AyushMANn’s movies: addressing our problems.
This decade gave us one of the best performers on the Indian screen — Ayushmann Khurrana. His selection of movies and portraying the characters with confidence issues and flaws created a niche for him. He is not only a bankable actor commercially but also does justice to the roles he plays. The audience and the critics alike appreciate him.
Feels like much of flattering? Okay, now let’s get into the content of his movies. I started watching his films from Andhadhun and went forth and back in his filmography. I’ll proceed with the sequence of his films starting from his debut, Vicky Donor.
Disclaimer: This content might contain words that aren’t recommended for children. Readers discretion is advised.
Vicky Donor:
Story of a young man who makes a deal with a fertility hospital for sperm donation. The infertility rate among the current generation is soaring high. This movie is not a satire on the youth’s living habits but reflects upon the issue rather sensibly.
Shoojit also adds a layer of cultural polarity between the two states on a lighter note (Those states are Punjab, sharing a border with Pakistan, and West Bengal sharing a border with Bangladesh, East Pakistan).
As I mentioned in another blog, this movie is dealt with much care and doesn’t cross the line of obscenity.
Bareilly Ki Barfi
Fresh rom-com directed by Ashwini Iyer Tiwari. This movie also has another charming performer, Raj Kumar Rao — you can’t stop appreciating his variations in the film. The film looks like a triangular love story — two boys falling for one girl, but also touches upon the insecurity issues in a relationship. Ayushmann feels insecure when Kriti gets closer to Raj Kumar Rao. This movie brings a smile on our face, just like our Oohalu Gusagusalade :)
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
A remake of Kalyana Samayal Saadham deals with erectile dysfunction — yet another problem faced by many. The movie has its moments while trying to be a comedy family drama. RS Prasanna dealt with the subject precisely as required. The target audience was urban multiplex cine-goers, and the usual treatment without any melodrama during the scenes of revelation worked out well. The director subtly uses metaphors like biscuit falling into the cup to depict his condition.
Andhadhun
My favorite in this list — dark thriller that gives an experience of playing a game. This movie is loosely based on a short film but has it all to be called a perfect thriller. It is rated among one of the highest-rated Indian films on IMDb. Strong performances and gripping screenplay with Beethoven’s music placed at one of the scenes brilliantly enacted by Tabu makes it a must watch for cine-goers.
Coming to the problem that the movie touches upon, it is going for our ambition no matter what! I stand by the notion that a movie can be immoral as far as it does its storytelling.
Badhaai Ho
How would you react if your parents expect another child when you’re in the age of getting married? You feel embarrassed, but why? This is precisely what the movie shows with the characters of parents played by Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta.
I am not talking about the embarrassment of Ayushmann but the backtalks and humiliation faced by their parents.
As soon as one gets married, their parents and society chase them for babies. But the same community isolates you, teases you when you expect a child after you hit 40 or 50.
Remember, humans collectively formed societies, not the other way around. So, as humans evolve, the norms of society should evolve.
Article 15
Intense movie on the most notorious issue that is plaguing us for many decades now — caste discrimination. I won’t give away much about this movie. An honest attempt and a clean movie that has its aim and doesn’t get us distracted even for a minute.
As per my knowledge, castes were divided based on the occupation many centuries ago. As we are evolving, if the boundaries and the discrimination still exists, it doesn’t make us sophisticated but inferior beings to wild animals.
Dream Girl
Loneliness — the issue that is most often ignored. We seek someone in our lives to talk openly about, to the fullest extent. But are we finding those soul mates in our proximity?
This movie points out this issue by making that one soul mate enacted by Ayushmann and the lone warriors from different backgrounds covering all age groups, including his father. The latter madly loves Pooja and decides to change his religion for her.
The movie is a satire on the loneliness issue and the way we seek an external member to listen to us, rather than look into ourselves.
Bala
Stop reading it now and remember the last time when you had a head wash, and you see a scary picture of your hair at the washroom drain? Hairfall, baldness — a genetic issue that cannot be escaped naturally at least for some years. I remember asking multiple times at the salon whether I’m going to be bald in the coming years. So, accepting the way we have led us to a happy life. Why do we always look up to some Instagram model for our looks?
Also, this movie addresses the glorification of being fair-skinned. At some point in our life, we’d have looked into the mirror and wished to be fair. Remember hearing “This girl is dark,” “This boy is dark” statements when someone in your proximity is looking at the photos sent for match-making?
Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
A mainstream movie on Gay relationship, this movie tries to be a family entertainer while addressing the issues faced by the LGBT community. Works at parts, but could be a better attempt.
This movie is light-hearted and doesn’t make us feel sad. Frankly, until the Supreme Court’s judgment on Section 377 that came out in 2018, I didn’t know that homosexuality in India is a crime. How cruel is it to criminalize them just on the basis of their sexual preference?
I thought of writing about this movie a little longer, but not now.
Coming to his recent outing with Big B, Gulabo Sitabo, I felt it dragged for the length. Bored in many places, but the movie has interesting characters, but it didn’t work for me.
I will get back soon with another blog. Happy reading :)
