Afwaah

When I first checked out "Afwaah" (2023) there was a very low rating and some very negative comments.  I liked the cast and decided to watch it anyway.   The negativity seemed unjustified and I am still trying to fathom it, but in the meantime I have discovered many positive comments.

The story line revolves around a political election.  Vicky Singh is running for office and is stirring up Hindu-Muslim riots.  A man is killed.  Vicky's fiancee, Nivi  is so upset she runs out and in the midst of riots is mixed up with a scandal that she is eloping with a Hindu.  By circumstance Rahab Ahmed is on his way to a book event honoring his wife.  He is mistaken as the man who lured the fiance to elope.  They both flee for their lives.

One theme is about fake news.  The scandal really amounted to Nivi breaking off wedding plans while Vicky knew it would hurt his electoral chances.  The riots were concocted by Vicky as he branded himself as a strong leader.  A man was killed not quite by accident and in revenge the wrong man was killed.  There is lots of cold blooded violence, perhaps unnecessary, but emphasizes the attempt to control events with political implications using rumors.    

The cast and crew give this film a lot of credibility.  

Sudhir Mishra was writer and director.  He comes by an honest interest in political manipulations with a grandfather who was a cabinet minister.  He earned a Master of Philosophy.  His 21 film credits include writing, directing and producing with such films as "Chameli" (2003), "Khoya Khoya Chand" (2007), "Inkaar" (2013) and "Serious Men" (2020).  Two observations from a YouTube interview.  Women are taking over technical film crews and that is a good thing.  He also pointed that a clever line is only clever in a context.

Anubhav Sinha was a producer and has a long history with writing, directing and producing.  His films include "Ra.One" (2001),  "Article 15" (2019), "Thappad" (2020) and "Bheed" (2023).   For another political perspective with social impact check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html

Bhushan Kumar was another producer. At age 19 his father died and he took ovr the music business turning it into a major force.  Then he got involved with films leading up to 180 film credits including "Hindi Medium" (2017), "Kabir Singh" (2019), "Chandigarh Kare Ashiqui" (2021), "Drishyam 2" (2022) and Bheed" (2023).  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/arjun-reddy-and-kabir-singh.html

Karel Antonin, the music composer comes from Prague, Czech Republic.  He worked with short films, commercials and videos in Europe.  He has 67 film credits including a few in India such as "Serious Men" (2020).

Mauricio Vidal handled the cinematography.  He has 50 film credits including "Undertow" (2015) and 10 episodes of "Narcos" (2015)

Atanu Mukherjee, the editor has 23 film credits including "Serious Men" and "Bheed" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/06/bheed-covid-drama-from-india.html

Bhumi Pednekar plays Nivi.   She started with casting.  Big break came when asked to help cast "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" (2015) where she auditioned for and had to gain a lot of weight for an unusual romance where she played an overweight bride that had been arranged to solve a revenue problem.  She went onto a number of memorable films such as  "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" (2017), "Shubh Mangal Savdhan" (2017)  and "Bala" (2019).  With Rajkummar Rao she played a lesbian to his gay role in "Badhaai Do" (2022).  An earlier film this year was "Bheed" (2023)Having gained a lot of weight to get a role she lost a lot of weight to get other roles, but fortunately she is a very credible actress.  She chose this film to expand her acting to include thrillers.  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/03/badhaai-do-lgbt-film-from-conservative.html

Nawazuddin Siddiqui played Rahab Ahmed.  The son of a farmer Nawazuddin became a chemist.  A long time playing minor roles before being recognized as an exceptional actor.  He played an aggressive obnoxious policeman in "Kahanni" (2012) blowing smoke in the face of a pregnant woman.  He played an obsequious role in "The Lunchbox" (2013).  Perhaps better known for gangster films like "Gangs of Wasseypur" (2012) and the tv series "Sacred Games" (2018-19).  Other interesting roles include "Manjhi:  The Mountain Man"Lion" (2016), "Manto" (2018), "Photograph" (2019), "Serious Men" (2020).  In "Raat Akeli Hai" (2020)  he is a tough detective in a delicate political situation (many of the other characters campaign for his firing)  and with his mother who is concerned he is too fussy to get married. check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/08/you-like-murder-mysteries-check-out.html

Sumeet Vyas played the corrupt politician Vicky Singh.  He has 57 film credits including "Arakshan" (2011), "English Vinglish" (2013), "Parched" (2015), "Ribbon" (2017) and "Made in China" (2019).   Read about another film with political implications http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/10/aarakshan-study-on-education-inequality.html

Sharib Hashmi played Chandon, a character caught up in violence.  He is best known for the series "The Family Man" (2019) which garnered him international award for his supporting role.  His film credits include "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008), "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" (2012), "Phullu" (2017), "Ujda Chaman" (2019) and "The Great Indian Murder" (2022).  He wrote the dialogue for "Notebook" (2015).  Read about international spy missions:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/03/the-family-man.html

Sumeet Kaul played a corrupt violent cop.  He once toured with a theatrical group performing in Hindi and Urdu plays.  His film credits include "Once Upon a Time in Mumbaii" (2010), "Haider" (2014) and "Hamid" (2019).  He has also been busy dubbing from foreign movies.   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/02/haider-bollywoods-version-of-shakespeare.html

Eisha Chopra played Nandita, the wife of Rahab Ahmed.  Her 24 film credits include "No One Killed Jessica" (2011), "Aligarh" (2015) and "Neerja" (2016). 

I hope no one is deterred from this movie by a few negative reviews which struck me as too extreme to be credible, but I have learned some films attract negative views.  Many of the ratings were 1 out of 10 which by itself indicates a campaign.  There is a lot of violence, but normal  for such films. 

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  For this post I wanted to emphasize the quality of the cast and crew.

Bheed, Covid drama from India

 We are still recovering from the Covid 19 pandemic.  Bollywood has decided to add its interpretation of what happened with the film "Bheed" (2023) now available with subtitles on Netflix.

India is a poor country.  Many poor people from rural areas migrate to cities for jobs and periodically return home which was hastened by initial surge of Covid 19.  Trying to cope with the pandemic lockdowns were used.  Few masks are used and it seems social distancing is not possible.  There are caste differences (referred to as communities) and religion.  A large number are vegetarians who refuse meat tainted food packages.  

The main protagonist is Surya Kumar Singh Tikas who has just been given a promotion and put in charge at a border point.  The crowd is much larger than expected and he doesn't gain the respect he needs to do his job.  He sees a lot of injustice and in fact aids some of the migrants.  His love, Reenu Sharma is a doctor, but of a different caste with her parents wanting to control any marriage.

One of his subordinates feels he should have been the one promoted and turns other staff against him.  One of the migrants Balram Trivedi becomes aggressive in trying to provide food for his community.  At one point he places a gun on Surya's head, but before too long they become allies.  The film is reminding us of the turmoil caused by the pandemic.  The consequences are ongoing.

Many of the cast and crew have a history of advocating for social causes and this film certainly reflects concerns for justice and artistic expertise. 

Anubhave Sinha is director, writer and producer.  His 14 film credits include "Article 15" (2019) "Thappad" (2020), both of which had political and social issues.  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html 

Bhushan Kumar was another producer  At age 19, his father died and he took over the music business turning it into a major force.  Then he got involved with films.   Has 180 film credits  including "Hindi Medium" (2017),  "Kabir Singh"(2019), "Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui" (2021) and "Drishyam 2" (2022).  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/arjun-reddy-and-kabir-singh.html

 Music handled by Mangesh Dhakde.  61 credits including "Article 15" (2019), "Thappad" (2020) and "Anek" (2022)     check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/05/thappad-or-in-english-slap.html

Soumik Mukerjee handled the cinematography.  The decision was made to record in black and white to emphasize the starkness of the situation.  With 20 film credits including "Thappad" (2020) and " Jaadugar" (2022) .

 Atanu Mukherjee was the editor.  He has 23 film credits including also for writing and directing.  One of his films was "Serious Men" (2020).

 Rajkummar Rao played Surya Kumar Singh Tikas.  He acted in two theatrical groups before heading to the films.  He has been on a streak of films including "Shaitan" (2011), "Shahid" (2012), "Talaash" (2012), "Kai Po Che" (2013), "Queen" (2013), "Hamari Adhuri Kahani" (2015), "Trapped" (2016), "Bareilly Ki Barfi" (2017), "Stree" (2018), "Made in China" (2019), "Ludo" (2020), "White Tiger" (2021) and "Badaai Do" (2022).  check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/03/badhaai-do-lgbt-film-from-conservative.html

Pankaj Kapur plays Balram Trivedi who was a desperate migrant.  He has 71 film credits (acting, writing and cinematograhy) including "Gandhi" (1982),  "Ship of Theseus" (2012) and "Jersey" (2022).  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/01/ship-of-thesus.html

Bhumi Pednekar plays Renu Sharma, a doctor.  She started with casting.  Big break came when asked to help cast "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" (2015) where she auditioned for and had to gain a lot of weight for an unusual romance where she played an overweight bride that had been arranged to solve a revenue problem.  She went onto a number of memorable films such as  "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" (2017), "Shubh Mangal Savdhan" (2017)  and "Bala" (2019).  With Rajkummar she played a lesbian to his gay role in "Badhaai Do" (2022).  Having gained a lot of weight to get a role she lost a lot of weight to get other roles, but fortunately she is a very credible actress.  Check   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/a-feel-good-movie-little-off-beaten-path.html

Aditya Srivastav  played Ram Singh, a rebellious subordinate staff.   His film credits include "Raat Akeli Hai" (2020), "Super 30" (2020), "Haseen Dillruba" (2021) and "Human" (2022).   Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/02/super-30-puts-focus-on-education.html

 I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  The links for this film are among the most of all my blogs and many could have been used multiple times, because the cast and crew have participated and contributed to more of my favorites than almost any other film.  That does not necessarily mean it is my top favorite, but that it certainly received a lot of expert and artistic attention.  Available on Netflix.

Badhaai Do--an LGBT film from conservative India

 I admit I laughed a lot through the first part of this film, "Badhaai Do" (2022) on Netflix.  Towards the end it became more serious.  One character, Shadur was a gay policeman while the other, Sumi was a lesbian teacher who met when he was asked to scare off a man who wanted to blackmail her.  Once Shadur learned from the blackmailer that she was a lesbian he decided getting married to her  would solve a lot of problems.  She agreed and they soon got married.  Both had parents pressuring them into a traditional marriage and they each came up with excuses that they had tired of using. 

After they got married the pressure moved on to have a baby.  They both had formed attachments outside their marriage and were desperate to keep their secret, but sooner or later you know they would be outed.  The two were successful in fooling family for quite a while providing the viewer with lots of laughs. 

Then the laughing stopped as you realized both families were very upset, feeling they had perverts living among them and had been deceived.  The rest of the movie is a coming out process where they don't want to fool anyone, just to be true to themselves.  It is a bit uneasy to watch as there is lots of rejection.  Perhaps the ending (I left out a few details) is hard to believe, but comforting.

The director and main writer, Harshavardhan Kulkarni graduated with a degree in Petro-chemical engineering.  He is the son of an award winning Kannada poet.  For Canadians, Kannada has no connection to Canada, but is a language with a lot of speakers.  He broke into Bollywood in 2006 as a writer and producer for a tv. show, "The Chosen One."  From there he wrote and directed a few films.  He wrote, "Hasee Toh Phasee" (2014).

Aayush Agrawal provided the idea for the film.  He has had a career as producer, writer mostly with tv. series including one, "Human" (2022). Worked with Disney and Netflix.  Involved in animal welfare, mental health, and LGBTQI projects.

Tanishk Bagchi provided the music which was mostly joyful.    His films include, "Kapoor & Sons" (2016), "Badrinath Ki Dulhania" (2017), "Lucknow Central" (2017)

The cinematography was handled by Swapnil S. Sonawane.  He has filmed "Angry Indian Goddesses" (2015),  "Newton" and "Sacred Games" (2018-19), "Half Girlfriend" (2017), "Bareilly Ki Barfi" (2017),  "Shubh Mangal Savdhan" (2017), "Ittefaq" (2017), "Zero" (2018) and "Good Newwz" (2019).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/good-newwz.html

The editing was done by Kirti Nakhwa as his second feature.  He won an award for a previous short film.

The casting was handled by Shiv Chauhan who worked with "Qarib Qarib Single" (2017) and "Stree" (2018).

Bhumi Pednekar plays Sumi the lesbian phys ed teacher.  First noticed in "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" (2015), an unusual romance where she played an overweight bride that had been arranged to solve a revenue problem.  She went onto a number of memorable films such as  "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" (2017), "Shubh Mangal Savdhan" (2017)  and "Bala" (2019).   Having gained a lot of weight to get a role she lost a lot of weight to get other roles, but fortunately she is a very credible actress.        http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/a-feel-good-movie-little-off-beaten-path.html

Rajkummar Rao plays Inspector Shardul as a vain man, obsessed with body build.  He acted in two theatrical groups before heading to the films.  He has been on a streak of films including "Shaitan" (2011), "Shahid" (2012), "Talaash" (2012), "Kai Po Che" (2013), "Queen" (2013), "Hamari Adhuri Kahani" (2015), "Trapped" (2016), "Bareilly Ki Barfi" (2017), Stree" (2018), "Made in China" (2019), "Ludo" (2020) and "White Tiger" (2021).  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/01/the-white-tiger.html

Chum Darang plays Sumi's lover Rimjhim and works in a medical lab that collects samples which plays a role in the story.  This is only her second film.

Gushan Devaiah plays Guru, the partner for Shardul who breaks away after the marriage, but plays a role later on.  He started in films in 2010 and includes "Shaitan" (2011) and "RamLeela" (2013).

Movies are becoming more progressive in the world and in India.  Some adopt a humorous approach and others deadly serious.  "Badhaai Do" strikes a balance.  The presentation is professional and story like.  You will laugh, but you will also feel the angst of those who feel they must hide their true feelings.  

I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  These are well respected film makers.

INDIAN CINEMA LOOKS AT BALDNESS DISCRIMINATION

 Discrimination has been a concern of movies since the beginning.  What it boils down to is humans identify something different about someone and assume it represents something either inferior or threatening.  When it comes to seeking a mate there has always been obstacles.  Appearance is truly the first impression people gain of one another.  Many of us feel we do not discriminate, but actually we all do.  

Fortunately some movie makers have decided we would all be better off if there was less discrimination.  Merit supersedes all the various levers of discrimination.

 It is how we maintain our self worth and justify ourselves.  Race, religion and gender provide lots of material, but when we drill down we learn that many other groups feel discriminated against. Appearance is key to succeed in love and life.  Conflicts drive movies

Baldness is common among those over 50, something easily noticed--for me looking at a mirror to see thinning hair.  Although in some circles shaved heads are considered masculine, (even in India) in other circles baldness is embarrassing at the least. 

Actually the four movies are all sympathetic by pointing out the ridicule (and humiliation) suffered by those prematurely bald.   By prematurely it is meant before marriage.  It is accepted that older men tend to baldness.  Hair has been linked to masculinity such as with Sampson.  It also is part of femininity.

First viewed was a copy of the original.  "Ujda Chaman"  written by the same writer, but left a more polished feeling as he probably had more access to money and of course experience.  The moral is don't judge by appearance.  This was a Bollywood production coming out in the same time frame as the more publicized "Bala".  It points out that discrimination victims (specifically male) can be prejudiced against others.  As in the three male centered films the bald men feel discriminated because they cannot attract a beautiful bride.

 Second was "Gone Kesh" (translate to "hair gone)" about a female suffering from alopecia, a disease of hair falling out.  I first heard of it with a Toronto Raptor player Charlie Villanueva.  He had no hair or eyebrows but was a top player.  He also was very conscious of  discrimination and lack of self confidence.  He made a point of letting youngsters with alpoecia join in at many of his home and away games.  

Vilpin Sharma played the father who often plays bad guys or gruff fathers, but here a more gentle father.  In the second half the family encounters a taxi driver who is bald and learn he chose after seeing "Agneepath"--a fashion statement, but their reaction is to contrast their own unhappy situation with that of the taxi driver.  After many rejections for an arranged marriage and two with unsuitable grooms, a shy man gets enough courage to approach Enashka and by a flukey coincidence sees her without a wig.  He looks stunned at first, but later admits his love.  Her parents had been saving money for a trip to the Taj Mahal, but have sacrificed much to ease the pain of their daughter.  At the climax Enashka is seen in pubic without her wig and has a meltdown, but her father and boyfriend encourage her to do the dance contest.  She surprises everyone by taking off her wig and entering the contest.  The denouement is set a year later and all is well, but with a slight surprise.  Ayanna Pressley, American Congresswoman has decided to show herself without a wig and does so with dignity and style. 

Third seen is the Kannada (language) original--(2017) "Ondu Motteya Kathe" (which translates to  "Story of an Egg."  The plot is not quite identical to the copy.  The protagonist is a Kannada teacher and so the writer promotes some of his language concerns, including a film star.  The Director and writer is Raj B. Shetty who also plays the lead.  Also credited writing "Ujda Chaman."  In this version the second woman is only interested in getting him as a customer for her hair recovery business, but in the Hindi rewrite they use a student who is sexually aggressive but drops the hero after she gets a pass to graduate.

Although this was the film that inspired this blog it was the last I actually saw and only because my daughter, Heather gave me a subscription to Hotstar, a streaming service specializing in films and sports from India.  Ayushmann Khurrana has seen his career boom with a series of well accepted roles. The hero is sensitive after childhood sweetheart dumps him because of balding head.  Ironically he works for a cosmetic firm that is very concerned about appearances including baldness and darkness.  Several desperate attempts to deal with his baldness lead to interesting plot developments culminating with his former girlfriend who is a lawyer defending him against a breach of marriage contract because he lied about being bald.  Khurrana has appeared with both leading ladies in notable films involving shaming.  Yami Gautam and Bhumi Pednekar are both excellent actresses and add to the impact of this film.  Khurrana's character also plays a standup comic and he ends the film, fully bald pointing out that appearances whether baldness, fatness, darkness, shortness are not as important as character.

Learn more about one of Ayushmann Khurrana's previous movies about more serious discrimination:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html

 A previous blog dealt with Bollywood's obsession with skin color:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/08/bollywood-and-skin-colour.html 

It is common in most countries to borrow successful scripts from other languages.  India certainly does, but they have a closer source with multiple languages with viable film industries.  Original ideas/stories occur in their many different languages.

In some cultures baldness is viewed differently.  Yul Brynner wore baldness as a symbol of strength.  Black athletes are noted as masculine.  Appearance will also be a factor in how we judge others, but we should realize that appearance is superficial.

Ayushmann Khuranna; An actor to watch

Not as good looking or confident or even charming as Shah Rukh Khan, but Ayushmann Khurrana is very likeable, natural, and selects good movies often with a social message.

Ayushmann was born in 1984 in the city of Chandigarh.  He majored in English literature and took part in many college theatrical productions winning a few awards.  From there he worked as a tv host.

"Vicky Donor" (2012) was a big breakthrough.  He played a reluctant sperm donor.  Keeping it secret from his family to avoid embarrassment and later from a woman (played by Yami Gautam who with Ayushmann won a best debut award) he met at the bank.  As you might imagine there was a lot of room for humour which is very natural for Ayushmann, but it also had a few 'touching' moments that made it a memorable film for me.

After this he went into three movies that might be described as mediocre both in artistry and popularity.  "Nautanki Saalat" (2013), "Bewakoofiyaan"  (2013) with Sonam Kapoor and "Hawaizaada" (2014).  Not bad time fillers, but not much more.

Another breakthrough in 2015 with "Dum Laga Ke Heisha" that got a better than anticipated box office.  Ayushmann's character was persuaded to an arranged marriage, but his wife was overweight and better educated than him.  Bhumi Pednekar played his wife and won our admiration.  Eventually he adjusted for a not unexpected happy ending.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/a-feel-good-movie-little-off-beaten-path.html

Next release was "Meru Pyaar Bindu" (2017) with one of my favorite leading ladies Parineeti Chopra, but not particularly noteworthy.

Bhumi took on a socially progressive role in "Padman," (2018)  but has reunited with Ayushmann to help start a string of highly regarded films with "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan" (2017)  In this film Ayushmann plays a man with erectile dysfunction discovered before marriage.  His wife bears with him through several failures.  

Next up for Ayushmann was "Bareilly ki Barfi"  (2017) a popular romance comedy with Kirti Sanon and Rajkummar Rao.  It won a best screenplay award.
 
For 2018 Ayushann played a blind pianist in "Andhadun" (2018) which had one of the highest ratings ever for a Bollywood film.  It was considered a combination of thriller, comedy and a bit of romance.  Tabu, playing a murderess was brilliant.  see more of her:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/12/tabu.html  Radkika Apte provided a little romance.  The film is full of twists with a little gesture as the camera fades makes you wonder if you can believe every thing you had just been told. The editing decisions of  co-writer Pooja Ladha Surti added to the suspense.  Written and directed by Sririam Raghaven who had done "Ek Hasin Thi" (2004 ) and "Badlapor" (2015).

Another hit follows with "Badhaai Ho" (2018) where Ayushmann's mother gets pregnant in her 50's.  Sex is not seen as normal for elderly.  Not seen, but assured it is very funny and in the end  an enjoyable family film.  Has done very well at the box office.

2019 looks to be another busy year.  He is scheduled to have three films released.  The first is "Bala" with Bhumi Pednekar for September.  Next is another romance comedy, "Dream Girl" with Nushrat Bhuarucha for November.   Also included is "Operation Kukri" with Shah Rukh Khan who also will write the script.  It is about a military event when the Indian army was involved in liberating hostages in Sierra Leone in the summer of 2000.

Ayushmann has written a few songs and sings in film and live.  As a host he was personable and spontaneous enough to get an opportunity with movies.  His future looks very bright.

Still another blog on an Ayushmann film, "Article 15" is here http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html

A feel good movie a little off the beaten path Dum Laga ke Haisha

How do you feel about arranged marriages?  We all like to think love conquers all and love to see it come true on the movie screen.  Reality for some is not so scripted.

In 'Dum Laga ke Haisha" Prem, in his twenties is puttering around in his father's music cassette business which is having financial problems.  The father is looking for a way out.  They approach the local temple for some guidance seeking a bride who can earn some money for their son.  They find Sandhya who has two strikes against  her in Prem's view--she is overweight and she is better educated.  Nevertheless Prem's parents seeing her job prospects and her pleasant demeanour push him into the marriage.

The first night after their wedding is very awkward and the next morning Sandhya tells a friend by telephone that the marriage was not consummated and his family overhears.  Prem is upset being forced into this arrangement and eventually both want to end the marriage.  Taken to a divorce court the judge decides they must live together for 60 days and then he will grant a divorce.  In the meantime Prem fails for the third time an English exam while Sandhya gets offered a teaching job out of town.

Yes, there are lots of little details and they gradually become more respectful of one another.  The climax comes from what might seem a sexist event where there is a race with husbands carrying their wives over an obstacle course.  This is referred to throughout the movie as Prem's parents took part in this annual event many years before.  It seems an humiliating event for the oversized bride but three factors bring about the choice to enter.  An aunt who had been abandoned by her husband a decade before learns of his death and regrets that she never enjoyed her marriage and urges her nephew and Sandhya to do something together while they still can.  Prem has regularly attended a club where fitness is encouraged and other members are taking part in the race. There is a monetary prize that could be a big incentive, but really that seems impossible.

The race will be no surprise for romantic viewers, and it does lead to a greater appreciation of each other from the couple.  Hope I haven't spoiled the ending, but it does fit the happy ending romantic genre.

Set in the 1990's in Haridwar, India with a lot of attention paid to the environment.  Haridwar was noted as one of the holiest cities in India, but there are few indications of that.  Cassettes were being replaced by compact discs.

Ayushmann Khurrana made a great impression in "Vicky Donar" and then appeared in three non impressive movies in a row.  Here he is offered an unusual pairing--not the sort you associate with big heart throb movie stars, but in accepting this role he probably did advance his career.

Bhumi Pednekar makes her film debut and portrays a woman who has been humiliated, but has lots to be proud of.  For this one movie she takes on the leading lady role and shows she deserves it.  Her acting skills will earn her more movie roles.

The supporting cast does a capable job. Sanjay Mishra is making his mark in character roles, although not too long ago he was the leading subject of "Ankhon Dekhi."

Sharat Katariya the director and writer deserves the most credit.  This is only his second movie as director, but he has been involved as writer in a number of films.  Relatively short by Bollywood standards with just enough scenes to convey the tensions and disappointments without belabouring them.

Kumar Sanu is at the very beginning on tape representing a big playback singer of the time and near the end sings live before the contest.  This part of the movie is nostalgia as Kumar was a playback singer for over 400 movies including two of my favourites, "Diwale Duhainia Le Jayenge  and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai."


Editor Namrata Rao kept the flow under control  Edited for some other favourites," 2 States" and "Kahanni."  Currently edited  box office hit, 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!"

This low budget film was chosen for the closing night at the New York International Film Festival on the same day May 9th as I write about it.  Incidentally the Hindi title is translated into English as "My Big Fat Bride."--not sure if it is literal.

Another feel good movie with Ayushmann Khurrana is "Vicky Donor  It is about a reluctant sperm donor who hides his source of money while courting a bank employee.  There is lots of comedy, but at the end is very heart warming.

Read more details at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3495030/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_1

Another blog on Ayushmann is here:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html