When Malayalam filmmaker T. K. Rajeev Kumar explored the stigmatised subject of geriatric pregnancy in his 1994 film Pavithram, he probably did not anticipate the humour that such a predicament could elicit. The leading man’s mother gets pregnant, and the film follows a mournful trajectory, building towards a highly sentimental narrative arc. In contrast, director Amit Ravindernath Sharma’s Badhaai Ho handles the same situation with a blend of humour and emotion. Set in a middle-class Delhi family, the film examines how a *khush khabri* (good news) can turn out to be anything but, given the ageism that continues to plague Indian society.
Nakul (Ayushmann Khurrana), who works at a product company, is of what Indian parlance calls ‘marriageable’ age. He is dating a colleague, Renee (Sanya Malhotra), who occupies a higher conventional social standing. The class difference between the two is established right at the beginning. Nakul’s routine includes hosting *housie* for neighbourhood ladies, while Renee’s home plays host to plush parties featuring exotic wine and gladiolus arrangements.
When an unusual dilemma strikes Nakul’s family, their carefully maintained equilibrium falls apart. His conservative family does not know how to react, and Renee’s supposedly progressive mother proves no more accepting. “This family is a circus I don’t want to buy tickets to,” she declares, despite having met only one member of the troupe. Sharma opts for linear storytelling, which serves the early portions well. The freshness wears off, however, as the narrative approaches its finale.
At its core, Badhaai Ho draws humour from a simple but uncomfortable truth: adult children find it embarrassing to discover that their mothers are pregnant. No matter how evolved a person considers themselves, such a situation is bound to provoke a degree of awkwardness. The film extends this discomfort across the family, from the father to the older generation, allowing each character to respond in their own way. In the latter half, Sharma and writer Akshat Ghildial attempt to resolve these individual conflicts.
Reconciliation is inevitable, but it leaves a more pressing question: what happens once the family comes to terms with its supposedly embarrassing predicament? Badhaai Ho struggles to sustain its momentum as predictability takes over. An attempt to create high-voltage drama through Nakul and Renee’s relationship provides some conflict, but does little to give the film a compelling finish.
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Even so, Badhaai Ho is far from a weak film. Sharma displays a keen eye for the people who inhabit this world, from bullying teenagers and Nakul’s imbecilic local friends to judgmental relatives. I particularly liked the way he uses yesteryear songs and flocks of birds to reflect his characters’ emotions. The first half is generously sprinkled with humour, ensuring that the subject never weighs the narrative down. The second half turns towards individual resolutions, taking a more emotional route that is elevated by a terrific ensemble.
Neena Gupta’s Priyamvada is a study in restraint, with her silences, body language and expressive eyes doing much of the talking. Surekha Sikri steals scenes as the adorable grandmother, while Gajraj Rao lends considerable depth to what is arguably the film’s most awkward character. Even the peripheral figures feel authentic, making the Delhi and Meerut on screen appear genuinely lived-in. The leads deliver as well.
Although Ayushmann Khurrana’s portrayal of the quintessential Delhi guy has become something of a cliché, he brings gravitas to some of the film’s most poignant moments. His confrontation with Renee’s mother and the quiet hug he shares with his own mother, the moment he finally stops holding the resentment, sit among the film’s most effective scenes.
Coming out during the festive season gives Badhaai Ho a chance to loosen the stigma that still clings to pregnancies later in life. It never lectures. It simply shows a woman past fifty carrying a pregnancy and treats that fact as ordinary rather than exceptional. The film also stays with the practical worries that arrive with the news: the embarrassment, the question of contraception, and the uncertainty of raising another child at that stage.
Just as the tone threatens to settle into pure sentiment, the grandmother cuts through with one of her sharp lines and pulls the film back toward comedy. The second half loses some of its early sharpness, yet Badhaai Ho still works as a warm, frequently funny family film that finds both laughter and affection in a situation most people would prefer to keep hidden.
Rating: ★★★ 1/2
Badhaai Ho is now streaming on Jio Hotstar.
