Views And Review -Veere Di Wedding

When the trailer of Veere Di Wedding came out in May, and though it was not coming out from best of the production houses in the country, I thought the trailer had a quirk. Balaji Telefilms is known to draw up the worst regressive plots for the television, and Anil Kapoor productions - the last time they claimed to make a chick lit - they made an Aisha. However, the trailer looked good, and I did think Yogesh would not mind watching four good looking women on the celluloid.


The reviews that came out thrashed the movie. The reviewers said the movie does not pass Bechdel test. Bechdel Test is primarily conducted on movies and work of fiction to ascertain - if women play a significant role and interact with each other in the stories, and talk about anything other than men.

With such bad reviews, I had dropped the idea of watching the movie in the theatre, but a good friend asked if one can watch Salman Khan's masala flick then why not Veere di Wedding. It raises the question of why does one watch a movie, and the answer is entertainment. What else can explain the mindless movies that made it to the hundred crore club?

Then why do people expect a chick lit like Veere di wedding to pass Bechdel test or be feministic or compare it with Lipstick Under My Burkha with which it has nothing in common, except multiple female leads and the production house?  And with all those questions, in the spur of a moment, the ticket was booked in the second row for this chick flick.

There's some charm when you watch a movie in a house full theatre. I heard some loud cheer from the back seats, throughout the movie, attesting the fact the movie indeed had an audience, in all likeness to Tiger Zinda Hai or Grand Masti.

At the end of the movie, my husband said, "I think you liked the movie."

"It was okay, maybe decent."

" Afterall it's about four boisterous women."

I smiled because for him I am that unruly woman. Did I find myself in the shoes of the protagonists?  No, I don't think so. My life is quite different from these four women, their issues and not to forget their financial situations. However, I had fun.

A set of fearless women is a treat to eyes. These women smoke, drink, and swear; and at no point, they look vulgar.  But more than that they have an opinion, even if it is about men and relationships.  They are not bitches. They are best friends and anyone who wants get an idea of how women talk to each other- this could be their chance. To sum up, the characters are simply sensible modern women.

If comparatives are to be drawn with sex comedies such as Grand Masti or House full, the movie was several notches above in portraying the women and gay relationships. At no point, it indulges in male bashing, objectifying women, or making fun of the LGBTQ community. To be honest, I did think the movie would indulge in at least in one scene where it would mock Vivek Mushran and his partner. But there isn't and its a win, we might hope to have a better-focused movie on gay relationships in near future.

Swara Bhaskar proved mettle as an actor as she played the rich kid, with no holds barred. Shikha Talsania and Kareena Kapoor too don't disappoint. Sonam Kapoor -(sigh!), she will reach there in another four-five years.

Now before we move to shameless product plugging, one last thing, Veere di Wedding is a movie and not a book, it needs to be extensively edited to fit a particular runtime to be cost-effective and appealing to an audience. Therefore there are not as many dialogues which one could take note of, however again the one where Swara discloses how her relationship has gone to docks or when she repeats it to her parents, takes the cake.

So, yes the movie plugged lots of products. Air India, Bikaneri sweets, Oxford English Hindi dictionary, Bharat Matrimony, and Amul. Although I am not sure if Oxford and Bharat matrimony paid. But in a country like ours, where women in Bollywood struggle for meatier roles, one needs a viable model. The production would need to recover its costs, unlike Dil Chahta Hai which is held as best friendship movie ever had guaranteed returns, on the other hand, this movie is an out and out gamble. And guess what no one is troubled by all guys trip to Goa, in the spur of a moment.

So, yeah - to conclude the movie might pass Bechdel test because they do talk about other stuff, even though for a short time.

Yes, the movie could have been better so would Bajrangi Bhaijan or Tiger Zinda Hai could have been better.

And the final question - about feminism - the movie doe not identify itself or can be classified as core feminist movie, but I think makers were clear on that - the purpose of the movie was entertainment and not activism.

Last checked, the worldwide movie made hundred crores in collections. Go ahead Bollywood make some more chick lits - let us see more feisty women on screen. You have got an audience

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar

                                     ( Image Courtesy : Indiatimes.com) 


Today morning , as a part of routine TV was switched on and some music played on it. While we were doing breakfast , it played "Usne baat ki kuch aaise dhang se ", and memories flushed through mind .  There was time when kids in my school wrote these  lyrics and circulated  . Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar is indeed a timeless movie and a perfect response to Hollywood high school movies ( I know latter is not required to say) . As time has passed my out look to the characters of movie has changed , and rarely it happens in case of bollywood.

The movie is ace in locations, cast, compositions , storyline , and direction . Songs like Rooth ke humse jab chale jaoge or abhi toh khali hai haath have awesome music and lyric. The protagonist  is drop out in their class , is notorious to certain extent , and also  steals money. His brother however is a senior lad who is passionate about cycling and is also an athlete. The younger brother has no inkling to carry on his brother's legacy until circumstances push him to that extent. 

During the 90s, I would feel bad for Amir Khan, and would whine over presumed partiality of his father over him.  But then I grew up, one doesn't get to remain child forever. The movie was again played on TV,  I suppose somewhere in 2007. At that point of time I saw my younger sibling sobbing at the treatment vented out Amir in  one of the scene by his father ( Apparently Kulbhusha Kharbanda is angry with him over mismanagement of money)  . At that point, I had moved into the shoes of Moumin Khan, who was also my crush during childhood days. The elder brother must do the tight rope walk in keeping the house together and managing the Generation Gap . Mind you in one of the scenes he exposes his brother to father while in another fights the students of rival school for his brother.  I told my sister over my new found perspective of the movie .We had a good laugh and discussion.

There are quite outstanding scenes in the movie . The party scene where a person gets angry at Amir on late delivery of repaired car and Amir is still able to convert an unfavorable situation in his favor . In another scene , Deepak Tijori and his friends who are responsible for Moumin's fall visit him at hospital , Oh! not to apologize or to know the damage isn’t much but to threaten him. 

In the end Amir Khan wins the cycling competition. And since you know it, you hardly pay attention to Asrani’s  punch “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.”