After a long gap of 8 years, post his fairly likable PYAAR KE SIDE/EFFECTS in 2006, director Saket Chaudhary makes a comeback with SHAADI KE SIDE/EFFECTS exactly like an eight year long affair gets converted into a marriage after a prolonged thinking and decision making. Now interestingly I am not sure that whether this should be considered as a praise or as a negative comment about the film. But Saket’s new product is quite similar to the confused mindset of the present generation which is really finding tough to understand this traditional concept of marriage in the right perspective. And that is the reason why we are having so many broken marriages, divorces, splits and live in relationships widely happening in our society, particularly since the last decade.
So making it clear in the beginning itself, yes SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS has its good, intelligent & entertaining moments mostly visible in its first half. But the film cannot be presented as any positive take on the ‘institution of marriage’ at all due to a pretty weird, puzzled and silly story progression in its final hour which simply ruins the entire fine build up in a highly casual or careless manner.
Besides, it is to be understood that ‘getting married’ and ‘having a child’ are two different steps of a newly formed relationship between a couple, which obviously have their own individual value, significance and timings. But since Saket’s film gives only 10-15 minutes to the married couple and more than 135 moments to their life after having a child, therefore it should ideally be called “BACCHA HONE KE SIDE EFFECTS” rather than “SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS” to be clear. So in reality this is not a film about the first few years of a newlywed couple (which certainly have a completely different meaning for the two) but a film about their changing relationship after having their first child to be precise.
Thankfully, SKSE begins on an interesting, fresh note focusing on how the couple is managing to keep the love flame burning in their first (one or two) years of a married life. And therefore does have that novelty and amusing humour too coming at regular intervals with few songs in its initial reels. Also, the moment it all starts becoming monotonous, the director plays a very intelligent twist with Ram Kapoor (just before the intermission) and you get assured that this surely is a smart take on the issue handled well.
But unfortunately everything crashes down with some deliberately added, over length subplots in the second half just like a honeymoon ending after the first 5-6 months of a marriage getting back to the real tough repetitive life as usual. The dramatic scenes result in loss of grip and the over stretched climax leads to boredom. However, most importantly it’s the confusing culmination of the script which simply pulls the film down drastically and you are just not able to make what the director wished to say with all this crazy mess representing nothing.
In short, if you are expecting it to be an entertaining and enlightening take on the concept of new-age marriage then you are seriously mistaken. Because the film is simply not made with any such clear mindset and it will leave you even more confused than before after the end credits start rolling. Though, the director tries many tricks to keep the smiles coming in the post interval sequences. But in the process shatters all the high expectations raised by its intelligent first half and you get nothing exceptional in the next hour right till the end.
Having said that the film does have some superlative performances by the lead couple, as well as the supporting cast providing you something to watch constantly. Farhan once again proves his amazing versatility and so does Vidya playing the enthusiastic mother (though I am still amazed how they said yes to such unconvincing script). The role fits like ‘T’ to both the talented stars and I seriously wish the writers had given them something more sensible and sane to do on the screen honestly. Ram Kapoor is excellent as the friendly guide and Ila Arun shows her under-rated skill of a great performer yet again. Vir Das tries hard to be funny but Rati Agnihotri, Purab Kohli and Gautami Kapoor are just there for only a few scenes.
The soundtrack has some peppy tracks used well. Plus both cinematography and background score are fine as per the limited requirements of the concept. So strictly being a multiplex film, it might get noticed by the youngsters thinking about their own marriage and their first child in particular. But at the same time they are also going to find the entertainment factor largely missing and the film not giving any enlightening message on this serious subject, performing below the expectation.
In strong words, till you are dealing with love, affair and friendship, everything is fine and can be taken in the lighter sense. But once you venture into the ‘serious theme of marriage’ then you got to treat it responsibly and just cannot play with it in a casual mode with the sole motive of delivering a hit at the box office, walking on a disrespectful or unbalanced path.
And since SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS does the same in an utterly confused, unsure and irresponsible manner so I am not able to give it any higher ratings and following are the issues I felt while watching this interesting yet baffling, silly take on ‘marriage’.
(Spoiler’s Ahead)
1. As mentioned earlier, though the film has the title SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS, it straight away comes to having the first child and gives no time to the year(s) spent by the newlywed together as per its promoted subject. And as I feel the term ‘marriage’ and ‘parenthood’ need to be dealt separately with the latter requiring more insightful & deep vision than expressed in the film.
2. Strangely the whole project is completely a one sided take on the theme, purely from the viewpoint of a man or a husband. It begins with the husband narrating his experience and remains the same throughout without giving any major emphasis on the child or the mother at all. In fact the female angle of a marriage is rarely touched in its entire duration till the end, which I found to be quite unfair and unrealistic too. Probably the writer-director only remembered a father who gets a new identity with his new born baby and not the woman who also gets reborn as the MOTHER.
3. Further, in a very questionable way, here the director is just interested in portraying the nagging wives exclusively like the main culprits. As if, a marriage becomes unsuccessful just because of the wife only in most of the cases. And for me that was not only objectionable but also quite silly of its writers, penning it with a clear male chauvinistic approach so proudly.
4. Pointing towards a highly weird sequence, I don’t know what kind of father can forget his 3-4 years old daughter taking a horse ride in the market and then returns back home alone in the evening without even remembering her?
5. Taking on the Ram Kapoor sub-plot in the film, before the intermission we are shown that he is staying in a hotel to live some independent days (with no angle of an illegitimate affair) displaying a great amount of intellect and elegance. But then in the last hour the same man is shown screwing her girlfriend in the hotel, walking on the same clichéd lines as just another betraying husband. And I really couldn’t understand what the director wished to convey with this infidelity act thrown in. May be this was another of those “Shaadi Ke Side Effects” he wanted to promote.
6. Next, it was quite difficult to relate with the way its makers were actually portraying ‘Marriage’ in such a stupid manner in the film. For instance, can a decent lady ever say this even as a joke to her husband that “This child is not yours but is of the neighbor’s?????????” Because thinking about the ages old mindset of an ‘egoistic man’, just this small joke can change the whole scenario in the household, leading to a ridiculous chain of events full of doubts, explanations and justifications. So I truly didn’t find this weird insertion even close to anything funny.
7. Lastly, I would like to address its makers as well as the readers here that yes marriage is a stepping stone in one’s life through which a couple has to rediscover themselves with the viewpoint of their better halves. But that discovering is not to be practiced by running away from the house, staying in a hotel like a coward, ignoring the other. Instead it has to be done by staying in the home only with the other like a shadow, as well as maintaining the individual space and identities intact to feel the much needed freedom.
As a matter of fact, in my opinion marriage is not merging into each other as it is mistakenly put. But on the contrary its actually staying with your husband or wife like a true companion and then accepting, respecting and protecting the identity of the other with your utmost love, care and devotion.
In the words of the mystic poet, KHALIL GIBRAN in an answer to the question that ‘What is marriage?” he writes,
“You were born together, and together you shall be for even more.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone.
Even as the strings of a lute are alone
though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together.
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress
grow not in each other's shadow.”
To sum it all, a married couple needs to live like two islands of the same stream, maintaining the beauty of the space and togetherness untouched. And the day any one island of the two tries to take over the other……….., the whole scenery gets disturbed, losing all its beauty and feel…..forever.
Furthermore, returning from the theater, I really felt the void, since there was a time when Hindi Cinema used to make beautiful movies on marriage like PIYA KA GHAR (1972) and more recently even VIVAH in 2006. But unfortunately it has all come down to films like SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS which is promoting running away from the house, hideout stays in the hotels, irresponsible parents, infidelity and what not!
Rating : 1.5 / 5
