Behen Hogi Teri movie review: A lesson on how to turn a potential comedy into a bore fest
Behen Hogi Teri movie review: This is a love story where the lover (Rajkummar Rao) does everything in his capacity to get his beloved (Shruti Haasan) married off to another guy. Not much of a film, wouldn’t you say?
Behen Hogi Teri
Director: Ajay K Pannalal
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shruti Haasan
Rating: 2/5
There is little to recommend in Behen Hogi Teri, which hits theatres on Friday, other than the performance of Rajkummar Rao.
The movie tells the story of Gattu (Rajkummar) and his co-star, Shruti Haasan, who plays his neighbour Binni. The two live in Lucknow, where they are lovers burdened with the long tradition of ‘mohalle ki ladkiyan behen hoti hain’. Gattu’s fight (or the lack thereof) is what forms the film’s narrative. Herry Tangri plays Gattu’s friend Bhura, who is unwittingly caught in the chaos.
Behen Hogi Teri suffers from a poorly conceived plot that fails to offer the fun expected of a story of its kind. Gattu is a loser who has not even completed his education. He is simply, hopelessly in love with Binni. Being neighbours, he gets to carry out some chores at her house and grows close to her family, which treats him as her brother.
Not being concerned about his career would not be a definitive flaw if Gattu were a more impressive lover. He fails in this, however, just as much as he does in his USPC entrance. He doesn’t have the courage to talk to Binni’s family about his relationship — he even contributes to the spread of a rumour that Binni and Bhura are having an affair! The sad joke of serving cold drinks at your girlfriend’s marriage is an old one in the northern parts of our country, but Gattu comes across as yet more pitiful when he helps the family find a bride and gets his own friend in a rumoured relationship with her.
Behen Hogi Teri is a love story where the lover does everything in his capacity to get his beloved married off to another guy. Not much of a film, wouldn’t you say?
The only enjoyable parts of the movie are the dialogues and the acting of Rajkummar. As they talk to each other, even some members of the supporting cast rise above the dismal storyline and deliver some brilliant punches.
Sample some of the gems that will keep you from storming out of the movie hall:
Behen Hogi Teri must also be applauded for avoiding several potentially misogynist moments. When Bhura’s uncle (Ranjeet) and his dad (Gulshan Grover), a criminal who has at least a hundred murders to his credit, confront Binni’s family, the women attack the goons with harsh words and slippers. They take charge, and the men only try to pacify them.
Similarly, Gattu shows a flash of bravery toward the end in a rant about “bhai-behen” culture. “Koi ladka pyaar karta hai, nahi pasand to mana karo,” he says. “Ye bhai banane ka kya chakkar hai?” He may be a badly-developed character and a hopelessly passive lover, but Gattu is definitely not the stalker Hindi cinema is used to.
Such quirky dialogues also allow Ninad Kamat (Binni’s elder brother) and Darshan Jariwala (Gattu’s dad) to flaunt their skills.
Rajkummar brings out the best of the guy-next-door stock character. Be it convincing Binni of his love or getting beaten up by his own dad, Rajkummar plays to the tune of the film and never misses a beat. There isn’t another actor who would have fit the role as well. Shruti, on the other hand, looks like she has been picked out of a different universe and stuck in that of the film.
Interact with Sweta @swetakaushal
Follow @htshowbiz for more
