Film

Badhaai Do

Name: Badhaai Do
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 2022
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Seema Pahwa, Sheeba Chaddha, Nitesh Pandey

Drama

A Hindi comedy-drama about a gay police officer and lesbian teacher who marry to satisfy their families' expectations, only to discover that living a lie is far messier than either anticipated. Warm-hearted and funny without being precious, it takes its characters' interior lives seriously while finding humour in the absurdity of their situation. For anyone who loves character-driven stories about belonging and the masks we wear.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like warm, squirmy family comedies where the laughs come from decent people trying to be kind to each other while cornered by their own relatives, and you don't mind a story that takes its time getting there.

Skip it if you want brisk plotting or a sharp, cynical edge, since this is a soft-hearted, sometimes sentimental comedy that lingers on family scenes longer than it needs to.

What it asks of you: Nearly two and a half hours of patient, conversational scenes, with the jokes arriving in a steady, gentle rhythm rather than in bursts, so expect a long, unhurried sitting.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

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Rajkummar Rao leads a searingly intelligent police procedural that confronts caste violence and institutional corruption. Taut direction and a committed ensemble make this both thrilling and urgent, with real moral weight.

But The subject matter is heavy and sometimes brutal. It demands your full attention rather than offering escapism.

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan2020

An earlier Hindi film wrestling with queer identity and family acceptance, also balancing comedy with genuine stakes. It's funny and tender in ways that feel earned rather than forced, with strong ensemble chemistry.

But The humour leans broad at times, and the resolution is neater than real life tends to allow.

Piku2015

Bhumi Pednekar's breakthrough: a character-driven comedy about messy family dynamics and unspoken affection. It finds tenderness in irritation, and shows why Pednekar became essential to Indian cinema's better ensemble films.

But The central relationship dynamic will feel familiar if you've seen any romantic comedy ever made. It doesn't reinvent the form.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Badhaai Do

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui2021

Both films use marriage and social performance as their central mechanism, but this one inverts the perspective—where Badhaai Do keeps its queer identities as the secret, this makes trans womanhood the open centre of its love story.

A Hindi romantic comedy that centres a transgender woman as its heroine rather than as a supporting revelation. It's funny, sexy, and treats trans identity as simply part of a larger story about desire and self-knowledge. Major stylistic shift: glossy, fun, and visually confident.

But The film can feel commercially calculated in moments. Some narrative choices simplify complexity for the sake of rom-com mechanics.

Mulk2018

A drama about a Muslim family defending their honour and home against prejudice and suspicion. Smartly written and performed with real dignity; Rishi Kapoor is magnificent. It's about ordinary people standing their ground.

But The courtroom elements feel slightly mechanical. It occasionally prioritises message over the messy specificity of human conflict.

Ankhon Dekhi2014

A wonderfully eccentric indie about an older man who decides to stop trusting anything but his direct experience. It's funny, strange, and deeply humane. Sanjay Mishra is extraordinary, and the film moves at its own unhurried pace.

But The structure is deliberately loose and episodic. If you need plot momentum, you'll find it irritating.

Masaan2015

An ensemble drama set in Varanasi that interweaves several lives with genuine complexity and visual beauty. It finds humanity in places often treated as mere backdrop. Raw, unsentimental, unforgettable.

But Sexually explicit scenes and dark subject matter are handled unflinchingly. The pacing is deliberate rather than propulsive.

The Disciple2020

A meditative film about a classical Indian musician pursuing perfection through tradition. Shot and scored with astonishing care, it's a film about devotion, mentorship, and the erosion of faith. Intellectually rigorous and deeply felt.

But It moves at the pace of classical music study itself. There is no plot machinery. Patience and genuine interest in its world are non-negotiable.

Newton2017

A small, wry film about an election official trying to conduct voting in a remote Maoist-affected region. Rajkummar Rao again, perfect in a role that requires stillness and subtle frustration. Formally inventive and darkly funny.

But The satire is understated to the point of being quiet. You have to meet the film's sense of humour rather than it coming to you.

Four More Shots Please!2019

Like Badhaai Do, it's about people who are tired of performing for their families. But instead of marriage as the false performance, these women are actively rejecting the narratives imposed on them—it's Badhaai Do's refusal turned inside out.

An Indian web series about four women navigating friendship, sexuality, ambition and family expectations across Mumbai's contemporary landscape. It's irreverent, sexually frank, and refuses to apologise for its characters' contradictions. Genuinely funny without needing to soften its edges.

But Some episodes drag. The tonal shifts between comedy and drama don't always land cleanly, and certain plot threads feel underbaked.

The Farewell2019

Both films make elaborate deception the emotional centre rather than the plot inconvenience. Both ask: when is a lie an act of love? And both conclude the answer is never simple.

A film about a Chinese-American family who decide to lie to their dying grandmother about her diagnosis, treating the deception as an act of love. It's formally inventive, deeply funny, and explores how culture shapes what we owe each other. Lulu Wang's direction is assured; the ensemble is perfect.

But It's fundamentally about withholding truth from someone you love. If that premise makes you uncomfortable, the entire film will.