There has been a lot of hype surrounding Veere Di Wedding. Additionally, there’s also been a lot of outrage over the supposed vulgarity and obscenity in the movie. Now, a movie steeped in so much controversy intrigued me. So I went ahead and watched it.
Now I’m sure you’re wondering ke KAHAN DEKHI MOVIE?
Well, a random person uploaded the entire movie on Facebook. It wasn’t right, but like I said, I was intrigued.
I also understand that one of the lead actresses called Pakistan ‘a failing state’. However, I am also a Literature student and one important lesson that I’ve learned is that we have to separate the art from the artist, seeing both as individual entities.
Also Read: Swara Bhasker Just Tried To Clarify Her Statement About Pakistan But People Are Not Buying It
Ab sab kuch clarify hogaya tou movie ki taraf barhtay hain.
Veere Di Wedding is a movie about four girlfriends who are trying to come to terms with their lives and basically with marriage. It’s a ‘coming-of-age’ film, to use the overrated phrase. The girls call themselves ‘Veere’s’ which in Punjabi means ‘brothers’ (ironic, since the movie is about women).
Khair, to further elaborate on the four women:
Kareena Kapoor Khan – Kalindi, in the movie – is getting married and the central premise of the movie revolves around her and her family issues. Sonam Kapoor – Avni – is a lawyer, Swara Bhasker (or she who must not be named) plays Sakhshi who is about to get divorced, and Shikha Talsani plays Meera, who married an American dude and has been shunned from her own family.
Now, the plot revolves around the marriage because all four friends come together to celebrate their veere’s wedding. Lekin, a Bollywood movie can’t be complete without drama and ShowSha (shoutout to our entertainment section).
As a movie that supposedly revolves around female friendships, it certainly does live up to that promise.
In a world where women are constantly pitted against each other, Veere Di Wedding is a breath of fresh air. There are no superficial fights over men, and it warms my heart to see such strong, independent women supporting each other without any hidden agendas.
However, the plot of the movie is admittedly a little messy.
The movie is trying to address a lot of different stereotypes such as female friendships, gay relationships, the futility of outrageous weddings, family breakdowns, and the image of independent women. It feels rushed and the storyline seems subpar. Additionally, there are scenes that could’ve been eliminated and made the whole movie feel less rushed. The montage of their trip to Thailand, for instance, seemed unnecessary. The movie would’ve probably been fine without it.
Now, coming to the famous “vulgar and obscene” aspects of the movie.
The four women curse a lot. While we can debate on the cons of cursing for a long while, we need to understand that people, more specifically women, do curse. Morality tou baat baad ki hai.
The cursing only seems vulgar to people because it’s women who are cursing.
Let’s not forget that Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety was allowed to release in Pakistan and cinemas aired the movie for a long time. That movie had men cursing each other out but of course, it’s the male gender that’s entitled to even such a seemingly “vulgar and obscene” act.
A vast majority of Bollywood movies portray men as hyper-masculine and women as either abla naari’s, or airheaded bimbos. The women in the movie have bold, realistic conversations.
It’s refreshing to see such realistic conversations making their way on to the big screen. It normalizes the fact that women do indeed talk about, and have sex. And sex ka bhi kyun rona ro rahe hain. Angraizi filmein toh jaise hum dekhtay hee nahi. And honestly, there was only one scene where Sonam Kapoor’s character has a one-night stand.
An important aspect to keep in mind is that this movie is set in modern-day India – a country where the conversation of sexuality, freedom, and liberalization is taking place.
What’s important to keep in mind, while watching the movie, is that parts of India are more liberal than Pakistan. What Veere Di Wedding portrays is INDIAN women living in an INDIAN society.
The movie doesn’t aim to scandalize. Not at all. It aims to bring to the forefront the realistic image of the modern Indian woman.
I do not understand the outrage surrounding the movie. There was nothing out of the ordinary apart from the fact that all these dialogues were spoken by women.
That is the problem people have with the movie. If this movie had male characters, it would’ve been revered and loved by everyone. In fact, that IS what happens with most movies with male protagonists. It’s not the movie that’s the problem – it’s society’s lack of acceptance of the fact that women, too, are human.
It bothers us that women are taking control of the narrative. They’re being unabashedly bold. It bothers us that they’re stepping out of their shells to say, “This is us, in all our imperfect glory.”
While the plot seems messy and tries to over-achieve in places, it can’t be denied that the thematic content is beautiful. It isn’t the best Bollywood movie – not even close – but Veere Di Wedding is a great movie if you want to watch a female-dominated movie that is woke AF.
Have you had a chance to watch the movie yet? Comment below and tell us if you liked it!
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Cover image via Balaji Motion Pictures
