Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Review: The film talks about homo'phobia' more than homo'sexuality'.

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar, Gajraj Rao, Neena Gupta

Directed By:  Hitesh Kewalya

Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan is the rarest mainstream film that talks about Homosexuality without being a mockery or for just comic relief. It is not about coming out of the closet but more of the people around them having a homophobic approach.

Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan is the sequel of the 2017 film Shubh Mangal Savdhan which spoke about the issue of erectile dysfunction. 

But this time the makers have a different topic which is a taboo still in Indian society i.e same-sex relationship.

The story is about Kartik (Ayushmann Khurrana) and his boyfriend Aman (Jitendra Kumar), they are already in love and living together in Delhi. It’s just that Aman hasn’t come out to his family back home in Allahabad. Aman's father is a scientist but still is regressive in his thought when it comes to homosexuality and is against love.

When Aman does open up about his love for Kartik to his scientist father (Gajraj Rao) and his straight-talking mother (Neena Gupta), Aman talks about his pankhudiya (eye-brows) getting bigger after seeing Kartik. The scene is hilarious to watch.

Admirably, writer-director Hitesh Kewalya doesn’t mine laughs from stereotyping gay characters in the way that mainstream Hindi films have done for as long as one can remember. Aside from an innocuous nose-ring that Ayushmann wears, there are no obvious markers of femininity. What’s especially refreshing is that the lovers or their relationship is never the source of comedy, it’s the extreme reactions by those around them to their relationship that is treated with humor. In that, The film talks about homophobia' more than homosexuality.

A portion in which Tripathi stages a religious ‘rebirth’ ceremony to ‘normalize’ his son doesn’t land, and a subplot involving his invention of black cauliflower is a contrived metaphor. 

The immensely likable Gajraj Rao, trapped in a not-so-likable character, is both one of the film’s strengths and weaknesses. In a very funny scene, Tripathi has a violent physical reaction when he spots his son in a clinch with his lover while the family is heading by train for a wedding. Tripathi is a real hoot when he’s nervous and vulnerable – like in his impromptu dance-off with Kartik – but there is little joy in the bits where he’s the standard-issue villain-dad. 

The pairing of Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao after the success of Badhai Ho is not lovable comparing to their previous venture

Ayushmann Khurrana is the star of the film and the guy is the bravest actor of the current Bollywood industry because of his knack to choose the unique and engaging subject and to be fearless to break the image. Kudos this talent.

TVF star Jeetendra a.k.a Jeetu Bhaiya has given a memorable performance and is here to stay.

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan isn’t consistent. The script spends too much time focused on the infighting within Aman’s family instead of staying with the leads. The same issue was their in Shubh Mangal Savdhan to were too many supporting chracters made the film over crowded.Despite that, there is enough to enjoy and appreciate here. It takes a difficult subject and executes it with some flair.