TheReviewMonk
Badhaai Ho backdrop
19 October 2018Hindi125 min

Badhaai Ho

6.621 reviews
CriticsRecommended

Bayesian avg · 21 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

7.45 ratings
UsersRecommended

User Score · avg of 5 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

Top Cast

A man faces embarrassment in the society when he finds out his mother is pregnant

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Badhaai Ho is broadly positive, with most reviewers praising its ensemble performances — particularly from Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta — and its warm, slice-of-life handling of an unconventional subject within a middle-class family setting. The writing and the film's ability to generate both comedy and emotional resonance were frequently highlighted. Common criticisms include a loss of momentum in the second half, a tendency toward convenient sentimentality in its resolution, and, notably, the film's failure to centre the mother's own perspective despite her pregnancy being the core premise.

21 reviews · 16 positive · 2 mixed

Praised: ensemble performances and writingCriticised: weak, sentimental second half

AI-generated summary of 21 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (21)

Raja SenTop Critic· Hindustan Times
7.0
"Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra's film is a fine, funny film about family and accepting an unfamiliar situation."
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Shubhra GuptaTop Critic· Indian Express
5.0
"Badhaai Ho doesn't quite know what it wants us to do more, laugh or cry. And parts of the film sink into sitcom flatness, especially when Sikri overdoes her grumpy 'saas' act, though some of her lines are laugh-out-loud."
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Rachit Gupta· Times Of India
8.0
"'Badhaai Ho', much like its subject, puts a fantastic new spin on the usual. In a new-age rom-com, you'd expect Ayushmann and Sanya's love story to take centre stage, but when you see the middle-aged parents blush with romance, the entertainment really becomes novel."
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Kunal Guha· Mumbai Mirror
8.0
"This socially-awkward construct lends itself to such compelling material that even a compilation of reaction shots would suffice. But writers Shantanu Srivastava and Akshat Ghildial capitalise on the uneasiness of being in this pickle to script hilarious sequences that would leave you in splits."
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Devesh Sharma· Filmfare
8.0
"...watch Badhaai Ho for its unique take on the family film sub-genre, as also for some paisa vasool acting by the entire cast. Congratulations indeed to director Amit Ravindernath Sharma for making a hugely entertaining film."
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8.0
"'Badhaai Ho' is seasoned with a certain 'Delhiness' and is weaved together with lots of fun, laughter and a fine insight into traditional relationships in modern India. This one is a must watch."
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BH
Critic· Bollywood Hungama
7.0
"BADHAAI HO is not a laugh riot but emerges as a complete family entertainer with emotions as its USP. The film leaves you with a smile and at the box office, it is at an advantage. It releases during an extended weekend and families are bound to come in large numbers. It's surely a 'Badhaai Ho' time for the makers and investors!"
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"Badhaai Ho is a sweet little gem informed with gentle wit and infectious warmth. The slice-of-life storytelling, which is appreciably enhanced by solid performances from a wonderful cast, is marked by control and sensitivity."
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Pinkvilla Team· PinkVilla
7.0
"...manages to ruffle many emotions in us while keeping it engaging and progressive. It is definitely a circus, ticket to which you don't want to miss out on."
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Shrishti Negi· IBNLive
7.0
"Badhaai Ho is a smart and well thought-out movie which slightly suffers from unrequired melodrama in the second half, but overall it's as entertaining as you wanted it to be. Not a film to miss."
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Rahul Desai· Film Companion
7.0
"An Enjoyable, Well-Scripted Look At The Contrasts Of Social Stigma..."
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Meena Iyer· DNA India
7.0
"Amit Ravinderanath Sharma, who shot to fame with his Google ad a few moons ago and sank with his first Hindi film, Tevar (2015) is totally in command here. Aided by good writing and great performances, he clearly indicates that he can masterfully fix a human drama in a tight, two-hour frame and give the audience a film to remember."
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7.0
"Overall, Badhai Ho is a well-written, wholesome, entertaining film, simple and unpretentious, that tackles a serious subject comically, without losing out on entertainment or your attention."
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Anna MM Vetticad· Firstpost
7.0
"...what Badhaai Ho offers is precious - an insight into the lives of real people rather than glossed-up specimens of humanity that exist only in the imagination of commercial filmmakers..."
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7.0
"Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta shine in this charming, slice-of-life film that tackles the stigma attached to the intimate lives of older people..."
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FridayMoviez Reviewer· FridayMoviez
6.0
"This Dussehra, 'Badhaai Ho' seems a film to catch up with your family for sure."
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Mayank Shekhar· Mid-Day
6.0
"Badhaai Ho, on late pregnancy, is just as funny, and as much fun; even as the point of the picture might seem progressively belaboured"
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Suhani Singh· India Today
5.0
"Badhaai Ho, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Neena Gupta, is delightful in the first half but soon loses its fizz..."
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Nandini Ramnath· Scroll.in
"Great expectations are partially met in comedy about pregnancy...Amit Sharma's comedy explores the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy on a middle-class Delhi family."
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"It's ironic that a film that shows a 50-year-old woman getting pregnant makes it about everyone else but her. We see her pregnancy from the perspective of her husband, her kids, her mother-in-law and even the neighbour – everyone except her own. It is the film's one great failing. If you can forgive that, then "Badhaai Ho" is a satisfying ride."
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Namrata Joshi· The Hindu
"The film captures the little, seemingly insurmountable conflicts of a middle class family very well and also its self-righteousness when it comes to matters of sex and its hypocrisies in putting the mother on the pedestal. It's in conclusions and closures that things get out of hand. The convenient and sentimental "it's all about loving your family" route doesn't quite work with the otherwise cheeky tenor at the start of the film. If only it could have remained consistently so."
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
19 October 2018
Runtime
125 min
Language
Hindi
Genres
Drama, Comedy

User Ratings & Reviews

Users7.45 ratings

5 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (3)

It's been an eventful week with the Sabarimala issue & MeToo campaign creating waves across the nation. Bollywood has been at the centre of the MeToo campaign with Nana Patekar, Alok Nath, Vikas Bahl etc. being accused of having made sexual advancements towards their colleagues. But even as this issue is burning on, we had a couple of movies that had hit the screens this weekend. One of them happened to be Amit Ravindernath's "Badhaai Ho" which had quite an interesting trailer due to which I decided to check it out. Hope it wont be as mediocre as "Helicopter Eela". Nakul (Ayushmann Khurrana) works in a MNC & dates his colleague, Renee (Saniya Malhotra). He hailed from a middle class Delhi family where his father, Jeetender Kaushik (Gajraj Rao) worked in the Railways while his mother, Priyamvada (Neena Gupta) was a typical housewife who took care of her rather irritating mother in law (Surekha Sikri). Things moved along uneventfully in the household until Priyamvada becomes pregnant which her sons disapproved of as it made many of their friends & relatives to mock them. It even rocked Nakul's relationship with Renee & how he as well as his family comes to terms with the arrival of the new member forms the crux of the movie. After the forgetful "Tevar" that released in 2015, Amit Sharma is back this time with a story rooted in reality which is portrayed with a dash of humour. The major strength of the movie is the manner in which the situations are treated with sensitivity & realism and kudos for the script goes to Shanatanu Srivastava , Akshat Ghildial and Jyoti Kapoor. Amit deserves praise for having done justice to the script as it doesnt bore the audience even for a brief moment. On the technical side, Sanu Varghese's visuals were impressive while Tanishk Bagchi's music & Abhishek Arora's BGM was fine. Though Ayushmann might not be in the league of Rajkummar Rao, I have always been impressed with his choice of movies as he makes an earnest effort to dabble with various genres. More often than not, he invariably comes out in flying colours just like how he has done here & "Andhadhun" a fortnight back. It's been a while since we have seen Neena Gupta in a meaty role & she was brilliant as Priyamvada as her expressions more than effectively conveyed the emotions without having to use words. Gajraj Rao was fantastic along with Surekha Sikhri, who could have easily gone overboard but handled with elan. As for the rest of the cast, Saniya Malhotra continues to impress with each performance while Sheeba Chaddha was classy as usual. Verdict: It has all the ingredients that will make it endearing to the audience. In all probability, it should be a winner at the box office. Though we have had movies like "Pavithram" etc., this is an interesting movie in it own way. In short, definitely give it a try!!! Rating: 3.5/5 Regards...Ben

TEOct 2018

If you thought Sharat Katariya was the only master household storyteller (who directed Sui Dhaaga this year) then think again. In Badhaai Ho, director Sharma crafts comedy out of thin air; out of routine familial conversations, which is so sweet to watch that it melts in your mouth like the caramel popcorn you prefer while watching such comedy dramas. There is no shortage of such palpable moments in this honest drama that you will complete watching it with a big smile on your face. But, when you go in to watch Badhaai Ho this week, don't go in to be outsmarted by a relevant story, but instead go in to get your mind blown with a crispy drama that will make you laugh and cry - in a way that Bollywood hasn't been able to in a lot of years. TN.

Despite a fun and exciting ensemble film 'Andhadhun', Ayushmann Khurrana's "Badhaai Ho" is the best film I have seen this year. Most of it is predictable, but I never had as much fun, I never laughed as much hard in any film as I did watching this one. Amit Sharma, the infamous filmmaker of 'Tevar' has elevated the storytelling so much that the characters and scenes will truly stay in your mind even after years watching the film. It's surely a film which pinpoints the stereotypes and social, sexual stigmas hilariously. It's an enjoyable love story with effective writing, and always worth a revisit. I am going with 3.5 for 'Badhaai Ho'. Congratulations on watching the best Hindi entertainment ride of 2018, dear me.

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