Harshavardhan Kulkarni's Badhaai Do will offer a take on the complexity of life as an LGBTQ+ individual in an extremely conservative Indian set-up.
The film stars Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar as two homosexual individuals who enter a mutually beneficial marriage to keep up pretences for society.
This relationship is backed by a mutual friendship and understanding of each other's difficulties, reflected in Amit Trivedi's composition 'Atak Gaya'.
The song revolves around Rajkummar Rao and Pednekar's characters, married to each other and yet independent, maintaining the facade for the rest of the world.
While Pednekar's character explores the freedom of a relationship away from home, Rajkummar Rao also finds the burden lifted. Their friendship, struggles and insecurities add to the emotional context of the song.
Written by Varun Grover, the lyrics are an excellent example of his ability to mix Hindi and English without sounding unnatural or forced. It helps that the composition is built to give Arijit Singh's vocals, and Grover's lyrics, maximum space and effect. Arijit Singh delivers yet again without a ton of embellishment, with a simple, pleasing style.
Amit Trivedi's composition is more proof of his versatility. With a pleasant rhythm and a wonderful mix of percussion and strings, the song moves at an easy pace. There are no sudden lifts or jerks to alter the tempo, which plays to the emotional undertone of the scenes and the lyrics. The tempo reflects the calm in the lives of two individuals who are discovering each other as allies while exploring the truth of their own lives.
Badhaai Do has been produced by Junglee Films and will be released in theatres on 11 February. Watch the 'Atak Gaya' song below and let us know if you are keen to watch this film.