'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan' is a film that's obsessed with sex, but in a good way
Here's a Hindi film that isn't afraid to talk about sex. In Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, everyone has sex on their mind. At one point in the film, the deeply anxious mothers of a bride and bridegroom speak to each other with a shared sense of intimacy and empathy. The bride’s mother (played excellently by Seema Pahwa) says, “Meri beti ka blouse toh low cut hai, baaki toh aapke hi bete ko karna hai.”
The great Indian extended family is discussing and even betting if the young couple behind locked doors will succeed in doing it. No, it’s not their wedding night. The boy Mudit (Ayushmann Khurrana) and girl Sugandha (Bhumi Pednekar) are officially in bed, the night before, with whatever little privacy the destination wedding venue of Haridwar has to offer.
Director RS Prasanna opens more than a pandora’s box or "Ali baba’s secrets" about the challenges of sex. In this Hindi remake of his Tamil film, Kalyana Samayal Saadham, he treads the delicate tightrope between the meaningful and double-meaning in his quest to weave a romantic comedy around the issues of erectile dysfunction.
The conversation between the two mothers is far more significant than it seems. For one thing, it is a classic turnaround of the typical power game equations between "ladke wale" and "ladki waali". Weddings in India are usually conducted with the assumption that the boy’s side is somehow superior to the girl’s side. The scene here instead highlights the vulnerability of the boy and his family and stands out in the remarkable irony of perception of "manhood".
While the father of the groom tries to cover up his fears by puffing his chest and announcing, “Woh mera launda hai, uska kuch bhi nanha sa nahin ho sakta”; the mother is not averse to sharing her fears concerning her laadla.
Now, this bit is as interesting as the boy’s vulnerability. The onus somewhere lies with the girl for not being seductive enough. Hence, the "low- cut blouse". As another female character puts it, “Saara pressure hamare upar aa jaata hai”.
In an earlier scene, Sugandha takes her fiancé out on a picnic and has prepared well for the date. She has watched a certain video online, spent precious Rs 2,000 on a pair of speakers, and is carrying plums. As the unsuspecting and unsuitable boy watches on, she picks up a plum, puts it into her mouth and begins to inch towards him.
Within seconds, she spits it out, coughing as the plum is too sour. Then quickly, to regain the mood, she puts on music. A woman’s husky voice on the speaker is heard, saying, “Come to me…” Sungandha unzips her jacket and continues, “I want to do things to you.”
Only she is not purring into his ears. She is crying as she forces the words out. This is the most beautifully written scene that turns from comic to sensitivly tragic, made most believable by Bhoomi’s endearing performance. As Mudit points out, why is it a woman’s responsibility to address the man’s erectile dysfunctional problem?
Director Prasanna keeps raising such feminist questions, timed well with a laugh out loud scene. There is even a dramatic speech about the definition and perception of manhood in society. The speech is interestingly shot, with Mudit taking pheras around a banana tree (meant for the woman), while he vents out his frustrations in front of the family.
The film shies away of going any deeper into relationship issues and complexities caused by sex, it is laudable in its attempt to educate while it entertains.
As a mother attempts to explain the bird and the bees to her daughter, using words such as “Alibaba” and “gufa”. The daughter shoots back, "Aapse sex bhi nahin bola jata… yeh education Alibaba ko do, mujhe nahin”.