Story
After
an
unsuccessful
attempt
by
his
family
to
fix
his
marriage
alliance,
Shardul
Thakur
(Rajkummar
Rao),
a
cop
comes
across
Sumi
Singh
(Bhumi
Pednekar),
a
physical
education
teacher
when
the
latter
lands
at
his
police
station
to
register
a
complaint
against
a
catfisher.
After
a
few
light-hearted
situations,
the
duo
end
up
getting
hitched.
While
their
respective
families
are
elated
to
see
their
kids
finally
settling
down,
there's
a
catch!
Shardul
and
Sumi
are
closet
members
of
the
gay
and
lesbian
community
and
have
knowingly
agreed
for
a
marriage
of
convenience.
As
the
newly
married
couple
walk
on
eggshells
to
keep
their
secret
hidden
from
the
world,
Sumi
falls
in
love
with
a
pathologist
Rimjhim
(Chum
Darang).
Soon,
the
latter
moves
in
with
Shardul
and
Sumi.
Meanwhile,
Shardul's
relationship
with
his
partner
Kabir
hits
a
roadblock.
What
follows
next
is
a
series
of
comical
errors
which
ultimately
lead
to
a
heartwarming
message.
Direction
After
Abhishek
Kapoor's
Chandigarh
Kare
Aashiqui
which
released
last
year,
Harshavardhan
Kulkarni's
latest
film
Badhaai
Do
is
another
positive
move
when
it
comes
to
depicting
LGBTQ+
relationships
in
mainstream
cinema.
In
an
industry
where
the
portrayal
of
gay
and
lesbian
relationships
have
been
miniscule
on
screen
and
at
times
used
to
evoke
laughs
at
the
expense
of
the
community,
this
Rajkummar
Rao-Bhumi
Pednekar-starrer
makes
for
a
good
conversation
starrer
in
the
living
rooms.
Exploring
the
theme
of
lavender
marriage,
it
poses
some
relevant
questions
which
needs
to
be
asked
to
the
society
at
large.
Through
his
queer
characters
Sumi
and
Shardul,
the
filmmaker
throws
light
on
how
everybody
in
this
world
doesn't
get
a
chance
to
live
their
true
identities
but
at
the
same
time,
he
also
emphasizes
that
we
are
defined
by
the
choices
we
make.
Kulkarni
who
earlier
helmed
the
2015
adult
comedy
Hunterrr,
deserves
full
marks
for
his
sensitive
gaze
while
telling
this
story.
Speaking
about
the
areas
where
Badhaai
Do
disappoints,
Harshavardhan
along
with
his
writers
Suman
Adhikary
and
Akshat
Ghildial
trip
when
it
comes
to
penning
a
screenplay
which
keeps
you
engaged
from
the
first
frame
till
the
last.
There
are
portions
where
dullness
seeps
in
and
despite
the
talented
cast
on
screen,
your
mind
drifts
elsewhere.
The
lack
of
taut
writing
makes
us
take
away
some
of
its
points
from
the
scorecard.
Performances
The
ever
dependable
Rajkummar
Rao
pulls
off
yet
another
convincing
act.
As
the
sharp-abbed
cop
who
once
dreamt
of
being
Mr
India,
the
actor
makes
you
laugh
and
empathize
with
his
character.
Watch
out
for
his
scene
with
his
on-screen
mother
(played
by
Sheeba
Chaddha)
towards
the
finale
of
the
film.
Bhumi
Pednekar's
portrayal
of
Sumi
makes
for
an
endearing
watch.
She's
a
knockout
performer
even
in
the
moments
of
silence.
Newbie
Chum
Darang
makes
a
confident
debut
as
Rimjhim
and
such
a
delight
to
watch
on
screen.
Seema
Pahwa
and
Sheeba
Chaddha
stand
out
in
the
rest
of
the
ensemble
cast
with
their
relatable
performances.
Technical
Aspects
Swapnil
Sonawane
makes
effective
use
of
his
camera
when
it
comes
to
capturing
the
beaches
of
Goa
or
the
soothing
view
of
mountain
landscapes
and
the
busy
bylanes
of
Dehradun
and
Mussoorie.
A
little
more
chop-chop
by
Kirti
Nakhwa
would
have
made
Badhaai
Do
a
more
appealing
watch.
Music
The
title
track
of
Badhaai
Do
crooned
by
Nakash
Aziz
makes
for
a
foot-tapping
wedding
song.
Arijit
Singh's
soothing
vocals
in
'Atank
Gaya' is
impressive.
Sasha
Tirupathi's
'Hum
Thay
Seedhe
Saadhe'
is
sheer
melody
to
the
ears.
Amit
Trivedi
and
Neha
Kakkar's
'Gol
Gappa'
is
an
average
listen.
Ankit
Tiwari-Nikhita
Gandhi's
'Bandi
Tot'
catches
your
attention
with
its
quirky
lyrics.
'Hum
Rang
Hai'
talks
about
embracing
all
kinds
of
love
while
'Maange
Manzooriyan'
is
another
loop
worthy
song.
Verdict
"Apni
yeh
duniya
utni
haseen
hai,
jitni
hai
haseen
hum
hai,
Jahaam
pe
bhi
tu
hai
jahan
pe
sukoon
hai,
ab
toh
wahin
hum
hain."
Rajkummar
Rao-Bhumi
Pednekar's
Badhaai
Do
drives
home
a
strong
message
that
love
has
no
labels.
In
the
two-hour
'satrangi'
journey
with
this
duo,
a
few
colors
fade
off
in
between
due
to
clumsy
writing
but
by
the
end
of
it,
the
film
earns
some
'badhaai'
for
normalizing
and
celebrating
queer
love.