately brings them to a depth of love and commitment to each other far surpassing any arrangement that would have been made by family or friends. The fantastic song/dance sequences fly on move-your-body inducing beats while the slow, emotive ballads entreat your heart to go into pathos-laden bliss. This is truly Bollywood at some of its best, at least for this reviewer’s experiences to date.
Dhawan, hot off of last year’s comedic action picture “Dishoom” simply charms his way into your heart again in his role of Badri, a man driven by the force of his father’s will, yet totally immersed in his own sense of discovering who he really wants to be and have a future that isn’t entirely pre-arranged or expected of him. The playfulness in which is carries himself in comedic moments (which are plenty here) is tempered by seriously fiery dramatic passion when circumstances get intense, and Dhawan’s performance in both realms of behavior is truly stellar. Then there is the ethereal Bhatt, who just cannot seem to avoid being undeniably cute with an innocently sassy streak a mile wide in playing Vaidehi, a young woman set on her future and satisfied in her singleness who gets hit with a left hook in the form of Badri. Her aversion to his childishly arrogant but confident advances at first only ends up endearing him to her, and the raw emotional ground she treads in dealing with him is so well enacted by Bhatt. She just makes you believe in the character, and Bhatt continues to carry this tradition forward here from her other recent hits.
Wonderful supporting efforts are present as well, including the excellently portrayed character of Somdev by Vaid, who takes the cake for comic relief and making being a serious best friend to Badri very entertaining. Additionally, Singh as Badri’s domineering father, Sinha as his older brother, and Prasad as his bother’s wife Urmila along with others all add key components to the greater narrative in play. In total, “Badrinath Ki Dulhania” is a triumphant, completely engaging spectacle, and proof positive that this reviewer still keeps on enjoying what mainstream Bollywood has to offer. Keep it coming, guys and gals, keep it coming.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
