Badhaai Ho Movie Story and Review

What happens when a couple in their 50s, in a moment of passion, end up having an unplanned pregnancy? That is the quirky, unusual story of 'Badhaai Ho'.
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Nakul Kaushik (Ayushmann Khurrana) cannot come to terms with the fact that his parents, father Jeetender aka Jeetu (Gajraj Rao) and mother Priyamvada (Neena Gupta) are going to have a third child. Nakul has an adolescent younger brother Gullar (Shardul Rana).


The film centres around the middle-class Kaushik family who live in Lodhi Colony, Delhi. The setup is perfect with 'Mata Ka Jagrata' songs, housewives playing housie/bingo, uncles dancing to 90s Bollywood tunes at weddings, prying neighbours and more.


The movie gets you engrossed in minutes as the couple discover that Priyamvada is 19 weeks into her pregnancy. The most hilarious parts in the movie are the ones where the couple has to share the 'good' news with their family and friends. In particular, the scene where Gajraj tries to awkwardly talk to his young sons, and later his mother (Surekha Sikri), will crack you up. He is so self-conscious that he can't look them in the eye, till they finally accept the news.



Gajraj portrays Jeetu with a vulnerability and innocence that creates an instant rapport with viewers. You want to empathise with the couple when they become victims of judgment from their immediate family members when they announce the pregnancy.

Priyamvada is at the centre of what follows, as a pregnant mother in her 50s. Along with the physical strains of pregnancy, comes an emotional strain and Neena Gupta delivers a well-balanced, measured performance. She is desirable, her husband reads out poetry to her behind closed doors and "applies red lipstick, although her sons have grown young", as her mother-in-law disapprovingly points out.

Surekha Sikri is appalled when she hears the news. She throws the usual mother-in-law jabs at Priyamvada, but stands up for her when the extended family express their embarrassment at the late pregnancy. One scene in the second half will warm your heart -- the conservative Sikri defending the couple saying it is not wrong to be in love or be intimate at any age.

Director Amit Sharma thoughtfully captures the love between the middle-aged couple as they steal glances at a wedding. In another track, we have Nakul in a relationship with Reene (Sanya Malhotra) and the awkward spat he ends up having with her mother (Sheeba Chadha). Sheeba appears in the film only for a few scenes and yet leaves a mark. She is a woman of few words and leaves a Maya Sarabhai impression.

The strength of the film lies in the script and 'Badhaai Ho', written by Akshat, Shantanu and Jyoti, explores an uncomfortable subject delicately. There is attention to small details like the steel water filter in their kitchen, the family visiting a local doctor at a small dispensary, aunts applying lipsticks to each other at a wedding, the Kaushiks driving a 13-year-old car, probably bought on the savings from the father's government job. The world they create in a Delhi colony is believable and the characters relatable.



Kudos to Ayushmann Khurrana for choosing unconventional scripts and hitting the bull's eye each time. Be it 'Vicky Donor', 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan', 'Andhadhun' and now 'Badhaai Ho'. We can't wait for his next pick.

Overall, 'Badhaai Ho' is a wholesome movie - Amit Sharma takes us on a laugh riot and packs in the right amount of emotional moments that leave a lump in your throat. Don't miss out on this unlikely family entertainer.

Middle-class families are often riddled with their own set of values and social systems. While pregnancy and motherhood are celebrated, subjects like sex and romance are talked about with a degree of embarrassment and awkwardness. The concept of 'Badhaai Ho', where a quintessential Delhi couple; parents to two adult boys (one of them is of marriageable age), get pregnant out of the blue, is just the sort of subject that can ruffle-up feathers within the middle-class family system.

Yet, this dramedy, based on children feeling terribly embarrassed by the outcome of their parents’ mid-age romance; with outsiders joining in the criticism, conveys some really progressive thoughts. The situational humour of 'Badhaai Ho' is complimented perfectly, by striking performances from Gajraj Rao, Neena Gupta and Ayushmann Khurrana.

This film is as funny as it is liberal. The conversation around the fact that romance and passion have nothing to do with age, make this film a stand out for many reasons.

The Kaushiks live in Delhi’s Lodhi colony, a run-of-the-mill setting, where family affairs can tumble into the next home through adjoining balconies and windows. So, when Jeetender and his wife Priyamvada find out about their unexpected pregnancy, the news spreads like wildfire. Neighbours get curious, but the knee-jerk reactions come from members of the Kaushik household.

The two sons are shocked by the fact that their parents still have an active love life (read: sex life), while the grandmom (Surekha Sikri) is appalled by the news, too. Steering clear of clichés and stereotypes, the writing of Shantanu Srivastava and Akshat Ghildial brings in some genuinely likeable moments.

The way the parents break the news to their family is hilarious. Priyamvada’s colony friends feel happy for her, while her own children are almost left red-faced by the news. The on-screen romance between the parents, replete with 80s and 90s romantic songs playing in the background, is absolutely endearing. The well-crafted dialogues add to the hilarity of the situations.

You don’t expect actors playing ‘mom and dad’ to have as much screen space as the young leads of the film, but director Amit Ravindernath Sharma actually puts the spotlight on senior actors Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta. Their romantic moments are the veritable highlight.

Same goes for their performances, too. Neena Gupta is excellent in her portrayal of the unsettled mother. Gajraj Rao’s performance is the best thing about 'Badhaai Ho'. In fact, he steals every scene that he’s a part of. Just his body language, mannerisms and expressions are enough to make you laugh out loud.

Not to be overshadowed, Ayushmann, too, is in top-form, playing the son who feels the brunt of the social pressure. So much so, that his relationship with his girlfriend, Reene (Sanya Malhotra) gets affected, too. Surekha Sikri, who plays the dadi, deserves a special mention.

She’s old-fashioned for various reasons, but when it comes to taking up for her bahu with a baby bump, she unabashedly tells the rest of the family that it’s admirable for couples to be in love and have “sexy” (meaning sex) at this age. Sanya Malhotra, who plays the girl with modern outlook, breezes through her role.

'Badhaai Ho', much like its subject, puts a fantastic new spin on the usual. In a new-age rom-com, you’d expect Ayushmann and Sanya’s love story to take centre stage, but when you see the middle-aged parents blush with romance, the entertainment really becomes novel.

The music by Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli and JAM8 is top-grade, too. Tracks like 'Badhaiyaan Tenu', 'Naina Na Jodeen' and 'Sajan Bade Senti' fit the mood perfectly. The film engages thoroughly, while still making a social statement. Even though the story has a limited scope, the detailed writing, the finesse of Sharma’s direction and some unforgettable performances, make this film an absolute winner.

Rating 4.5/5 It is a must watch.

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