We go for a Dharma production film with our usual checklist, and this one ticks all the boxes. Pretty people in pretty clothes at pretty places. Looking at the world through rose-coloured glasses is not new for us.
Badrinath ki Dulhania has the same lead pair as Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania – Alia and Varun. Both films also share the same writer – director Shashank Khaitan. Only in this one, Alia's character is not vying for a Manish Malhotra lehenga.
Not that her clothes have any less sparkle, but she definitely desires a world where traditional shackles don’t pin her down.
Badri aka Varun Dhawan spots Vaidehi and it is love at first sight.
What follows – and I shall not sugar coat this – is stalking; though made to look romantic on screen only because the boy is rich and handsome.
The family patriarch wants a hefty dowry but Vaidehi refuses to give in. So what choice does our hero have but to be at his charming best? Varun Dhawan doesn't give us reasons to complain. Nor does Alia. Their off-screen friendship translates beautifully on screen.
A couple of days back, producer Karan Johar claimed to be gracious enough to let Kangana have her say on his show.
He can now pat his own back for letting mild feminism and social consciousness make a cameo on his glittering turf.
It is a step forward, no doubt, but post-interval as the narrative drags a little, one can't help but notice that the inclusions aren’t as organic as they ideally should be. Both Badri and Vaidehi are not well-written characters but Varun and Alia imbue their respective parts with charm and beauty that makes the film a harmless one-time watch.
Itna mat socho, Holi hai!! I give it 3 QUINTS out of 5!
Video Editor: Hitesh Singh
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