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	Releasing On - 20-04-2024

Director: Maneesh Sharma

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra, Rishi Kapoor and Vaani Kapoor

So you see a girl and suddenly there’s a flutter in your heart. Chances are the girl fancies you too. It seems pretty much like the template of falling in love. But the real picture can be more complex than the first burst of pheromones. No wonder they call love overrated, because it’s just as easy to fall out of love as it is to fall in it. And then comes the mother of all complexities – marriage. That rush of blood in your young veins can dry up faster than your first mushy tweet. Shuddh Desi Romance (SDR) adds a spunky tadka to having cold feet before the wedding. Do you commit or do you not? Hamlet’s dilemma pales in comparison. And that’s exactly what makes SDR a super fun film.

Sushant Singh Rajput is about to tie the knot. He’s speeding towards his bride-to-be in a bus full of baraatis but his mind is uneasy. He tries to find solace by flirting with Parineeti Chopra only to realise he has serious hots for her. Nonetheless he controls his urge, fights the chemistry and decides to take the plunge with his bride in waiting. But then the doubt kicks in and Sushant flies the coop leaving the beautiful Vaani Kapoor settling for a cold drink instead. Characters in SDR behave in the least expected manner. You’d think a stranded bride with garland in hand would break into a bawling fit but she sits down and asks, “Koi thanda pilao!” Ninety nine per cent men will vouch that they secretly wanted to run away from their nuptials but didn’t for better sense. But Sushant Singh does just the opposite. Same goes for Parineeti Chopra who lets the smug Sushant into her heart and home, over a cup of coffee and a bowl of gulab jamun. Preposterous but interesting. People on the rebound tend to do that.

The characters’ quirky behaviour works because it’s outrageous. As if in a Woody Allen movie, they sit across the camera and explain to the audience why they behaved so. And that completes the whole set of innovative writing and direction that makes SDR so good. Jaideep Sahni is easily one of the best writing talents in our country. He needs to be employed more often. Some of the dialogue in SDR is just poetic. The one right at the end, where Sushant uses the allegory of a room and its door to explain the claustrophobic effect of commitment is just beautiful.

Maneesh Sharma is in his element when he’s weaving a story around great Indian weddings and like he did in Band Baaja Baaraat, he exhibits masterful control on the proceedings. The Jaipur setting, the outlandish characterisations and Sachin-Jigar’s rustic Indian music complements his storytelling efforts.

Part of what makes a successful movie is the cast. This is Sushant Singh Rajput’s movie. His character Raghu is the bundle of confusion, the young Indian man working purely on impulse. And Sushant is a rage in his role. He handles comedy and romance with consummate ease. And he looks orgasmic in slow motion romantic songs. Parineeti has already proved her talent. And in a perfectly nuanced performance she adds more power to her promise. If you thought she was just the bubbly types you need to see her indulge in some tasteful erotica. And then there’s the man in a professional purple patch like never before. Rishi Kapoor as a middle-aged wedding planner cum father figure is a text book of acting. He deserves a few awards and fat cheques. Vaani Kapoor who’s the lightweight in the movie, occasionally punches out even the leading man. Definitely one to watch out for.

In case you didn’t know it, there about two dozen or more kisses in SDR. Like always they titillate but here they are also a part of the neo progressive attitude of the characters. There’s an exchange between Rishi Kapoor and Sushant where the young man tells the older one to look for a new business. Because the business of weddings will soon run its course. It’s a hint at alternate couple partnerships like live-ins. Of how the youth just doesn’t want to conform to wedding, settling down etc. And that’s why SDR works. It plays out part fantasy and part reality. And it does so with the right amount of repartee.