Badhaai Do review: Rajkummar and Bhumi’s film outstanding performance
Badhaai Do check it out: Rajkummar Rao is in top form as a gay cop. Bhumi Pednekar also gives an outstanding performance.
So far, Bollywood’s obsession with using humor to tell stories about taboo subjects appears to be working well. When it comes to exposed issues like homosexuality. Films like Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and Dostana have relied on this concept and succeeded in sending positive messages. As a result, it’s not surprising that Badhaai Do uses a lighter tone to highlight an important issue.
Badhaai Do is the story of Shardul (Rajkummar Rao) and Sumi (Bhumi Pednekar), who are openly gay members of the LGBTQ+ community who live together as roommates after agreeing to a marriage of convenience. The film depicts how a person’s sexual orientation defines and determines their fate in society.
While Shardul, a police officer, and Sumi, a PE teacher, agree to this arrangement dubbed a lavender marriage to silence their families and avoid the constant pressure to marry.
The journeys they take with their respective partners eventually lead to several realizations about their realities.
Director Harshvardhan Kulkarni approaches the subject with maturity and sensitivity. And in his attempts to sound witty or add punchlines, he never trivializes the ordeal that homosexual people face.
There is an ease and comfort with which Rajkummar and Bhumi own and portray these parts onscreen. But while remaining true to their true identities, they continue to struggle in society to be seen as ‘normal people.’ That’s where Badhaai Do shines for me. It is not preachy or encourages homosexuals to rebel. Instead, the film depicts the real and actual evils they face daily in society and at home.
Another characteristic of the film that I liked is how Badhaai Do explores the dynamics of homosexual families, particularly those living in small towns. And shows how they deal with this profoundly ingrained stigma. There is a very realistic and relatable depiction of conflicts that arise within families. When a son or daughter wishes to come out of the closet – Badhaai Do shows how it is regarded as a ‘disease.’
The first half of Badhaai Do depicts the difficulties Rajkummar and Bhumi face. While remaining married and connecting with their true personalities and partners. In contrast, the second half focuses on attempting to de-stigmatize and normalize homosexuality for their families.
