Bala Movie Review: Ayushmann Khurrana proves time and time again that he is the KING OF CONTENT.

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Bhumi Pednekar 

Director: Amar Kaushik

Ayushmann Khurrana is the King of Content. Period!

The guy always chooses a script which is a blend of entertainment laced with social issues.

After topics like sperm donation, fat-shaming, and erectile dysfunction, Ayushmann comes with yet another social taboo premature balding which tickles the insecurity of a young adult who doesn't fit into the conventional physical trait which society assumes.

The story starts in the summer of 2003 when our Balmukund, who is still a schoolboy, is drenched in the pride of having the best lehrate kaale baal’. Bala is the Shah Rukh Khan of the school and loves to attract attention through his mimicry skills. He is so proud of his hair and good looks that he doesn’t hesitate to make fun of his bald teacher by calling him takla and humiliating his dark-complexioned classmate in front of the entire school. 

Now its 2016 in Kanpur, Bala (Ayushmann Khurrana) has lost all his pride. His balding head, which he says women spot before they see the full moon on a Karva Chauth night, has crushed his self-confidence. His girlfriend of 15 years has left him for a guy who looks exactly like him (there’s a surprise for you) but with more hair on his head. He gets demoted in his marketing job of selling fairness cream. Now starts the struggle. From putting a mix of buffalo’s dung and bull’s semen on his scalp to doing every asana possible, Bala tries hundreds of remedies to get his pride back but to no use. In his entire struggle, he has strong support of his lovely family - his parents (Saurabh Shukla and Sunita Rajbar), his brother (Dheerendra Kumar Gautam, who comes out to be a surprise package) and friends (Abhishek Banerjee and Jaaved Jaaferi).

After several failed attempts at growing new hair, Bala settles with sticking a hair patch on his head gifted by his bald father Bala blames for his faulty genes. And then starts the love story between Bala and Pari (Yami Gautam), the face of the fairness cream he sells and a TikTok sensation (you read it right). Bala then takes you through many twists and turns and turns out to be a laugh riot.

The film has an obvious social message to convey and that is to love yourself and without preaching if it's delivered with witty and charm then Bala is created.

Ayushmann Khurrana hits 7 sixes in six balls. After six consecutive successful films, this is the seventh one. 

Ayushmann Khurrana makes you love him again. The guy hilariously mimics and does a perfect impersonation of Shah Rukh Khan. While Ayushmann hits the ball out of the stadium with his portrayal of Balmukund, Yami is subtle as Pari. She is believable as a small town 'TikTok sensation' and she doesn't have to go out of her way to prove it.

Bhumi Pednekar plays a dark-complexioned lawyer Latika, who is confident in her skin. She is the epitome of feminism and doesn’t compromise on her principles no matter what. But her aunt, brilliantly played by Seema Pahwa, is hell-bent on getting her a guy by making her pictures several shades fairer on Instagram. From Saurabh Shukla and Abhishek Banerjee to Jaaved Jaaferi, every character actor has played their role with a flavor that is unique to themselves. They are entertaining in their peculiarity and don’t remind you of any character you have seen earlier. Vijay Raaz as the narrator deserves a special mention.

The role of the 'antagonist' and Bala's love interest is assigned to Pari Mishra (Yami Gautam), Lucknow's self-styled supermodel and TikTok sensation. She falls for Bala's charm after he dons a hair patch. The sprightly lady is swept off her feet by the man's skills as a mimic of Bollywood stars. But when things begin to fall apart - this is when the film flirts briefly with uncertainty - she isn't put in the dock for insisting on settling only for a physically perfect man as her life partner.

Bala touches upon sensitive issues but makes its point without turning overtly judgmental about anyone or anything. The dialogues are peppered with words like takla, ganja and kaali. However, the negative connotations of these pejorative expressions aren't allowed to linger. If anything, the screenplay finds ways to put a positive spin on them at times. That takes some doing all right, but the writing - it keeps the proceedings light - ensures that the effort does not usually show.

Bala is rarity in Bollywood which questions the human beauty what it is physical or the beauty inside you?