Badhaai Ho Review

Badhaai Ho has released to good reviews & boasts of a novel concept. Is it worth a watch? Read our review to find out!

Cast: Ayushmann Khurana, Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao
Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma
Producers: Vineet Jain, Aleya Sen, Hemant Bhandari, Amit Ravindernath Sharma, Sushil Choudhury, Priti Sahani
Written by: Shantanu Shrivistava, Akshat Ghildial, Jyoti Kapoor
Duration: 123 mins
Genre: Drama-Comedy

Synopsis

Would you be okay, if your parents inform you in your late 20’s that they are pregnant? Will you be happy or grudgingly accept it? Or will you pressurize your parents to abort the baby? These questions form the crux of Badhaai Ho.

Nakul(Ayushmann Khurana) a man probably in his mid 20’s loves his traditional family which consists of his railway TC father Jeetender Kaushik(Gajraj Rao), mother – Priyamvada(Neena Gupta), brother Gullar(Shardul Rana) & a feisty granny(Surekha Sikri). Nakul is dating his colleague – Rene'(Sanya Malhotra).

Rene’ stays with her mother & is much better off than Nakul, but that is not an issue for either them or their families. All is going fine, until Nakul’s parents tell him that they are pregnant. This leads to an embarrassing situation for the family, but a lot of laughter for the audiences. Nakul avoids going to his cousin’s marriage & hanging out with his friends or his GF fearing ridicule. Guller too faces ridicule at his school. The Dadi who blames the daughter-in-law for everything wrong that happens, gives them a dressing down. This leads to a lot of friction within the family members.

Is Nakul able to get over the embarrassment of getting a new sibling in his 20’s? Will Rene’s mother approve of their relationship? Will the family happily welcome the newborn baby? Will there be complications during delivery? This what forms the rest of the story.

Strengths

The movie boasts of a novel concept. Director Amit Sharma needs to be credited to presenting us with a unique story. No one before them have ever tried to broach this topic. This is the biggest strength of the movie. The dialogues & acting is first class. Some situations & dialogues had us rolling with laughter. Ayushmann Khurana has developed a knack for picking winners. He is solid in his role as the disgruntled son. Sanya Malhotra is a breath of fresh air. She is unlike the wafer thin actors who look like models & less like regular people. She is good in her role & is well cast. She looks sophisticated & drastically different than what one saw in Dangal.
But the movie belongs to the supporting cast. Giriraj Rao, Neena Gupta & Surekha Sikri enjoy just as much screen time as the lead couple. Surekha Sikri who plays the acid tongue Dadi has the best lines in the movie. Giriraj Rao & Neena Gupta are well cast for their roles. They do a stand up job.

Weakness

We did find ourselves losing interest in between. The script could have been tighter. The songs barring the song which plays with the end credits are ordinary.

Verdict

Badhaai Ho is a light breezy entertainer which will make you laugh. But it is not one of the best comedies or dramedies we have seen. we suggest you give it a watch, but do not enter the theatre with sky high expectations.

Our Rating: (3.5 / 5)