Badhaai Do

I am going to preface this review by saying I don't think I've ever seen a better movie in my life. What a stunning picture of love, and joy, and hardship all at once. For starters, every single performer in this film is PHENOMENAL. Sheeba Chaddha is crazy funny, Rajkummar Rao broke my heart but also had me audibly cackling in every scene?? and Bhumi Pednekar is so talented and so beautiful there are actually no words to describe it she may just be the most beautiful woman on this planet. Aside from that, this movie is MASTERFULLY DIRECTED!!!! Every single shot feels so intentional (regardless of whether the intention is to have me wheezing with laughter or bawling with the force of my entire soul). This movie oscillates between such a wide range of emotions, but it all happens so naturally, like yes this movie is an absolute rollercoaster but never once was I taken out of the story or feeling any sort of emotional whiplash. Harshavardhan Kulkarni just has such a powerful directorial instinct that he can craft hilarity, and hope, and heartbreak, and sensuality all out of the right camera angle and it's all so seamless and just wow (genuinely how does one make a nurse administering a SHOT look so romantic I don't get it ???😭). Not even to mention how this movie like beautifully encapsulates the truth of being a woman in India (or literally just being a woman anywhere), while also sharing such a powerful and nuanced story about Indian queerness and all the pitfalls of Indian traditionalism, while ALSO expressing the trials and tribulations that come along with both biological and found family especially through the Indian cultural lens of living in a family-centered society, BUT ALSO conveying how that can be such a beautiful thing at the same time?????? And then while doing ALL OF THAT it also gives us a straight fire original Bollywood soundtrack AND an Indian wedding with a dance sequence AND a brown pride parade????????? Literally this movie covers all the bases. But yeah, I think with another watch on a bigger screen this movie would undoubtedly find itself in my top four. Absolutely stunning.