By Vedika Mandapati
Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan takes Bollywood leaps further in its acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community through the love story of Kartik and Aman. Kartik, having ‘come out’ to his parents at a young age, is unabashedly proud of who he is and convinces his boyfriend Aman to speak his truth to his small-town parents. The plot follows the adventures of the two as they try to convince a ‘conventional’ and uptight Allahabad family that homosexuality isn’t inherently wrong.
The movie is crafted in a typically Indian comedic style, with slapstick humor and exaggerated characters. It feels almost as though the cast wanted to normalize gay romance and portray it against the same background they would a straight one. It seems as though the team has pushed the plot so far into the forefront that they’ve ignored the opportunity to explore multiple perspectives consciously - as though they are gearing up to fold gay love into the Bollywood churner over multiple years.
The movie is a lighthearted one despite the sociocultural themes it navigates. I’d recommend it for anyone in need of a laugh this weekend!
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