Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | March 10, 2017

Rating: 2 / 5

The essence: For the next ‘Dulhania Series’, Karan Johar would have to think real hard: maybe a character moulded after Bollywood’s ‘Strong Woman’  Kangana Ranaut might just give him the much desired hit! After all, he desires to celebrate women and who better than Kangana to celebrate!

Badrinath Ki Dulhania, the second in Shashank Khaitan’s ‘Dulhania series’ (the first was Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania) is an educative documentary on Women’s Day.

First, we are educated on how a boy is an asset and a girl a liability in Indian families. Then we are informed, how, even if a girl tops in education, the boy, even though a duffer, is always encouraged and preferred. After all, a girl has to get married and then be at home—‘A stay-at-home-bride’.

We are also educated on the small-mindedness of the men folk, especially the seniors who look down on women and the trauma of fathers of brides who have to weigh in the demands of the father of the groom.

Badrinath Bansal (Varun Dhawan) is from one such family. His brother has already sacrificed his love by marrying the girl of his father’s choice thanks to the booty that followed from the girl’s side. Badrinath meets with Vaidehi (Alia Bhatt) at a wedding and has decided that he will marry her. A typical male chauvinist attitude! However, his brother, who knows more about love, tells him to first find out if she wants to marry him.

She refuses, because she wants to study and work. He keeps pestering her. She says her elder sister has to get married first. He decides he will take the responsibility of getting her married, provided she also marries her. She agrees, because her sister has been her concern. However, on their wedding day (Vaidehi and her sister to marry on the same day), she runs to Mumbai to pursue a career in flying. Badri is heart-broken, sister, however, manages to get married. Badri’s father is furious. He asks him to go to Mumbai, get her to Jhansi, where they live, and he will hang her in public.

Then begins Badri’s journey from becoming a boy to man. Learning from Vaidehi what it means to aspire and how a girl is to be feted.

The first half hangs on a slender thread. Varun hams and hams, Vaidehi, who is so desperate to get her sister married, ruins her sister’s marriage which makes no sense at all and Badri, is more like an errand boy with no focus in life. No wonder he is clueless when the director calls “action”.

The second half gets a little more interesting, although the plot moves on predictable lines. Varun gets an opportunity to emote. Alia, sails through her role as there is not an iota of challenge in her character.

For me, it is Sahil Vaid who plays Somdev, Badri’s friend, and Yash Sinha, who plays his elder brother, who are the ones to watch out for. In the space they have been allotted, they both bring a modicum of dignity to their performance, even though at times the scenes look juvenile.

For the next ‘Dulhania Series’, Karan Johar would have to think real hard: maybe a character moulded after Kangana Ranaut might just give him the much desired hit! After all, he desires to celebrate women and who better than Kangana to celebrate!

CREDITS
Producers: Apoorva Mehta, Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Star Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Shweta Basu Prasad, Yash Sinha, Sahil Vaid