Dum Laga Ke Haisha Starring: Ayushmann Khurana, Bhumi Pednekar Director: Sharat Katariya Four stars
Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a romantic comedy about a couple coming to terms with their arranged marriage – chubby Sandhya (Bhumi Pednekar) and simpleton Prem (Ayushmann Kurrana), who is not keen on his new bride because she is overweight. Most of the first half shows how Sandhya tries to connect with her reluctant bridegroom – only to discover he is not worth it.
Fiery and obstinate, Sandhya leaves him in frustration and returns home, only to be lectured by her well-meaning mother on the need for women to “endure” to keep their marriage from failing. DLKH brings back the quaint, romantic quality of Basu Chatterjee’s cinema and is far, far away from the glitzy shallowness of Bollywood’s masala films.
What works forcefully in the film’s favour is its disarming simplicity. It is full of poignant scenes and moments that add up to a cherishable experience and by the time Prem makes that run with Sandhya on his back, you are already rooting for the underdog and his cosy world of little pleasures.