The directorial debut of writer Nikhil Mehrotra is a delightful take on secrets and arranged marriages.
Laghushanka review: A family tries to hide an embarrassing secret before a wedding
Cinestaan Rating
Release Date: 16 Oct 2020
Sonal Pandya | Mumbai, 16 Oct 2020 16:52 IST
Mere days away from her wedding, bride-to-be Shruti (Shweta Tripathi) discovers that an embarrassing medical problem has returned. As she discusses it with her mother, they are a bit unsure whether to inform her fiance.
A loud family discussion takes place and immediately descends into chaos. Shruti now has the hard decision of going ahead with the wedding, even though she has personal apprehensions about starting her marriage with a lie.
The directorial debut of writer Nikhil Mehrotra is a delightful take on secrets and arranged marriages. Mehrotra, a co-writer on Dangal (2016), Chhichhore (2019), Panga (2020) and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020), has shown his aptitude as a director as well.
Naturally, he adds the right comedic flavour to the panicked family trying to act normal, and failing, during the wedding proceedings, while hiding their true feelings. At one point, a wedding guest even wonders why no one is crying during the bidaai ceremony?
Tripathi makes the most of her short role in the 13-minute film. The talented actress is able to convey the right amount of dread her character feels before her marriage, making us empathise with her more.
Kanupriya Pandit and Narottam Baid, who play her parents, and Yogendra Vikram Singh as the groom also make an impact.
However, the fact remains a serious issue of nocturnal enuresis (aka bedwetting) is played for laughs. The resolution for the couple is also simplistic. In the real world, the consequences of the fictional dilemma would be devastating for Shruti and her family.
SonyLIV is now streaming Laghushanka.