Thank You for Coming Movie Review: Bhumi Pednekar's Raunchy Comedy is Sex-Positive, Humour-Negative! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Thank You for Coming Movie Review: Well, let me start first by saying that the makers of Thank You for Coming deserve some plaudits for going against the tide. Rarely do films like Veerey Di Wedding and Thank You for Coming come that bring topics like orgasms, female sexual pleasure and sexual compatibility into mainstream spotlight, while addressing them in a raunchy comedy without getting sleazy. So kudos there. But can that also be achieved without going loud on your face about your ambitions? Or at least be genuinely funny or be actual progressive? That's where Thank You for Coming never errr... 'comes'! Thank You For Coming: Sonam Kapoor, Kartik Aaryan and More Celebs Attend Screening of Bhumi Pednekar – Shehnaaz Gill’s Upcoming Film.

Directed by Karan Bhoolani, Thank You for Coming centres around Kanika Kapoor (Bhumi Pednekar), who has a major problem in life - even though she has crossed her 30's, Kanika never had an orgasm. She also has to live under the stigmata of being raised by a single mother (Natasha Rastogi), whose boyfriends keep changing and who often clashes with her comparably conservative grandmother (Dolly Ahluwalia).

Kanika dreams of her fairytale story, and while she had her fair share of princes charming, she never gets her 'happy ending' with any of them. Now here's where I am as confused as the film is, or rather its protagonist is. Kanika's main grouse is that she never had an orgasm, but then all of a sudden, she is desperate to get settled and decides to marry Jeevan Anand (Pradhuman Singh), with whom she never had sex, hoping that he lives upto his name and give her the happy ending she deserves. Why? There is some discourse about her wanting to not associate with her mother's way of life, but that doesn't really fit in with her own issues. Not even her besties - one her own cousin and a single mom herself - Tina (Shibani Bedi) and the other - her BFF from school and now married Pallavi (Dolly Singh) - are never able to explain this to her.

Anyway, during her roka ceremony party, Kanika invites her exes for some reason, and she gets drunk enough to not remember the rest of the night. However, in the morning, she finds herself naked in bed and realised she finally had an orgasm. But by who? There are quite a few suspects, from her naive fiance, to her former older lover 'Professor' (Anil Kapoor) to a mysterious ex Rahul (Sushant Divgikar) or her flirtatious crush Arjun (Karan Kundrra). Kanika tries to piece together her 'Hangover' night with her friends to reveal some shocking surprises, while she also goes through her own... ah, 'coming' of age journey.

Watch the Trailer of Thank You for Coming:

The premise itself is unconventional, and the rarity of Bollywood attempting a clean raunchy comedy, especially led by a female protagonist, makes Thank You For Coming an intriguing oddity. However, its failure to deliver as either an empowering women's tale or a genuinely funny comedy is a significant shortcoming. The film's narrow focus on one aspect prevents it from developing anything beyond that, including the character associated with that aspect. For instance, it's unclear what Kanika does with her life apart from some vague mentions of food. The entire roster of characters seems fixated either on her sex life or finding the right partner for her.

I understand that this is meant to be a raunchy comedy, but how many times can one weakly smile at the numerous metaphors for sex and orgasms? Even when some characters do mention 'sex,' it's as impactful as those old safe sex ads where Vrajesh Hirjee shouts 'condom.'

The supporting characters hardly get to matter much. Shehnaaz Gill acts like Shehnaaz Gill, and flits in and out of the film randomly. So does Karan Kundrra, and both never appear post the second act. At least, Anil Kapoor is pegged as a special appearance, playing a playboy poet who serenades through Gulzar songs. There was some hilarity in the role that later got enveloped by the apparent creepiness of the character, before even he gets forgotten. Kusha Kapila plays a Mean Girl queen role that is cliched as it comes, and she also just comes in and goes out of the film at random junctures. Thank You For Coming Song 'Desi Wine': Bhumi Pednekar and Shehnaaz Gill Dance Their Hearts Out In Latest Track.

By the time Thank You for Coming realises it needs to add depth to the story, it does so with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer hitting a rock. When a character reveals themselves as transgender during Suneeta Rao's "Pari Hoon Main," it was supposed to be a beautiful moment, but it falls flat here. When a teenage girl's MMS video gets leaked, the film should have taken time to address the trauma she experiences. Instead, it opts for forced melodramatic conflicts and a clichéd public confrontation scene in the climax where the protagonist calls out her harassers before turning into a Munnabhai-style farce. The film's flaws remind us that even though it labels itself as a feminist comedy, Thank You For Coming is directed by a man (even if it is written by two female writers). PS: It's hard not to notice that the one nice male character in the film shares the same first name as the director.

As for Bhumi, the actress does a decent job leading the film and taking her character into some risqué territory, but I've seen her deliver exemplary performances in the past. Here, there are moments when her acting becomes shrill and theatrical, though she performs better in emotional scenes. Among the supporting cast, Sushant Divgikar leaves a good impression, especially in the airport scene with Bhumi - perhaps, the only scene in the film that felt poignant. I just wish his character reveal didn't feel so jarringly inserted in the movie. Pradhuman Singh also is quite good as the virginal, good-hearted Jeev.

SPOILER ALERT - Now, what about the central mystery? Does the 'reveal' hold up well? It's certainly surprising, but it left me wondering why Kanika, with all her past experiences, never explored that option. Or if she did, what happened during those times that it never had the same effect then?

Final Thoughts

In the end, Thank You For Coming is a film that boldly steps into uncharted territory but stumbles on its way to making a lasting impression. Kanika might have gotten her happy ending, but the viewer in me was left vastly unsatisfied with the raunchy romp.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 06, 2023 08:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).