Badrinath Ki ‘Dulhaniya’ is strong, sweet and sassy

When it comes to romantic, wedding or family related films, there are very few filmmakers who can please us with their thought and art. One such filmmaker is Karan Johar. After giving us many entertaining films, Dharma productions once again is back with Badrinath Ki Dulhania which stars Papa Johar’s two very talented kids – Varun and Alia. The film very smartly delivers many very strong messages wrapped with light-hearted, funny, adorable moments which are only bound to entertain you. 

Aerial shots of Jhansi open the film, where Badri aka Badrinath Bansal (Varun Dhawan) lives with his family, which is eagerly on a look-out for a bride for Badri. The dapper dude travels to Kota and happens to meet the gorgeous Vaidehi (Alia Bhatt) at a wedding eventually falling for her. The small town boy with the only wish of finding a beautiful partner starts wooing her. A staunch believer of equality, she decides to stay strong, not to crumble under pressure and stands up against offering a dowry. Vaidehi refuses for marriage as she plans to focus on other priorities in life. To protect her dreams, she takes a step which is the high point of the story. What does she decide? What are her ambitions? Will Badri and Vaidehi be one? Well, these questions in the simple storyline make the backbone of the film.

The film throws light on many social issues we have been facing over decades. Through Alia, the filmmakers deliver strong messages on gender issues, feminism, dowry and others, quite swiftly, without bothering the entertainment quotient. Clever writing with a balanced mix of social issues, romance and comedy is seen throughout.

One drawback of Badrinath Ki Dulhania is the duration. While the first half of the 139-minute long film is easy and smooth, the second half seems long. For such movies, where the climax is quite well known, it does get uneasy to watch moment which could have been edited or avoided. One can sit through those moments and all credits for the same go to the cheerful plot and the hilarious dialogues.

Ever since SOTY, we have seen a crackling chemistry between Alia and Varun. In Badrinath Ki Dulhania, the duo delivers the same again. Their ‘awe’ worthy adorable moments, easy onscreen camaraderie connects instantly with the audience. Varun looks handsome as Badri. He delivers all the emotions and dialogues swiftly with the right amount of accent. The same goes for Alia, who, like always gives her best with sincerity.

It would be unfair to not appreciate Somdev Mishra (Sahil Vaid) who plays Badri’s bestie. He stands besides Badri throughout. Somdev, throughout the film, makes you laugh and adds a lot of value to the film. I believe, without him, the film would have been incomplete.

All the other elements of the film – music, locations, dialogues and more – are good but not the best; however they do not hamper the mood of the film either. Badrinath Ki Dulhania delivers what it is supposed to, with glee.

Rating: 3.5/5