Movie Review: Badhaai Do (2022)
Badhaai Do (streaming on Netflix)
Runtime: 2hr 27min
Starring: Bhumi Pedneckar, Rajkumar Rao, Chum Darang
Summary
Heartfelt, sensitive, well-acted and insightful to the problems faced by LGBT folks in India, I found this movie enjoyable and quite refreshing. ♦♦♦♦
Review
The pressures to conform to a heteronormative society with strong gender norms and roles are taken as a given in the context of this movie. Both main characters live closeted lives but want to find love for themselves as well. All the actors in the leading roles are straight, but such is the state of the film industry in India at the moment, though it might be changing as we speak. That said, the performances were strong, convincing and drew you into the inner lives of both leads, especially Sumi (Pedneckar), who, even though she had to hide her girlfriend from the neighbours (one of several runnings gags is that her girlfriend is a “cousin”, but precisely of whom no one is ever really sure of), seems more assured and unashamed of who she is than her husband-in-name Shardul (Rao).
One of the good things about having a storyline in which both leads are closeted, is that it provides for the possibility of having at least two coming out scenes. And this film takes advantage of that and uses one character to illustrate an “outing” that is the stuff of nightmares (*spoiler alert*) when they are discovered in bed with someone of the same gender, and the other character to give voice to the moral conscience, authenticity, self-respect and love for others that is the basis of many a coming-out.
[SPOILER ALERT]
The ending of this story is what I would call a very Asian compromise situation, much akin to several true-life stories about “coming home” instead of “coming out” (discussed in this article). [BIG SPOILER]. The couple, who remain in their “lavender marriage” for the sake of the successful adoption of a child, are in this lavender marriage in name only, subverting the notion that a lavender marriage is a “marriage in name only”. This is played out in the final scene where the parents of both Sumi and Shardul are present at the adoption ritual of the child, and give their support to their children’s respective same-sex partners in the presence of other members of the community including Shardul’s superiors at work. This effectively renders the lavender marriage no longer a secret, boldly turning it on its head while at the same time conceding that sometimes maintaining harmony in the larger picture is still very important in some cultural contexts.
Conclusion
It’s a bittersweet and realistic ending that acknowledges the difficulties of being LGBTQ+ in India, while still offering hope and acceptance. Overall, Badhaai Do is a well-crafted and engaging film that tackles important themes with sensitivity and nuance, and is definitely worth a watch!