SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS MOVIE REVIEW

It is only natural to expect a cleverly written comedy on modern marriages when a film boasts of two of the accomplished stars of our generation in its cast - more so, when the movie is a sequel to one of the interesting movies about modern relationships Pyaar Ke Side Effects. Sadly though, for all its hype and hoopla Shaadi Ke Side Effects is unremarkable, humorless and showcases an unimaginative plot peppered with banal circumstances.

As a result, the movie skims the surface of Shaadi and its side effects leaving the viewer dissatisfied without providing any substantial insights or genuine moments. On the bright side, there are the performances of Farhan Akhtar (and his raffish charm) and Vidya Balan (despite straddled with a sketchily written character portrayal of a married woman who slowly turns into a boring nag).

The movie begins with a scene reminiscent of an episode of ‘Modern Family’ in which Claire and Phil attempt to rejuvenate their relationship by posing as strangers picking each other up at a bar. Essentially (beefcake) Farhan as Sid and Vidya’s Trisha are a happily married couple. Enter a child and responsibilities pile up, leaving Sid yearning for the long-gone days of freedom and carefree indulgence.

Trisha though takes it all in her stride and settles into her role as a wife - whose life revolves around the child. The problem with SSE starts pretty early – despite Farhan’s cutesy portrayal of Sid in all earnestness, you never feel for the man who is seemingly falling out of love with the marriage (not with his wife, as such). He tries hard to fit in with the lifestyle, rendering a helping hand in the baby’s chores and gets exasperated when his needs are not being met. Despite the actor’s charm, the character remains one-dimensional throughout the movie making it hard to associate with the otherwise cool Sid.

But Farhan never gives up on his role. He carries it on his shoulders, giving it its proper due as the film’s quintessential male lead. As much as you side with him about the lameness and monotony when he is forced to have a conversation with other parents about the stools of his baby (which is a sample of the movie’s writing that showcases how far removed it is from reality), you are also perplexed when he returns as a changed man to fight for candies and whistles for his child in some stupid party. There is no consistency to Farhan’s character. And his double life is neither funny, nor mischievous.

Her half written role is a breeze for Vidya and she walks through it effortlessly without having to move too many acting muscles, despite draped in unflattering costumes. Her role is sometimes shallow and she never gets an opportunity to rise above the ‘nagging wife’ syndrome. And since the movie is solely from Sid’s point of view, Trisha is also sidelined majorly.

There are a few inane sub-plots hampering the movie’s narrative pace. For instance, Purab Kohli and his role of a neighbor have no significant purpose in the movie. Same goes to Vir Das who ends up as a caricature, thanks to the unwitty writing. There are though genuinely funny scenes and some of them come from Ila Arun, who plays the nanny (or, as she likes to be addressed, aunty).

In the bottomless topic of unhappy marriages, you might think there can’t be a dearth of situations to aid an engaging narrative. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. Saket Chaudhary has made a movie that trundles listlessly with little or no thought having gone behind writing. Lot many questions remain unanswered long after the movie is over – Farhan is shown as a struggling musician but where does the money to indulge in an Enfield and Volkswagen Polo come from? What of the second rented house? And so on and so forth.

In Pritam’s music, songs are a bit of a drab (except, probably Harry’s not a brahmachari) and only hinder the flow.

But for all its pitfalls, Shaadi Ke Side Effects might just work for you if you find yourself in a marriage dominated by confusing, unequal priorities. Even if it didn’t work, Farhan and his sincerity, the gorgeous Vidya and a few funny scenes will keep you happy. Bear it for its length, though.