Feb 28, 2014 02:27 PM
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(Updated Feb 28, 2014 04:29 PM)
SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS - MOVIE REVIEW
STATUTORY WARNING:
This reviewer will not delve too much into the story of the movie, reckons a one line description will do just fine. For filmophiles who have suffered for years at the hands of sadistic reviewers including yours truly, all SPOILERS are at the end i.e. are only for those already done watching.
STORY:
All about marital woes
INTRO:
One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry - OSCAR WILDE.
For the longest time, the institution of marriage has inspired, baffled and fascinated film makers world over. But of course, Indian cinema is no exception. Two films though have left a indelible impression on this reviewer.
One was Mahesh Bhatt's soul stirring ARTH and the other was Maniratnam's classic MOUNA RAGAM. Both films centered around the leading ladies and were acclaimed for the sensitive narrative style.
SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS is a more light hearted (albeit cliched) outing about marriage. Interestingly enough SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS is a sequel unlike any other. For one, it does not star the lead actors(Rahul Bose, Mallika Sherawat) from the original PYAAR KE SIDE EFFECTS. As it turns out, replacing the leads with Farhan & VIdya gives the film much needed gravitas.More on that later.
CAST AND CREDIT:
The film is technically top notch. The background score by Mikey McCleary deserves special mention for actually creating the right mood throughout the film as does the sound designer Udit Duseja.
The editing by Amitabh Shukla is razor sharp for most parts only slackening towards the end of the film (it is about 20 minutes too long). Like in the original, PYAAR KE SIDE EFFECTS, even here the soundtrack does not disappoint and the music by Pritam is quite pleasing and goes without saying that the song Harry is not a Brahmachari (penned by the inimitable Amitabh Bhattacharya) is chart buster material.
Thankfully, the director shows a penchant for picturising songs and as a result, even songs that come abruptly do not cause boredom. The cameraman Manoj Lobo does a fairly good job though it is not awe inspiring. As with most projects that Farhan Akhtar is involved with, the production values here are superb
The other common thread between the first film and SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS is its great tongue in cheek humour and rib tickling dialogues. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that the lines credited to Arshad Sayed are the mainstay of this enterprise.
The same cannot be said about the story, script & screenplay. (by the director Saket Chaudhary along with Zeenat Lakhani & Arshad Sayed) As mentioned earlier as well, the second half lacks the chutzpah of the first half.
One reason is that a lot of the nok-jhok we see between the lead is cliched and seen before( Hubby loves football, video games, wife loves ABHIMAAN) The bigger reason is that post interval, too many badly written characters are introduced making the latter half of the film less impactful and the climax seems too tame and contrived as well.
The best part about SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS is the crackling chemistry between the lead pair and no wonder that the first half (where the focus is on them) is brilliant. Vidya Balan does a fairly good job though she is little handicapped by the fact that her role is too one dimensional. The crowd pleasing as also the best written role is clearly Farhan's and he grabs the opportunity with both hands.
Post BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG, he essays another tough role with great aplomb. I say tough because, one the film rides almost entirely on his shoulders and two, doing comedy is not a joke. The downside of this is that almost no other actor leaves a strong impression on the audience.
From Ila Arun (the way her role ends is not satisfying) to Vir Das (who seems to have walked in from the sets of GO GOA GONE) to Purab Kohli( should have been left out on editing table) and even the usually reliable Ram Kapoor is let down by a badly conceived role.
The direction by Saket Chaudhary is assured and deft and compared to his debut, he has grown by leaps and bounds. He gets most things right for most part of the film only losing grip towards the end. One looks forward to see what he comes up with next.
At intermission point, one felt elated feeling that SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS was going to one of the best of 2014. But in the second half more especially the last 20 minutes, the director and the writers seem to be in a quandry not knowing how to inject drama into the ongoing shenanigans. Thus, one can safely conclude that this is a middling to good effort. Nothing more, nothing less.
RATING: 3.5/5
SPOILERS.
BEST SCENE:
Almost every scene of the baby growing up is hilarious but the pick of the lot would have to be the one where Farhan's friends from his rock band come over to his place to watch a football match. It is a scene that will resonate with most husbands in urban India.
BEST DIALOGUE:
Again given the number of very funny dialogues in the film, this is tough to pick but I would have to go for the scene where Farhan falls off the bed and Vidya remarks about him making too much noise while falling off. Farhan's reaction is worth the price of your ticket.
BEST SONG:
No prizes for second guessing this, HARRY IS NOT A BRAHMACHARI is clearly the one. The choreography, the nasal vocals, the fundoo lyrics and the thumping music make this one a rage.
