An important film that is also touching and fun
Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is the samesex love story Bollywood needed. It’s the tale of a gay couple — Kartik Singh (Ayushmann Khurrana) and Aman Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) —struggling to gain acceptance from the latter’s family. Writer-director Hitesh Kewalya handles his subject with sensitivity, grace and a generous dose of humour. Its true win is how thoroughly it eschews stereotypes; not a single one of its many jokes hinges on anyone’s sexuality; instead, in a truly deft move, it is the opposition of the Tripathi family that is mined for comedy. The film becomes, therefore, a take on homophobia, rather than homosexuality.
Aman and Kartik are a happy couple living together in Delhi. Back home in Allahabad, Aman’s parents are trying to set him up with a woman named Kusum (Pankhuri Awasthy).
It’s during a train journey to another wedding that Tripathi’s family realises that Aman and Kartik are lovers.
Ayushmann is in fine form throughout, convincingly playing flamboyant without ever losing his grip. Jitendra’s character is the perfect foil to his — subtle, grounded, a man of few words. What works best is their onscreen chemistry; scenes with just the two of them become genuinely endearing. There’s even real, comfortable kissing — a giant leap forward for Bollywood.
Neena Gupta lights up the screen every time she’s on it. Her comic timing is effortless and she is, as usual, a treat to watch. Ably supporting her is Rao, playing a hard-to-like father in his inimitably hilarious style. Things slow down a bit in the second half, particularly due to the addition of a somewhat needless subplot, but Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is an important film that also happens to be touching and fun. It will stay with you for a long time.