Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Review

Suhansid Srikanth

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan comes in a time when we are used to these small town stories with conservative families coming across a weird ass situation and getting used to it or realize that it is perfectly normal! Not to forget that Ayushmann is the forerunner of this game. Hitesh Kewalya's film revolves around what happens when a Varanasi scientist family, called Tripathi clan, finds out that their son is love with another man. The madness that follows flows as the rest of the crux.

Ayushmann Khuranna as Kartik Singh is jubilant. His liveliness adds a tone to the vibrant, hyper active character he plays and it compensates for the rather introverted, coyishly shy partner of him, Aman Tripathi, played by Jitendra Kumar. Jitendra's display of the vulnerability and his struggles to cope up with himself and the norms of the society works big time! Their chemistry is adorable and comes off naturally. There is no wrong step and what a big sigh of relief to see normal men being gay on screens without being shoved up with the stereotyped representation of gay men all these days!

In a very early scene, we see Kartik helping out his friend Devika (a special cameo by Bhoomi) elope with her boyfriend. We get a hint that she once had a crush on Kartik himself. This doesn't gets dropped as a melodramatic bomb but a passing fact. That's the beauty of the film. It presents everything in a tone of 'That's the way things are at times!". The film is a winner when it comes to its effortless blend of humour and dignity. We laugh with the characters but not at them.

There is the hit Badhaai Ho jodi reprising their roles as parents here as well. Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta add a warmth that erases off all the oddness that a theme like this would elicit in the minds of a common audience. Their presence kinda loosens up the ambience and brings the message as if it happens to one and all around us! Neena Gupta comes up with wittiest of comebacks in the film. I legit cracked up when she takes up the veil over the kissing of Aman - Kartik and asks them, "Ilachi mil gaya?". Maanvi Gagroo who plays Goggle is a killer. She not only steals the show but also holds a heartening character arc.

The film's soundtrack is Desi and celebratory. The montages are a delight to watch on screen. Chirantan Das's photography localises the desi vibes throughout the film. As Ayushmann wears pride flag and throws a little speech on homophobia to educate Tripathi clan.. the film takes a huge leap in the history of Indian Cinema in breaking shackles and shackles of false mindsets! At one moment, we see Kartik leaning on Aman's back as he drives bike and smiles at a by-passer where a girl is leaning on his man's back. It oddly lasts for ten seconds. But how long we had been waiting to see a mainstream film that unapologetically wears its queerness with such tenderness.

Bottomline: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is a clean winner that's audaciously progressive, got crackling humour and hits it all out of the park! The leads shine throughout and so does the characters in the family!

Rating:4/5