Badhaai Do review: Stretched narrative makes for tedious viewing

'Badhaai Ho' appears to be just another take on LGBTQ+ issues, this time adding the adoption angle to the otherwise commonplace matter of coming out of the closet and making your families understand. 

Film: Badhaai Do  Duration: 147 minutes Director: Harshavardhan Kulkarni Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Sheeba Chaddha, Seema Pahwa, Loveleen Mishra and Nitesh Pandey Rating: 2.5/5

Bold themes reflecting the changing reality of our society are slowly but surely making their way into Hindi films.

While the honesty and intention are laudable, Harshavardhan Kulkarni's 'Badhai Do' is forcefully stretched to make this point palatable to the audience. Also, somewhere down the line, the message loses its impact and earnestness. Shardul Thakur (Rajkummar Rao) and Sumi Singh (Bhumi Pednekar) come from middle-class families where societal norms are expected to be complied with. The two of them however are 'different'.