Badhaai Ho [2018]

Language - Hindi
Director -  Amit Ravindernath Sharma
Run Time - 2 hours, 3 minutes
Genre - Drama/Comedy
Starring - Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao

It seems like Ayushmann is on roll and nothing can hold him back. He has been delivering splendid performances and collecting box-office moolah to augment to that.

In Badhaai Ho, Ayushmann plays a Nakul, a cliched middle-class chap, who lives with his parents, works a 9-5 job, and has a steady girl on the side (Sanya Malhotra). Everything seems to be going hunky-dory in his life, until one day he gets the biggest shock of his life. Turns out his parents have an active sexual life, and his mother is pregnant again at the age of 50. This sends the house into a tailspin, and soon everyone in the community gets to know as well, causing an embarrassment to Nakul and his younger brother Gullar.

This family drama keeps you pretty engrossed in the first half, as there is a good mix of comedy and drama, but it becomes pretty drama-heavy in the second half and it all feels a bit too jaded. Some moments are hilarious, and some, downright tear-jerking.

Though the star of the movie is Ayushman, I have to give applause to the performances of Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao as Priyamvada and Jitendra Kaushik, the doting couple. Both give strong performances with Neena Gupta giving a touch heavy emotional act, whereas Garjaj Rao makes us laugh with his nervy moments. Surekha Sikri as the dadi also plays her part aptly and Sanya Malhotra charms everyone with her bubbly persona.

I did not love the movie, neither did I hate the movie. It was a fun, decent, one-time watch which people can enjoy with their families.

My Rating - 7/10

Andhadhun [2018]

Language - Hindi
Director - Sriram Raghavan
Run Time -2 hours, 18 minutes
Genre - Comedy, Thriller
Starring - Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte

Watching Andhadhun is like taking in breathe of fresh air. Hilarious, and enthralling at the same time, this movie has to be one of my favourite hindi movies of the year. With an exciting plot filled with some highly astonishing twists and turns, and well-written motley crew of characters, Sriram Raghavan has churned out a highly entertaining film.

Ayushmann Khurrana plays the role of Akash, an aspiring piano player who has a huge secret. He pretends to be blind whilst he isn't and takes full advantage of having a disability. He witnesses a crime, and we have a comedy of errors thereafter with multiple characters involved, each having their own ambitions and motives. I don't want to write too much as there is a surprise waiting at the end of every scene.

Ayushmann has a knack of portraying oddball characters and he is impeccable in his portrayal of a pretentiously blind piano player here. His comedy timing is superb as well as his chemistry, albeit for a short while with Radhika Apte. I feel her character could have been given a little more depth though. Tabu, with a wide spectrum of emotions though, is the ideal antagonist and her performance was highly enjoyable. The rest of the ensemble cast carry out their roles in sync too.

At first, I thought the first scene of the movie was just to play a comparison of a blind rabbit and a blind man, but it was wonderful how it all came back to the start. Also, the movie ends on a cliffhanger, which I really love as the filmmaker opens his story to further interpretation.

Laughs galore, don't miss this gem of a black comedy.

My Rating - 8.6/10