Inclusive & Realistic: Why Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Is Exactly What Bollywood Needs

Before I start talking about the Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan trailer, let us first take a moment to bow down to our very own Ayushmann Khuranna. The actor not just takes up movies with interesting issues, but beautifully uses his talent to send a message via his movies. Whether it is Bala (based on the subject of premature balding) or Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (which deals with erectile dysfunction), Ayushmann has been able to facilitate a conversation around topics that are generally considered a taboo. The trailer of his next movie has a similar sentiment as far as resonating with the audience is concerned.

Number 4 on trending on Youtube, the trailer of the much-anticipated movie has already garnered a lot of appreciation. Take a look at it if you haven’t already. 

Surprised, right? Well, this trailer gives us a break from the usual crass humour in Bollywood around same-sex relationships. There is much less drama and no over-acting. Remember Kanta Bein from Kal Ho Na Ho, who used to faint every time she saw Rohit and Aman (Saif and SRK) just simply hug each other? 

I’ve picked five particularly powerful scenes from the trailer that came like a breath of fresh air and won my heart. 

Dealing With The Ignorance Questions

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The trailer starts Aayushman’s uncle asking him a set of ignorant questions and I am sure every member of the LGBTQ community can relate to the frustration of dealing with such people. 

Uncle: Ek baat batao beta, kab decide kiya ki yeh banaogey?

Kartik (played by Ayushmann): Kya?

Uncle: Arey matlab yeh…

Kartik : Yeh nahi kehte, gay kehte hain

Uncle: Haan woh hi, same thing. Kab decide kiya?

Kartik : Aapne kab decide kiya k aap gay nahi banogey?

Uncle: Beta mummy papa ko pata hai vaise?

News flash: Stop asking queer people when they ‘decided’ to ‘become’ gay. That’s not how it works. 

The Kiss & Chemistry

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Guys, Bollywood has progressed indeed! We’ve moved on from the fake lip-lock of Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham in Dostana. This trailer gives us an actual kiss and some sizzling chemistry between the two actors during a wedding sequence. Both Ayushmann and Jitendra are critically acclaimed actors and this kiss is indeed hands-down better than a lot of other uncomfortable kisses that we get to see on-screen. As a society, this is an important scene in Indian cinema, and is definitely going to open and change many mindsets at the same time. 

When A Mother Isn’t Too Dramatic

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How often have we seen an on-screen mother being ultimately supportive of her son who is gay? Remember Kirron Kher from Dostana? The famous ‘Maa da ladla bigad gaya‘ song–oh God, we so needed a break from that orthodox take on homosexuality! 

In a particular scene in the trailer, you can see Jitendra Kumar’s mom (Neena Gupta) telling her husband that they are destroying their son’s life by getting him married to a girl. To which her husband reverts, questioning whether she wanted to become Mother India? Neena Gupta is quick enough to reply, “haan banungi mai mother India, mai Maa hoon, Maa ke paas dil hota hai“. Doesn’t this sentence say a lot?

A Satire On The Educated Class

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During one scene, Ayushmann asks his partner to speak to his father, suggesting that he is the educated one and would be able to understand what their love is about. Well… seconds later, the educated Shankar Tripathi doesn’t just try to cleanse his son by throwing water on him but is also seen beating Kartik (Ayushmann’s character) with a stick to make him get rid of his ‘beemari’ or the ‘disease’ of being homosexual. 

This is the first time that the topic has been dealt with so much seriousness in Bollywood, keeping the mindset of the Indian society in mind.

This Powerful Dialogue

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And while the trailer is filled with snippets of subtle humour, Ayushmann’s character is seen speaking candidly about the struggles revolving around his relationship. In order to make a point, he argues, “Jo pyaar inke (parents/society) dimaag mei fit nahi hota, usse daba dete hain–par ye humari ladaai hai” (They suppress the type of love that doesn’t fit their mind-frame, but this is our struggle and we won’t give up).

This single sentence beautifully articulates the struggle of a queer person. The dialogues are, for a change, not stupid but witty.

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Even though the trailer just dropped yesterday, several people are already looking forward to watching this movie–from celebrities to regular movie-goers–SMZS seems to be a blockbuster (with a message) already!

While Ayushmann’s Badhaai Ho co-star Sanya Malhotra said she can’t wait to watch the movie, Shraddha Kapoor said, “Just love the kind of films you have been doing”. Take a look at some of the reactions that the trailer has got. 

Twitter Is All Praises For Ayushmann Khuranna

Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost! The movie is slated for release on February 21. It is indeed the kind of representation of LGBTQ love that we’d like to see. Other than Ayushmann Khuranna and Jitendra Kumar playing the lead, the film also stars Neena Gupta as Sunaina Tripathi and Gajraj Rao as Shankar Tripathi.

Featured Image: Instagram

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