Ghudchadi Movie Review: A few weeks ago, Netflix released a movie called Mother of the Bride, where Brooke Shields' character reignites her feelings for an old flame who, it turns out, is the father of her daughter's fiancé. The movie was slammed by critics for being cringeworthy and cliché-ridden. Cut to August 2024, and now we have our desi version of the same story in JioCinema's Ghudchadi, where the focus is not just on one character but on two couples who find themselves at a crossroads. Unfortunately, Ghudchadi fares no better than Mother of the Bride - it is equally shallow, melodramatic, and, even more so, outdated, which is surprising for a film centred around autumn romance. ‘Ghudchadi’ Streaming Date and Time: Here’s When and Where To Watch Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon’s Rom-Com Online.

Chirag (Parth Samthaan) is the son of a former army officer and widower, Veer (Sanjay Dutt), who works in marketing for underwear. He falls in love with Devika (Khushalii Kumar) at a friend's wedding, and soon enough, she reciprocates his feelings. At the same time, Veer meets his old flame Menka (Raveena Tandon), who runs a boutique salon in Delhi, and they also rekindle their romance. Of course, Menka turns out to be Devika's mother, and the twist comes when the children find their parents presenting their love to their families before them.

Watch the Trailer of 'Ghudchadi':

And yes, there is also Chirag's grandmother and Veer's mother, played by Aruna Irani, who is casteist, sexist, and annoying, and is the reason we should be grateful old age homes exist in this country. She opposes not only Veer and Menka's romance but also Chirag and Devika's.

‘Ghudchadi’ Movie Review - Outdated, Melodramatic Direction

From the garish opening scene with an overenthusiastic narration from the young hero (never a good sign of confident storytelling), it is clear that Ghudchadi feels outdated by a couple of decades. The outdated style does the film no favour, especially when it is already dealing with a screenplay lacking interesting scenes or good writing. Instead, Ghudchadi relies on melodrama and clichés to get its point across, but by then, you don't really care about which couple's love story you need to support.

A Still From Ghudchadi

That task is made easier when neither romance has any depth. Even today, remarriages, particularly between elderly couples, and intercaste marriages are still looked down upon. However, the film behaves as if we never left the '60s in how it tackles the love story between Veer and Menka. While it is good to see Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon back on screen (and unlike in KGF 2, getting to be in the same frame together), their chemistry lacks any sort of energy despite the nostalgia factor. Dutt looks too restrained and underwhelming here, while Tandon looks gorgeous but is stuck in a badly written part.

The same goes for the younger couple as well. It is good to see Parth Samthaan in a film that is not a propaganda piece, and the actor has a very good screen presence, even if he tends to go overboard with his expressions. His onscreen partner, Ms Kumar, goes the other way, with expressions often more on the vacant side.

A Still From Ghudchadi

For a romcom, even the comedy is poor unless you find humour in underwear being thrown at a woman's face or a creepy uncle staring perversely at girls his daughter's age while his friend encourages him to chat them up. If you do, then dude, you have a serious problem.

‘Ghudchadi’ Movie Review - Kitschy Second Half

Ghudchadi is also careless about hiding its secrets - such as a conversation between Menka and Devika, where the latter blasts her mum for not loving her dead dad enough. That's enough to make you understand where this film is heading and how it will get its happy ending. A smarter storyteller would not have laid the cards so obviously. With the conclusion so evident, I was left fiddling with my fingers as the characters decide who should sacrifice and who shouldn't, while the grandmother waits for the right opportunity to have a change of heart.

A Still From Ghudchadi

That opportunity presents itself in a convoluted climax that begins with a very poorly edited accident scene, which throws open a closet of secrets and realisations and, to my utter relief, brings closure to this trite double romance.

PS: A couple of weeks ago, another Hindi movie with the same theme came out: Luv Ki Arrange Marriage. Don't bother to check it out; it's equally abysmal.

‘Ghudchadi’ Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Ghudchadi folds easily under the weight of its outdated storytelling and clumsy screenplay, even with its peculiar premise. Despite the presence of seasoned actors like Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon, the film fails to ignite any real chemistry or emotional depth in its romantic plots and turns out to be an insufferable watch while it lasts. Ghudchadi streaming on JioCinema.

Rating:1.0

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2024 03:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).