Shubh Mangal Saavdhan

Well to start with a movie based on the subject its made on, in itself was enough to drag people to the theaters and that's what it did. The star cast, the plot, performances all top notch but the film lacks in scripting and scree play. It could have been easily another Vicky donor or a chameli ki shaddi for that matter but the screenplay was not in place the movie lacked characters, even after such a great supporting cast, I feel the characters were not written properly. Like we had Anu Kapoor in Vicky donor or a Deepak Dobriyal in the Tanu Weds Manu series, we could have easily got one or two characters written on the same pattern to add more humour to the script. Bhumi Pednekar is a promising actress she has proved again if given a role with content she can manage things effortlessly....long way to go. Ayushman has made his place now in movies like these ...he is impressive and he is becoming a pro with roles like these. In total Shubh Mangal could have been a movie worth keeping in your collection but a weak screenplay makes it a one time watch.

The Delhi setting looks so real. A difficult story is dealt with adeptly by the director and script writer. All characters are brilliant but Bhumi Pednekar stands out as someone who is vulnerable, hungry for love, eager for marriage, yet clear about what she wants in life.

The film deals with what exactly is essential for a marriage to be successful. The answer is Sex...or to put it more sophisticatedly 'Physical Compatibility'.

The girl, Sugandha, has been shown to be a very simple small town girl with pretty orthodox parents – who sent her always to girl's school, girl's college and even in swimming classes for girls only. She has one close friend – who is of course a girl, with whom she shares her feelings and other secrets.

In comes Mudit in her life who stalks her often but never approaches her. She also liked the attention she got from Mudit and wished that he would come and confess his fondness for her. Mudit is very free with his mother and tells her about his weakness for a girl – but he can't approach her. His mother suggests that he should directly send them a matrimonial invite to sort things out.

Sugandha is both happy but a bit upset too as she wanted a proper love and courtship period and decides to go around and feel being loved till the time they get married. It is during this period that Mudit realizes that he is unable to get turned on by Sugaandha. There is a lot of pandemonium regarding this but eventually things are sorted out. They get married and after about 6 months or so, Mudit successfully 'performs' on bed! Some scenes from the film: With only one day left to get married, Mudit takes Sugandha inside a room – right in front of all the family members and relatives...afterwards, when Mudit comes out – he says that 'He had done it right' whereas Sugandha says – He had failed – maybe meaning to say that she had not been able to experience the climax of love making.....they say 80% of married Indian women have not experienced this all important climax at all.....though how the consensus is taken is not really known to me......and it is because of this reason that Indian women are frustrated and dissatisfied!! – that was quite a ridiculous scene btw.! Poor sugandha takes help of a porn film (Blue film) to learn the tricks of turning on men! Sad scene. Although it is seen and said also about males that it does not take them much to get turned on – as they can get aroused by looking at a dead image of a nude/ semi-nude model in glamour magazine.

Shocking truth revealed about Erectile Dysfunction by Mudit and his ex-girlfriend: In one scene, a slim girl, Mudit's ex girlfriend or maybe a fling - who appears to be a game girl too – in the sense – the types who dive on bed with any male they meet – just as long as they are rich or physically appealing or sexually virile or for whatever reason – claims that Mudit was very compatible with her and was not going through any such dysfunction. Mudit agrees that with the game girl – he was actually very virile and sexual performance was breeze with her! This means that this type of abnormality is more because the female is not physically attractive enough....phew! see this is what I always say – down with porn films and magazines! They make you form a different image of the opposite sex and the entire life goes wasted in search of some sexy siren you have watched in some cheap blue film! But Mudit was quite an intelligent man! He was looking for a wife material – and in Sugandha, he saw a perfect match! All he had to do was somehow impregnate her and after that, she would just take care of his household, looking after his children and house and of course serve his parents. That is why, although the slim ex-girlfriend (Slimy) was an instant turn-on but Mudit went for Sugandha...for he knew that Slimy would turn into a 'Desperate Housewife' whose priority would be to be on the look out for young virile males in the locality to have sex with...for such females children or serving in-laws etc. does not exist...many Saavdhan India and Crime Patrol episodes have shown such kind of sex starved females! Any way, Mudit compromises on this one lacking quality of Sugandha – but the rest were perfectly fine – sober, simple, non-flirtatious, virgin female, unattractive (so that other males don't view her lustily) – a good wife material.

Well, a very enjoyable film indeed in both style and execution, which works well as a romantic story even beyond the core issue it wants to deal with. The reason for it is probably that at the end of the day it is not really a core issue but just a plot element, and it's handled very subtly. What this film has going for it after all is its lovely romance and how beautifully it celebrates the Indian culture. Just to think that a decade before big banners were so pathetically obsessed with making films about Indians living abroad when there's so much to explore in India itself, which happens to be one of the most culturally rich places in the world. The film, through its nice story both embraces tradition in many ways but at the same time defies it more than once, making it an interesting study of the new life of Indian middle-class youth. They respect elders, they accept traditional customs of arranged marriages and everything that comes with it, but they have no qualms about premarital sex.

The film is technically impressive, it's natural and authentic, and above all it's humorous and wonderfully charming in its simplicity and comic tone. The dialogue is most casual and realistic, the story develops really well, and it manages to turn its core issue (the guy has what they call erectile dysfunction, a formal name for his actual struggle to engage spontaneously in sexual activity, probably due to being too nervous), as mentioned above, not all that central. It is the larger message of the story that provides a meaningful commentary on gender stereotypes of masculinity, on the pressure that new-age relationships place on today's often unassuming youth, and basically on the loss of innocence which manifests in over-exposure to the big world (and the west, in particular), and, in turn, demands everyone to meet some pretty high social expectations. It is this message of the film which thinking youngsters might like and relate to, and even the less thinking ones might become less judgemental.

All of what the film addresses is brilliantly encapsulated in Ayushmann Khuranna's compassionate performance. He manages to make his character an unlikely hero because he is as funny in his problem in the context of the story as he is touching in his obvious insecurity, always drawing the viewers' sympathy and affection. You really feel for him through his struggle and want him to get over it. What makes the story all the more so substantial in this regard is that he actually speaks about it (or hints at it), something few would probably do. His leading lady is the immensely pretty and likable Bhumi Pednekar, who is the right mix of sweet innocence and smart sophistication. Her gradual change throughout the story is very well done, and she shows great understanding and sensitivity. She really gives the vibes of a simple small-town girl. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is a nice little film, a charming romantic comedy which is entertaining but also very educative and meaningful.

I am delighted to write that finally today's film makers have found nice ways to speak on topics which are still considered taboo is our country.

It started with Sircar's Vicky Donor on Sperm donation, his Piku on constipation, Shakun Batra's Kapoor and Sons which spoke on homosexuality and Subh Mangal Savadhaan (SMS)which speaks on erecticle dysfunction.

SMS like last month's Barelily ki Barfi is set in middle class India, the location changes from Barelily to Delhi. Its starts off on a nice hilarious note of Khurana's Mudit trying to speak to Pednekar's Sughanda and a roadside bear ....yes a bear (watch it to believe it) catches him leaving everyone around him in splits and taking his MMS videos for fun.

They then meet for marriage and slowly fall in love over the next few weeks. Their love is just like any middle class love story. They don't run around trees or sing songs in park or dance in the rain. They behave like normal people and not like the love we see in Johar Chopra films.

So even when we see them trying to make love for the 1st time, they are scared and behave like amatauers. That scene is hilarious and trust me you will not feel odd seeing this with your parents. And that's when Mudit knows he just cannot perform in bed.

From there you have Mudit trying to do his best in resolving his gent's problem and Sughanda doing everything possible to keep him happy. She doesn't want to run away from the problem and face it while Mudit wants to solve his problem to express his love and keep her happy.

And this is where the beauty of the story lies. A man and woman doing their best for the other partner. In another hilarious scene, Sughanda wears some sexy lingerie and takes Mudit for a picnic and then tries to do a role play. The scene initally starts as hilarious but then becomes a emotional one as Mudit realises what she is doing and stops her.

The movies reaches another level when the parents come to know about Mudit's problem. Mudit's parents can't accept it while her father takes him to a Vetinarian for cure and is worried that his daughter will not have kids of her own.

However, the last act falls flat. One can see that the writers run out of ideas and don't know how to end the film. So we have a ridiculous scene where the couple are supposedly making love inside and everyone outside are chit chatting waiting for the result. Or an action packed climax with Jimmy Shergil making one ridiculous cameo.

The one question which always popped my mind was why didn't Mudit go to a doctor and get himself treated?

The performances are top notch. Khurana is turning out to this generation's Amol Palekar or the middle class hero. Armed with simple looks and earnest acting skills, he beautifully performs Mudit and helps us understand his problem.

On the other hand, Bhumi is top notch. It is her 3rd film and she performs like a veteran. And, Khurana and she share a wonderful chemistry.

The rest of the star cast including Bijendar Kala are fantastic. Most of them are unknown faces but rock the show. Kala is hilarious as Sugandha's uncle who always is seeking for respect from everyone younger to him including his brother.

The music is simple and there aren't many songs to spoil it and the middle class Delhi setting is perfect.

Except for the last half hour, the movie is a joy ride and a must watch.