Badhaai Do HD Released

 

Marriages are made in heaven, or so they say. Interestingly, a huge number of these ‘heavenly marriages’ appear all shiny and bright owing to the compromises made by couples on various levels. In Badhaai Do, this matrimonial compromise is of a different kind – one that is not often spoken about but has been in existence all along.

For those unversed, it's called a lavender marriage – which is a hetero marriage between two homosexual persons, who agree to this arrangement of convenience for various reasons like trying to fit into society, avoiding social stigma emanating from their single status, and using it as a cover so that they can live their lives with some semblance of freedom. Harshavardhan Kulkarni’s film depicts this complicated arrangement with humour and wit - but not at the expense of the characters - and handles the protagonists' dilemma with a great deal of sensitivity. The film is an attempt to send out the message that sexual orientation should not and does not define who an individual is. A sequel to the multiple National Award-winning movie Badhaai Ho, the film is an entertaining family watch.

In the film, newly-weds Sumi and Shardul (Bhumi Pednekar and Rajkummar Rao) live like roommates. What follows Sumi and Shardul’s wedding is their journey of walking on eggshells to keep their secret from their families, friends, and neighbours, while trying to stay true to who they are. In the process, they find themselves running from one chaotic situation into another. Shardul and Sumi’s romantic interludes with their real partners play out with the kind of ease, comfort, and turbulence that we have seen between any other couple in our movies - an indication that the intention of the film is not to stereotype the gay and lesbian community but to change mindsets and eliminate prejudices against them.

The film sensitively portrays the immense loneliness and sense of isolation that a gay person feels, especially when they lack a window to communicate openly with their family, and are forced to deal with issues on their own. How the protagonists attempt to come out of the loneliness and communicate with their family is highlighted in the second half.

Badhaai Do attempts to normalise the big-screen depiction of the gay and lesbian community and their romantic relationships. The complexities of marriages, middle-class traditional families and their demands from individuals have also been shown with sensitivity and realism. The beauty of the narrative lies in the fact that there is no judgment - the characters are not treated differently because they’re gay. From the word go, the film treats the lead pair’s sexual orientation as matter-of-factly as possible.