In fact, given the strict class structure and boundaries of Indian society, it’s an unlikely love story. To say that Sir is an unusual love story is an understatement. The strong female characters who also figure into this tale just add to the general delights. There is a message in the film, if you really want to look for it, but really, watching Gulabo Sitabo is like watching two old rivals go at it again, smiling at the small digs and the game of one-upmanship between them. A government archaeological agency and lawyers get involved. Meanwhile Mirza goes around stealing knick-knacks from the mansion and the many renters who live in the sprawling grounds, and getting into bickering matches with particularly irate renter Baankey Rastogi (Ayushmann Khurrana). Fatima Mahal is named for the elderly Fatima Begum (Farrukh Jaffar), whose not-so-young husband Chunnan “Mirza” Nawab (Amitabh Bachchan) is waiting for her death so that he can inherit the mansion. The story revolves around a crumbling mansion called Fatima Mahal in Lucknow, a city once known for its splendor and genteel culture. This film is writer Juhi Chaturvedi’s love note to her former hometown of Lucknow, and is capably directed by her longtime collaborator Shoojit Sircar. The true pleasure of Gulabo Sitabo lies in its language. Thappad’s message resounds loudly even after the credits roll.
Although the movie is filled with solid performances, it’s the small moments between characters that stay with you: A domestic worker wondering that even her employer can face domestic abuse Amrita’s parents’ discussion on the ambitions that Amrita’s mother had to give up the quiet dignity with which family friend Shivani Fonseca (Dia Mirza) says that she won’t lie, especially in front of her teenage daughter. Stunned, Amrita starts to reassess her life, as family and friends counsel her with differing advice. When Amrita tries to intervene, Vikram slaps her in front of everyone. During a party at their house meant to celebrate his success, Vikram finds out that he’s been passed over for the promotion, and gets into an argument. Amrita Sabharwal (Taapsee Pannu) is happily married to Vikram Sabharwal (Pavail Gulati), an executive who is angling for a promotion at his firm. You can’t help but connect with his conundrum, stuck between his parents and his lover.Ĭan a husband slapping his wife once be grounds for a divorce? While exploring this question, Thappad manages to look at the many ways in which women negotiate their roles as wives, mothers or friends. In trying to reflect traditional-minded attitudes towards homosexuality, some of the scenes played up for laughs can be regressive, but the strength of the film is in its actors, particularly Kumar.
When Aman’s conservative parents fix his wedding with a family friend’s daughter, Kartik joins Aman on the trip home. Kumar plays Aman Tripathi, a man originally from not-so-small town Allahabad who lives with his lover Kartik Singh (Khurrana) in New Delhi. In Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, the issue at the heart of the rom-com is a gay couple trying to get the acceptance of their family. Kewalya had written Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan (2017), which also starred Khurrana opposite Bhumi Pednekar, and looked at the constructs of masculinity and female sexuality while delivering the laughs expected of a rom-com. Here are our picks for the 10 best Bollywood movies of the year:Įxpectations were high for this film written and directed by Hitesh Kewalya, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao. Despite the strangeness of 2020, here are 10 Hindi-language films, in no particular order, from this year worth adding to your watchlist-if you haven’t seen them already, that is. However, as the pandemic rolled around and theaters shuttered, some blockbuster-style films ended up holding off theatrical releases altogether (such as the much anticipated Sooryavanshi and ’83-now slated for 2021 releases) while others went the streaming route. The year started strong, with several high profile projects making it to movie theaters and receiving critical acclaim as well as box office success. Entertainment industries around the globe found themselves having to negotiate new realities in 2020.