Star
Cast:
Kirti
Kulhari,
Nivedita
Bhattacharya,
Medha
Shankar,
Rajan
Modi
Director:
Raj
Singh
Chaudhary
In
one
of
the
scenes
of
Shaadisthan,
the
female
protagonist
almost
goes
on
a
rant
and
chastises
a
traditional
woman
for
choosing
an
oppressive
life
of
serving
her
husband
and
daughter.
It
seems
that
the
woman
is
being
further
victimized
and
discouraged
for
opting
for
a
life
over
which
she
didn't
have
any
control.
While
the
message
of
this
scene
is
compelling,
it
does
not
come
across
as
convincing
and
rather
looks
like
conditioned
preaching.
What's
Yay:
The
Rajasthani
touch
in
the
music
and
Nivedita
Bhattacharya's
performance
What's
Nay:
The
shoddy
writing
and
lacklustre
handling
of
an
otherwise
riveting
subject
Story
The
plot
of
Shaadisthan
revolves
around
a
family
and
a
musical
band
headed
by
Sasha
(Kirti
Kulhari)
travelling
to
Ajmer
to
attend
the
same
wedding.
The
youngest
member
of
the
family,
Arshi
(Medha
Shankar)
aboard
the
bus
is
being
forced
to
get
engaged
and
married
off
by
her
conservative
father
after
she
turns
18.
What
follows
is
Sasha
helping
Arshi
and
her
mother,
Kamala
(Nivedita
Bhattacharya)
to
embrace
their
freedom
and
desires,
against
the
shackles
of
society.
Direction
The
plot
attempts
to
highlight
the
subtle
shades
of
patriarchy
and
the
oppressed
state
of
many
women
in
society.
However,
one
does
not
find
the
women
tackling
the
same
and
being
their
own
heroes
towards
their
journey
of
empowerment.
Rather,
they
are
constantly
being
jibed
at
and
are
further
patronized
to
wallow
in
their
pitiful
state.
Except
for
Nivedita
Bhattacharya's
character,
there
is
no
depth
or
clarity
in
the
other
protagonists
that
will
make
the
audience
empathize
or
connect
with
them.
The
writing
and
screenplay
look
half-baked
and
does
not
act
as
a
catalyst
in
putting
forth
the
message
of
the
story.
Except
for
the
ones
wherein
Nivedita
Bhattacharya's
character
acknowledges
her
suppressed
yet
fulfilling
life,
other
dialogues
come
across
as
stereotypical.
Kirti
Kulhari
as
Sasha
tries
to
do
justice
to
her
character
of
that
of
a
free-spirited
musician
who
wishes
to
live
her
life
on
her
own
terms,
but
one
has
seen
better
performances
delivered
by
the
actress
in
her
earlier
works.
She
tries
to
put
her
best
foot
forward
but
the
fact
that
her
role
comes
across
as
overly
condescending
and
preachy
at
times,
does
not
help.
Medha
Shankar
as
Arshi
delivers
the
emotionally
high
moments
of
her
character
well,
but
she
still
has
more
room
to
perform.
Rajan
Modi
as
Arshi's
conservative
father
looks
convincing
but
it
is
Nivedita
Bhattacharya
as
Kamala
who
emerges
as
the
star.
She
brings
out
the
vulnerability
and
angst
of
a
woman
who
has
suppressed
her
desires
for
her
family
in
the
perfect
manner.
Be
it
admitting
that
she
wishes
for
a
2-day
vacation
away
from
her
family
or
accepting
unabashedly
to
be
conditioned
to
fit
in
with
the
norms
of
the
society,
Nivedita's
character
has
an
emotional
depth
that
lacks
in
all
the
other
characters.
Not
to
forget,
there
is
a
surprise
cameo
by
Kay
Kay
Menon
as
Tiger
that
is
delightful
to
witness,
but
was
not
quite
required
for
the
plot.
The
other
actors
playing
the
band
members
do
their
part
well.
The
cinematography
by
Sushil
Rajpal
captures
the
road
trip
perfectly.
The
picturesque
locales
of
Udaipur
and
Ajmer
add
to
the
setting
of
Shaadisthan.
Music
The
background
score
coupled
with
the
music
is
one
of
the
highlights
of
the
movie.
The
songs
'Yeh
Sach'
by
Munsheel
Gujral
and
'Leheriya'
that
is
an
amalgamation
of
Rajasthani
folk
music
and
contemporary
beats
are
worth
rememebring.
The
composers
Nakul
Sharma
and
Sahil
Bhatia
have
definitely
hit
a
high
note
with
this
one.
Verdict
Shaadisthan
if
dealt
with
more
intricacy,
could've
come
across
as
a
more
powerful
tale
of
empowerment
and
feminism.
Despite
the
message
falling
flat,
watch
this
one
for
the
honest
performances
and
the
refreshing
music.
We
give
Shaadisthan
2
and
a
half
stars.