Movie Review: Shaadi Ke Side Effects (Hindi)
Starting off from the point where rom-coms typically end, director Saket Chaudhary's exploration of the side effects of marriage in his sophomore effort is funny and clever but quickly runs out of steam by the time it reaches the climax. If the prequel was all about a guy's commitment problems, Shaadi... is all about his problems as a family man. Sid and Trisha, the characters from Pyaar Ke Side Effects, are still here, but as an urban upper middle-class couple whose much happy married life gets complicated with the arrival of their baby.
When Trisha realizes she's pregnant, they don't jump around in ecstasy, instead they sit down and think of the consequences, for he is a struggling musician trying to make big, while she is in due for a promotion. And when the baby does come, it's time to say goodbye to Sid's social life and their freedom. Sid, now burdened with more financial responsibilities, feels neglected by his wife, who now has time only for the baby. Turning to his 'marriage guru' brother-in-law for help, he ultimately cracks the mantra for a successful post-shaadi life.
Told from a male perspective, SKSE is fun for the most part and Saket puts the trouble of raising a baby in a nuclear family in spotlight. However, this lopsided narrative never for once lets us know what Trisha herself is grappling with and in the end we're just told so. It's all his. To make matters worse is the contrived melodrama the script writers come up with post intermission. It not only makes no sense, but also bogs down an already overstretched narrative. (Not to forget the strategically placed ads for Tourism Australia, Samsung, Skore condoms and many more!)
But all said and done, it's the performances that truly save the day. Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan are thoroughly believable as the married couple. Farhan gets to showcase his comic timing in the role of a self-obsessed man coping with the sea-change, and Vidya Balan, despite being short thrift, shines as Trisha. She is particularly effortless in the climactic portions when she says "I was such a fool." Ram Kapoor, Vir Das and Purab Kohli too chip in with their neat acts. Shaadi Ke Side Effects, ultimately, is a fun affair but takes itself too seriously for a comedy!
Told from a male perspective, SKSE is fun for the most part and Saket puts the trouble of raising a baby in a nuclear family in spotlight. However, this lopsided narrative never for once lets us know what Trisha herself is grappling with and in the end we're just told so. It's all his. To make matters worse is the contrived melodrama the script writers come up with post intermission. It not only makes no sense, but also bogs down an already overstretched narrative. (Not to forget the strategically placed ads for Tourism Australia, Samsung, Skore condoms and many more!)
But all said and done, it's the performances that truly save the day. Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan are thoroughly believable as the married couple. Farhan gets to showcase his comic timing in the role of a self-obsessed man coping with the sea-change, and Vidya Balan, despite being short thrift, shines as Trisha. She is particularly effortless in the climactic portions when she says "I was such a fool." Ram Kapoor, Vir Das and Purab Kohli too chip in with their neat acts. Shaadi Ke Side Effects, ultimately, is a fun affair but takes itself too seriously for a comedy!
Comments
Post a Comment