WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
To follow one’s convictions can bring both success and turmoil. For while we might believe strongly in something, others around us may not share the opinion, leading to potential conflict and controversy. Then, the question shall always remain–do you stand firm, or be subdued by the forces weighing against you? For Sterling Online fashion reporter Shania Dhaliwal (Nargis Fakhri), it will be her own personal ideologies put to the test when the publication’s editor-in-chief Claudia (Candy Clark) announces retirement and seeks her new replacement, most likely between Shania and her fellow reporter Alexa (Mariana Paola Vicente). Initially presenting uninspired ideas, Claudia suggests Shania do a piece on five wedding ceremonies and their varying facets–in India.
Feeling somewhat goaded into the decision, much less feeling an additional push from her American mother Mandy (Bo Derek) to deliver an unexpected package while overseas, Shania reluctantly proceeds to the country she actually knows, or cares, little about. Meeting up with a required, and undeniably unfulfilled, “liaison officer”, Harbhajan Singh (Rajkummar Rao) in Delhi, Shania proceeds on her Punjab adventure, all the while lamenting the journey initially, much to the sarcasm-laced annoyance of Harb, who starts falling for her along the way. But, when Shania’s story takes a side turn upon interacting with a local group of hijras, it becomes a point of contention for Harb, pressured by his boss SSP Avtar Singh Gill (Suvinder Vicky) to squelch her coverage of the taboo subject, and possibly lose all the work and understanding he, and she, have gained.
Next, my Mind:
A charming, emotional, romantically-charged exploration of love, loss, journalistic integrity, and overcoming the pains of the past while facing the newfound challenges of the modern world, this whimsically refreshing dramedy effort from writer/director/producer Namrata Singh Gujral wears it’s thematic elements unwaveringly on its sleeve, so much so that certain countries (ie: Kuwait & Qatar) have banned the project while India’s censor board caused these “highly controversial” transgender dimensions of the narrative to be diffused in order to pass muster, which having seen what’s portrayed, is actually quite an injustice to the greater whole presented. The story is ultimately centered on one woman’s personal experiences in seeing how a jaded view of India and its myriad of cultural complications (actual or moreso self-created) might interfere with her ability to reconnect with a long-estranged father, find the same forgiveness towards him that her American mother has managed to adopt, and seek out the story of five Indian weddings and their ceremony’s individual significances, all while also battling her own inward brokenness and attitudes towards love and marriage. It’s these components that make the building tension/connection between Harb and Shania beautifully heartfelt to watch and totally entertaining to boot. Plus, just seeing the definitive beauty, and challenges, of the five ceremonies depicted–Mehndi, Sangeet, Chunni, Anand Karaj, and Reception–adds such a uniqueness to the film’s execution and, frankly, educational leanings associated with India’s societal heritage.
Now, the included sidebar that takes Shania into the world of a group of local hijras creates an unanticipated discovery of hatred and intolerance that thrives within the Indian community towards them, catching her interest and bringing about a much more human interest/societal angle to her story, especially given the direct encounters with hijras at the weddings she attends and witnessing how they’re shunned, causing her to befriend one in particular and drawing the equally abrupt disapproval from Harb, his boss, and others who haven’t yet truly looked at the hijras for the people they are, but rather as pests at minimum, aberrations at the extreme. Personally, in how all of this weaves into the larger narrative, this reviewer sees absolutely no reasoning for such an overt fuss to be made over it, even if you don’t happen to agree in general with the transgender lifestyle. This is a film’s director exercising her coveted freedom to traverse this topic in a way that isn’t overtly “preachy” or meant to incite anything but at least the much needed awareness that malice and violence, mental or physical, towards any human being shouldn’t become “the norm”, regardless of what country, beliefs, or lifestyles are being portrayed, and has chosen to let the film at least be a platform to communicate this to a certain extent. Plus, it’s a MOVIE. Yes, a medium for social statements, but more than ever for enjoyment, escape, and fun, which much of Indian cinema is very adept at.
Fakhri brings her sublime beauty and acting brawn to wonderful life and affecting impact in the role of Shania, a driven, successful, and perhaps a little over-Americanized woman who apparently carries a certain reputation amongst her peers, even if unintentionally so. Letting such notions roll off her, even if somewhat true, the opportunity to advance at Sterling Online leads Shania into the uncharted waters of getting to gain firsthand account of her father’s country, much to initial hesitations. Once she arrives in India, the reactions she has are quite humorous, made even more obviously, but intentionally, overblown when interacting with Harb, who can barely stand her at first. But, as Shania immerses herself more and more into the culture via the five weddings she covers, in addition to the transgender factors and searching for her father, it becomes life’s (and love’s) potent wake-up call, opening up whole aspects of her existence she had shut out or completely down, which makes the transformation as a person she takes on that much more grounded and believable, as is the determined measures by which she fights for everything she’s absorbed. It’s a perfectly enacted metamorphosis wrapped in both comical and dramatic form, and Fakhri plays it all with her usual poise and style.
Rao maintains his consistently present wit, charisma, and ever-solid character acting prowess in his role as Harb, a good man and intelligent cop whose father’s legacy has overshadowed him and caused him to end up being far less than he is actually capable of. Desiring to better himself, Harb’s boss then assigns him to be an involuntary “watchdog” over Shania, a visiting American journalist who could potentially cause issues if straying outside the parameters she’s been given permission to follow. Absolutely aggravated with Shania’s concepts of India and how far off they are, Harb struggles to keep his dwindling patience in check while at the same time realizing he’s slowly beginning to fall in love with her. Yet, as he sees her begin to take on the transgender side of the wedding coverage she’s supposed to stick with, it becomes the internal conflict Harb must face in having to choose duty or his feelings, all of which come into play during the film’s final act and that also lead to him being much more willing to follow his own heart rather than just the law, naturally arriving to this point, and Rao capitalizes on presenting these dynamics with his usual impactful presence and skill. What’s a slight shame is that supposedly Rao is not publicly supporting the film, which is very unfortunate and disappointing if so.
Primary supporting roles are aplenty, arriving from Clark as Shania’s boss Claudia who strives to bring out the best in her potential replacement, even if it means sending her across the sea and way out of her comfort zone, Vicente as Shania’s main competition Alexa, whom may or may not be trying to undermine her colleague’s efforts, Anneliese van der Pol as Shania’s friend and reporter Whitney, who unequivocally supports her in both work and in search of love, Dawn Richard as another reporter at Sterling named Lydia, who also could have a stake in who becomes the new editor-in-chief, Ravi Aneja as Harb’s fellow cop and Shania’s de facto driver Donald, a totally hilarious man who dreams of America and all its glories he pictures awaiting him there, Vicky as Harb’s by-the-book boss SSP Avtar Singh Gill who has an interesting change of heart as his dealing with Shania’s presence carries forward, Saru Maini as wedding singer and bride-to-be Bhavna, who ends up in quite the pickle at first thanks to Shania’s unfolding wedding coverage, Derek as Shania’s American mother Mandy, who has found the peace and forgiveness towards her former husband and desires her beloved daughter to embrace the same, Robert Palmer Watkins as Shania’s casual boy toy Mark, Rupak Ginn as Shania’s lost father Rajinder, who still plays a moving, integral role throughout her experiences in India and in memory, and Abhimanue as Bhavna’s true beau Salman.
Additional appearances are also present from actresses as brides, including Shiwani Saini as Devika and Diljott as Harleen, as well as characters enacted by Darshan Aulakh, Bagga Cheema, Neil Singh, Isabella Jem, Pooja Gujral, and many others. In total, with its lush visuals highlighting the beauty of India’s weddings, the culture clash dichotomies, portraits of tradition vs. the heart, engaging writing, affecting premise that delivers laughs, cries, and awareness, plus an all-embracing viewpoint, “5 Weddings” is a film that’s more than worthy of attention if you wish total entertainment with just the right amount of humanity thrown in to remind us about how much we need change in a world turned angry.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
I saw it and loved this charming movie. A real delight with some very witty scenes. The story itself is sweet , it’s a feel good movie that the whole family can enjoy. I give 5 stars