At one point watching Badhaai Ho, I laughed so hard that I fell off my chair and rather than adhere to social decorum and get up quickly, I decided to savor the moment by staying on the floor and continue laughing for a good two minutes like the pathetic mess I am.
Badhaai Ho is THAT funny.
Nakul Kaushik and his teenage brother are caught up in the all-consuming vortex of their middle-aged parents’ pregnancy. Their lives are devastated and to make matters worse are their neighbors, friends and distant relatives whose unwarranted, snide jibes – which are often fucking hilarious – provide further anxiety to the already anxious Kaushik family.
A story about a sansakari, middle-aged Indian couple that gets pregnant makes for a great anecdote but to flesh that out into a feature film requires finesse. And make no doubt about it, filmmakers Amit Sharma and screenwriters, Shanatanu Srivastava, Akshat Ghildial and Jyoti Kapoor have finesse up the wazoo.
Badhaai Ho is not only the funniest film to come out of Bollywood in ages but there’s also a special intelligence to the film and a hearth-like warmth.
The first half will leave you in stitches at the couple’s unusual predicament and all the jokes that ensue while the second half serves as one giant watershed moment for the Kaushiks. This aftermath, comprised of well-constructed scenes of familial unity despite all odds, will inevitably tug at your heartstrings and possibly urge you to cross-examine your own life’s priorities.
Everyone here is in top form including Bollywood’s (unofficial) Man of the Year, Ayushmann Khurrana, fresh off of the sleeper hit success of last month’s Andhadun, but Badhaai Ho squarely belongs to Neena Gupta and Surekha Sikri.
Neena Gupta delves deep playing a mother clutching at straws to keep her family together during tumultuous times while Surekha Sukri is a comedic genius portraying a temperamental grandmother whose tongue is laced with acidic bon mots.
Did they censor a lot in Kuwait? wanted to watch in cinemas but was afraid they would cut a lot.
Hey there Alphanso!
For some odd reason, I just noticed your comment! So sorry about that.
No, Kuwait thankfully didn’t cut ANYTHING significant from the film except for Ayushmann and Sanya Malhotra’s late night romp which didn’t take away anything from the film I’ve been told.
Hope you were able to catch it in theaters here.
Rashad.