Shubh Mangal Saavdhan

Superb movie. Very entertaining. Excellent screenplay and all the characters have done justice to their role!!!

Shubh Mangal Savdhan, a film by RS Prasanna, is a remake of his own Tamil film Kalyana Samayal Saadham. It is a light film on a serious personal issue. Unfortunately this 'very personal' issue cannot be dealt in isolation. Prasanna chooses to highlight the issue of Erectile Dysfunction through this film. Especially in India, where sex and sexual problems are not discussed very openly or people feel embarrassed to discuss their sexual issues and take medical help, such a taboo topic is discussed in the film which certainly is a welcome change. Survey figures say that more than 152 million men world-wide suffer from erectile dysfunction. Latest studies report that earlier it was more prevalent in older men, but these days, it is even very common in youngsters as well. Causes of erectile dysfunction can be due to nerve pathology or at times due to psychological and interpersonal issues. The film does focus on this issue that erectile dysfunction can have severe psychological consequences as it can be tied to relationship difficulties and masculine self-image. Prasanna's effort to explore sense of humour even amidst situations of gravity is good. The tone of the film is kept light and funny throughout. Humour in the script is brought in by using lot of cues, metaphorical references, double meaning jokes, although fall flat at times, but mostly it works in the favour of the film. Still, let me warn, some of you may not like the jokes and feel they are not appropriate. But, if taken in the good spirit, the dialogues are not vulgar. Mudit (Ayushman Khurrana) gets attracted to Sugandha (Bhoomi) and looking forward to express his love. But he somehow does not gather confidence to go to her and voice out his love for her. Sugandha certainly enjoys the attention showered on her by Mudit. She also expects Mudit to express himself directly, but Mudit and his family choose to send the proposal online. Sugandha finds it a very strange act since she wanted to fall in love and enjoy the whole process. She chooses to confront Mudit and their relationship kickstarts from there. Prior to engagement, during a private moment, when Mudit and Sugandha come closer, that is when Mudit confessed to Sugandha that he has 'gents problem' and it is illustrated visually on screen by a limp biscuit. What happens thereafter? Does Sugandha agree to get engaged to Mudit ? How do people in their lives react or respond, when Mudit's personal issue no more remains 'personal'? What happens when the family members and relatives also come to know of Mudit's plight and 'gents problem'? The premise of the film is simple. In fact the first half is developed nicely, where more focus is on the relationship between Mudit and Sugandha. But the second half nosedives and struggles to keep the humour quotient high. Fight between fathers of Mudit and Sugandha, ex-girlfriend of Mudit imposing her love upon him and the pre-climax scenes somewhere get overboard. But certainly Prasanna and his team must be applauded for choosing such a taboo subject and giving a hilarious treatment to the film. The best thing about Shubh Mangal Savdhan is that the setup, characters and dialogues all are believable. The film is shot in Delhi and Haridwar. The film does highlight the story of middle class families. The characters shown seem to be familiar. The characterization of Sugandha as an assertive yet sensitive girl is done well. Mudit's awkwardness and frustration is also very much relatable. The cast also blends beautifully with their respective characters. Ayushman's experimentation with unusual subjects is appreciable, be it his Vicky Donor, Dum Lagake Haisha, Bareilly ki Barfi or now the latest one Shubh Mangal Savdhan. Bhoomi is spontaneous in her performance. The pairing of Ayushman and Bhoomi is good. Seema Pahwa is excellent as Sugandha's mother. Brijendra Kala and rest of the cast Anshul Chauhan, Neeraj Sood and Chittaranjan Tripathy are also very good. An unconventional and funny take on erectile dysfunction in Shubh Mangal Savdhan evokes laughter. Humour in the script is brought in by using a lot of cues, metaphorical references, double meaning jokes, although fall flat at times, but mostly it works in the favour of the film. The premise of the film is simple. In fact, the first half is developed nicely, where more focus is on the relationship between Mudit and Sugandha. But the second half nosedives and struggles to keep the humour quotient high and consistent.

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan tries too hard to be perceived as a comedy drama, but all that it manages to do during its 100+ running time can be described as below average stuff. The central idea of a man (Ayushmann Khurrana) realizing that he has erectile dysfunction (ED) and that his fiancee (Bhumi Pednekar) tries to help him find a solution is pretty interesting, but that's all the film has in store for us. The treatment of the story - where not once do they mention ED or anything obscene - is the second best and the only satisfying thing about Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. The problem is that there is not enough content to fill the balloon here, and the few jokes and witty dialogues that have been sprinkled here and there fall short. Somewhere you get the inkling that this whole thing is going to turn into a mess, thanks to the over-decorated characters, and unfortunately that's what the climax is. Khurrana plays decently but Pednekar becomes nauseating as this typecast role that she's been playing ever since she entered Bollywood. Overall, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is a rushed effort at showcasing exaggerated buffoonery at an Indian wedding. There is no special need to appreciate this kind of hyperbole even if it's meant for humor. TN.

'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan' tackles a bold issue with a romantic touch. And its also yummily entertaining. What's not to like? Shubh Mangal Saavdhan directed by the debut director RS Prasanna is a family comedy dealing with erectile dysfunction. Yes- but you don't here these words ever in the film! Packed with searing affection for cinema's small-town entertainers, this Ayushmann Khurrana-Bhumi Pednekar starrer easily gets off the screens and creates magic. But the film is also filled with a lot of small town messaging clichés which entirely fill the contrived bits. It's also exhausting to see Brijendra Kala in more or less the same form as his many other characters. The family is filled with a clichéd persona. And that also means the film lacks in subtlety. But this is one messy film that is all heart! Its just a 3 for 'Shubh Mangal', with an extra half for Ayushmann's performance completing the 3.5 of the film. Make sure you make time for it.