Veere Di Wedding Review: Effortlessly fun feminism

In the last decade or so, something changed in Bollywood. The films increasingly became about people like us. And they did, and are continuing to do, well. In other words, normal is the new glamorous. And when seeing it translated onto screen, you do realise – the life of the urban Indian is pretty damn rich. And by rich, I dont just refer to material wealth, but also the wide variety of social interactions, the opportunity for hustle, the historical and culture oozing city scapes, the constant promise of genuine emotional connection and headiness of being carried off with a very pleasant current of the times where the best of things can be possible.

Veere di Wedding takes the depiction of normal one step further: There is no sanitisation of characters, they are portrayed exactly as many in urban India today are. Cussing, partying, sexing, smoking, drinking people. But here's the rub. That's the character defintion, that's not the story. And this definition is essential because, whether we like it or not, it does represent a departure from what is expected of women and helps in building a sharp contrast against the occurences in the characters' lives, in this fun, lively and happy film.

The four 'Veere' as they like to call themselves, are having a reunion as one of them – Kalindi – played by Kareena Kapoor Khan is getting married. She's shown to be a easy going, cool girl, who is living with her boyfriend in Australia but is getting cold feet about her marriage. It has to do with her fear of marriage in part, but also to a great extent to her discomfort with the way the entire wedding process is playing out. As minimalistic as she is with her own style, her would be West Delhi mother in law insists on turning her into a 'fairy princess' for the engagement ceremony, which takes place on a crescent moon shaped seat amid a garish wedding decor.

Then there is Avni, played by Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, the divorce lawyer who is cracking under pressure to get married. While her mother, played by Neena Gupta (lovely to watch after a while), keeps suggesting men for her, Avni isn't truly interested in getting married. She has a career, great friends and hook ups, embarassing as they maybe. Its a classic place where many men and women find themselves at a stage in life, only to finally muster enough honesty to question whether what they are supposed to want is actually what they do want.

Sakshi Soni is played with aplomb by Swara Bhaskar, who is dealing with a potential divorce after a whirlwind romance leading to a destination wedding and a life in London. Despite her devil may care attitude and desire to live life on her own terms, she too feels the sharp jab of the gossipy aunties who get some gratification from random speculations about the state of her marriage.

And then there is Meera, played by Shikha Talsania, the adorable friend who is the most sorted of the lot. Happily married to a white guy in the US, she has a 2 year old son. Her current problems are significant to her – no sex in her marriage and post baby fat – but she manages them well. She too, has an enduring social battle though, with her family not accepting her atypical choice of partner resulting in an estrangement from them.

 

Despite being pit against societal expectations for their unique reasons, the 'Veeres' gain solace, strength and acceptance through eachother, which makes them so much more capable of dealing with their situations. And that is the underlying beauty of the film. This is not a stereotypical situation where women display active, or passive-aggressive competition with each other but are a loving, whole hearted bunch. And the men? They are there. But these damsels need no saving by them. In fact, Avni's regretful hookup with a guy who refuses to be wished away, is not even given a name. He is just called Bhandari. And this is opposed to Rishabh, Kalindi's fiancee, whose full name (Rishabh Malhotra) is mentioned more than once. He even has a nickname his mother refers to him with (Shishu). Sweet as his character is, he too, has little to do with the ultimate resolutions in the film. The final wedding scene, with the gal pals providing the cover for the radient bride as she walks into the venue, is telling even as it is in the face, since this is a role reserved typically for the brothers.

The freedom from oppressive aspects of not just patriarchy, but also society at large is shown in the most matter of fact way in the film, which is quite pleasant. Even though women in urban India have claimed their freedom, recognised their ability and power and are going ahead and doing their thing, social structures are still far from coming to terms with it. This is exactly what is going on in the film.

And if this is not progressive enough, the film also has many smaller moments that relfect the emerging thinking. For instance, it is made quite evident that a gay couple is more nurturing to a young woman than her father and step-mom. No homophobia here. Then there is the questioning of weddings for display. Are social niceties really that necessay in the face of the burden you take on for a fantastic wedding affair?

The film is full of great moments and dialogues. Avni's questioning of societal double standards with '...aur Tees Hazari ki tawaif main', Sakshi's self reflection from the outsider's perspective as 'kalanki divorcee', Meera's desire for a child restrainer and the conversation on mastrubation are quite funny . These are also subjects that have probably never been talked about, at least with humor, in hindi films. There's also good acting, some thought- through styling, quick pace and catchy music.

But the film also has its flaws. The plot gets resolved too quickly and hurriedly. Kalindi's character is shown as one which internalises everything that happens around her, doesn't emote very much but reacts every once in a while. While some people are genuinely like that, it doesn't translate into a character with much to do on screen. A great performer like Kareena, could have been given more heft. And the two best songs in the film are reserved right for the end. I wish 'No one gives a damn' had been fit into a more prominent part of the film. Because that's what the ladies in the film are really saying – think and say what you want, we don't give a damn. Cheers to that.