Movie Review — Bareilly Ki Barfi
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Rajkummar Rao
At a time when we are grappling with gender issues such as female students adhering to ‘decent’ dress codes, a ‘secret superstar’ who has to hide her identity for fear of male wrath, and women being questioned as to why they need to be ‘outside’ late at night; Bareilly Ki Barfi (BKB) comes as a breath of fresh air. What struck me first and most about the movie was the manner in which the female protagonist had been portrayed. Kriti Sanon’s Bitti is no sniveling, suffering, sacrificing devi. She is, instead, badass and bindass. Now that is not a new portrayal of a female lead in Bollywood, mind you. But what makes BKB stand out; is the fact that the movie is not judgmental about those who repress women, nor does it have the fierce resentment and anger of Lipstick Under my Burkha (LUMB). Instead, it disarms the regressive by simply letting Bitti be. Her dad accepts her exactly as she is, and so does the male protagonist. Where movies such as LUMB, Daman, Lajja and Angry Indian Goddesses might make the conservative feel defensive, this movie gently prods them to be open to a different way of thinking.
That said, the witty dialogues had me in splits for most of the movie. The storyline, of course, is flawed in multiple ways. Why, for instance, wouldn’t you reveal your true identity to the love of your life in private, instead of doing so in front of her family? But, for a change, I barely cared about the inconsistencies that were necessary to keep the storyline moving. I also didn’t care that the music was forgettable. I focused, instead, on the adorableness of the characters, their hilarious dialogues, and their seemingly simplistic yet deep interpretation of life.
I usually dislike the Tanu-Weds-Manu type of movies, and was totally expecting BKB to be on those lines. But surprise, surprise! With a somewhat similar backdrop, this movie managed to charm and disarm.
All in all, a must-watch. I’ll be going for second helpings!
