There is nothing shuddh (pure) or desi (Indian) about the romance in Shuddh Desi Romance so don’t go expecting
a stereotypical Bollywood ending where the hero and heroine are united in matrimony.
Anything but.
In the years to come, this unconventional Yash Raj Films movie will be
remembered as the first Bollywood film to promote cohabitation (live-in
relationships). Yes, there have been films such as Salaam Namaste and I, Me aur Main
that featured cohabiting couples but never before has an Indian rom-com snubbed
marriage so effectively.
Shuddh Desi Romance would have you
believe that marriage is now a far less attractive prospect than it once was
for many young couples. You may even feel sorry for wedding caterer and decorator
(Rishi Kapoor) whose main business worry in the film is that traditional marriage
may be heading towards extinction.
To be honest, any film which brought together director Maneesh Sharma (
Band Baaja Baaraat) and screenwriter
Jaideep Sahni (
Chak De! India) couldn’t
really have been formulaic. In an
interview
to Reuters, Sahni said his films are about real people. His characters certainly
do not shy away from using the toilet. Indeed, much of the film revolves around
the bathroom break -- even the intermission gets renamed.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Shuddh
Desi Romance is the story of Raghuram, Gayatri and Tara and their
intersecting lives in the historical city of Jaipur. Raghuram or Raghu (as he prefers
to be addressed) is a tourist guide, part-time salesman and professional
wedding guest. Just before his own nuptials, Raghu meets Gayatri, who is also
in the wedding guest business and is being paid to pose as his sister. Soon,
our hero thinks he’s in love with the lively instructor at an English-language
school and forgets all about Tara, the woman he was originally supposed to
marry.
Doesn't seem much of a storyline to sustain audience interest for two hours.
But it surprisingly does. What eventually works for
Shuddh Desi Romance is its dialogue. Screenwriter Sahni is at his witty
best, effortlessly moulding situations and making his characters mouth
unexpected lines. Jaipur city is a character in itself and lends an aura of
authenticity to a well-shot film, one that depicts modernity trumping tradition
in an India that is still largely conservative.
Sushant Singh Rajput puts in an impressive performance as the bumbling and
indecisive lover, at a loss for words whenever confronted by Gayatri or Tara. Parineeti
Chopra shines as the mature Gayatri who’s had her heart broken before. Newcomer
Vani Kapoor plays the third corner in this love triangle, and does so
confidently.
There aren't too many songs (to the film’s credit) but
Gulabi is easily the best track. What lets the film down is a slackening
of pace in the second half, a flaw Sharma’s
Band
Baaja Baaraat didn’t suffer from. But
Shuddh
Desi Romance is a film you should watch even if you disagree with its premise. It's a progressive film that might just work if enough youngsters make it to the cinemas.