The writers not only display a command over their craft but also maturity and empathy; required to tell these stories.
THE LOGLINE
A gay cop and a lesbian teacher enter a sham marriage to pacify their families but find that relationships — both real and fake — aren’t all that easy.
The logline is simply brilliant!
It is the best logline, I have come across for a mainstream Bollywood film, in a long time.
The protagonists and the central conflict, both, clearly stated.
By the very nature of the duality in it, the logline, promises an attractive and appealing story.
The concept of Lavender Marriage may sound salable proposition on paper but can be a tough one to venture into; But the writers nail it!
STORY IDEA and SCRIPT
The story idea is novel, unique and brave for a mainstream Bollywood film.
I say BRAVE because, in the past there have been many misadventures and mishandling of such unique, modern-world issues.
But the writers of Badhaai Do, Suman Adhikary, Akshat Ghildial, Harshavardhan Kulkarni cleverly navigate the issue of suppressed sexuality and homophobia in a very sensitive and sensible manner. They incorporate humor but never cross the line and laugh at the sensitive issue.
It is simply clever writing!
The use of overlapping sounds from a police walkie-talkie and a television set in certain scenes is simply master story telling.
Very rarely used adequately in our films.
SCREENPLAY
The screenplay may have stretched a bit over 5 pages, but you are so invested in the characters you may flow with them without noticing it.
Songs in Hindi films are mandate. Sometimes it hinders the narrative. But in Badhaai Do, I simply loved the use of songs to take the narrative ahead and at the same time add to the feelings of the characters.
Maange Manzuriyan by Azeem Shirazi and Atak Gaya by Varun Grover are sheer poetry woven into the fabric of the screenplay.
CHARACTER ARC
Shardul Thakur and Suman Singh are reflections of one another and each one of them have their own mountains to climb and battles to fight.
It gets tougher when they come together.
It could have been so easier, only if, societal and legal acceptance would come naturally; as natural as ones sexuality.
Not a single secondary character is wasted or just for laughs.
Shardul's mother's character will blow you off with it's silence.
What is noteworthy is that, the writers make these characters come alive by treating gay relationships like any other relationship, inherent with heartbreak, pining, jealousy and love.
DIALOGUES
Gay hain hum! Shardul says and goosebumps will run down your body. It could have been that simple!
Mar kyon nahin gayi ! Mar jaati ! Your world will come crumbling down , with Sumi's, when you here those words from her mother.
THE PLOT-HOLES
I simply want to overlook them.
BEST SCENE
Undoubtedly, the one in which - Shardul speaks his truth to his family.
The other one being - Suman's heart-pouring scene with her father.
ON THE SCRIPTOMETER
Tell their stories in a language they understand.
Badhaai Do does just that. On the scriptometer it is an out an out GOOD script which is true to it's sensitive core and surpasses expectation.
*Since I review the film from the perspective of the SCRIPT alone, I may not comment on the acting, music, and other aspects of the film, however exceptional they maybe.
But I can't resist myself from mentioning Bhumi Pednekar and Raj Kumar Rao for sincere and sensitive portrayal of their delicately carved out characters.
Nozzer Pardiwala
Watch the SCRIPT REVIEW here