Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari (2020) Movie Drinking Game
Down a Shot: each time Madhu smirks in a dubious fashion.
Down a Shot: each time Rekha reprimands her son or cracks a snarky joke at his expense
Down a Shot: each time a character utters a swear word in Punjabi and/or Marathi
Down a Shot: each time Madhu dons a new disguise.
Down a Shot: each time Sukhi incorporates a movie reference or filmy dialogue in a conversation.
Down a Shot: each time Suraj’s mum busts out the hypocrisy
By: Vidal D’costa (Three Beers) –
Suraj, a young bachelor and heir apparent to a dairy farm empire, is on the look-out for an ‘ideal’ bride whom his conservative Punjabi family will approve of. One night, under the beams of a flashlight, he chances upon the beautiful Tulshi who harbors dreams of becoming a DJ and it’s love at first sight! However, first he must win over her equally conservative brother- Madhu Mangal Rane, a highly sought after and self-proclaimed ‘marriage detective’ who holds a masters (in disguise) and is feared by the bachelor population of Mumbai due to his knack for sniffing out unsuitable suitors.
A Toast
Apart from the bizarre concept and comedy writing that’s a hoot, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari is also driven by its performances- mainly from veterans of the craft such as Manoj Bajpayee who is a surprise package, breaking away from his usually gritty, stoic, and intimidating act to play the odd Madhu, and ends up chewing the scenery with his hyper energy and impeccable comic timing. He is ably supported by Supriya Pilgaonkar who plays Madhu’s mother Rekha who keeps her melodramatic and possessive son in check with her fierce and savage but chuckle-inducing remarks.
While the snarky banter between the mother-son duo is hysterical and provides much comic relief, the brief but poignant moments of Madhu doting over his precious sister showcase their strong sibling bond and also a more affectionate side to the otherwise cold-hearted marriage detective that hardly ever surfaces. The rest of the ensemble comprising Diljit Dosanjh as Suraj, Fatima Sana Sheikh as Tulshi, Annu Kapoor as Kaka, the deadpan Vijay Raaz in a friendly appearance, Manuj Sharma as Suraj’s cinephile sidekick Sukhi, and others also delivers strong performances in their respective roles.
The movie also incorporates dialogues and imagery that aid in the effortless flow of the events that unfold, connecting one scene to the next in a clever, often humorous fashion. One instance of the same occurs in a scene featuring Suraj lamenting over the metaphorical cards that the deceitful Madhu keeps hidden in his sleeve, which is then immediately succeeded by a scene of the latter playing cards with the neighbourhood kids and, of course, exercising deceitful measures just to secure a win!
The soundtrack is another positive, boasting of songs that marry Punjabi beats with Marathi and Hindi lyrics, thus complimenting the multicultural/bilingual factor of the movie, too.
Since the movie is set in the 1990s, it also paints a nostalgic portrait with period-specific pop culture references that are generously sprinkled in and which almost every individual who grew up in the 90s-early 2000s will find amusing or identify with- ranging from a dark and witty joke targeted towards the ominous Maruti Omni vans of yore, and a climax that mirrors the iconic train sequence from the Bollywood classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (while in the original, the impact of the scene was highly romantic in nature, in Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari the nod to this specific scene is more slapstick and intentionally satirical).
However, not all of it is a barrel of laughs, since the movie also touches upon issues such as casteism and the role of superstition in matchmaking and various regressive mentalities towards women, which can hinder both their personal and professional lives and many such practices that still continue to prevail within the realms of a patriarchal and narrow-minded society.
Beer Two
While the attempts to spark discourse on deep-seated regressive ideologies are greatly appreciated, the movie occasionally negates its own messages, such as by including an item number in the first half, thus contradicting a pertinent plot point in the later half wherein it addresses the problematic aspect of men reducing women to mere objects. And while the nods to Wes Anderson from a staging perspective are admirable, ultimately the subplot featuring Vijay Raaz’s character also comes across as rather tone-deaf with its mocking depiction of OCD /Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Beer Three
Madhu’s half-baked characterization results in a redemption arc that falls flat and the lack of character growth particularly boxes him in as a selfish, delusional, even vindictive antagonist rather than as a convincing anti-hero whom one can sympathize with due to his own love-life that was beset by obstacles, and as a result even the scenes wherein one is expected to root for him don’t achieve the intended effect.
Verdict
Barring its inconsistencies, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari is still a laugh riot brimming with comedy gold and spoofy elements galore, and its colourful and unhinged performances only enhance it further, thus adding to immense rewatch value.
