The last YRF- Ayushmann Khurrana collaboration ‘Bewakoofiyaan’ had failed at the box-office. ‘Their respective recent outings ‘Kill Dill’ and ‘Hawaizaada’ had bitten the dust. Can they revive themselves with ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’? Read on.

Story:-

The film is about a mid-90s mismatched marriage set in Haridwar. Prem (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a good-for-nothing class 10 failed boy who is always subjected to unpleasant remarks from his parents. The only thing he is fond of, is listening to Kumar Sanu’s songs while sitting at his father’s shop. When his parents decide to get him married at the age of 25, they obviously look for a well-educated girl in Sandhya (Bhumi Pednekar) and her size is the least of her concern.

Post-marriage, Prem realizes that she is not the kind of girl he dreamt as his better half and is embarrassed about admitting that she is his wife. With advice from her mother, Sandhya tries a few tricks up her sleeve to arouse the man in Prem which only partially succeeds as he clearly didn’t enjoy the ‘heat-of-the-moment’ encounter. When she overhears her husband mocking her in front of his friends, they end up hitting each other. Things reach a point where divorce is the only option and they file for divorce. According to the rules, they get a 6 month grace period at attempting to resolve their differences. And this is when they participate in a race called, ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ where he’s supposed to carry her on his shoulders and where his idol Kumar Sanu as the chief guest leads the way for an interesting climax.

Positive points:-

The performances of Ayushmann Khurrana and the unconventional Bhumi Pednekar are the standout point of the film. The manner in which they showcase the typical middle-class values through their conflicts and mannerisms is effective. The way in which they say their dialogues or the way they handle both fun and emotional scenes is impressive. The supporting cast deserve a special mention especially Sanjay Mishra as Prem’s dad and Seema Pahwa as Sandhya’s mother. The nostalgia that the film elicits with the scenic locales of the Haridwar and other North Indian regions is beautiful. For the people who remember the 90s distinctly, this film will be a visual and connection treat. The direction of the film by Sharat Kataria is also good. One interesting aspect shown is that men are also forced to marry someone they don’t like whereas it’s generally the girl who marries someone she hates.
 
Negative points:-

The climax and certain plots are clearly predictable. The pace of the film lags a bit in certain scenes. Some of the sub-plots were unnecessary. The music of the film, though revisits the 90s, fails to move the proceedings of the film forward.  Kumar Sanu’s ‘Dard Karaara’ has gained popularity but the actual recreation of 90s music is nowhere near what it was during that period. The race in the end to resolve differences is similar to the dance competition in ‘Rab ne Bana di Jodi’.

Technical points:-

The picturisation and the cinematography of the scenes are among the best that is seen in recent films. It’s a visually pleasing film with beautiful visuals of the different locations and settings. The production design is top quality. The background music Andrea Guerra adds more value to the story of the film. The editing could’ve been better and could’ve been made crisper avoiding the superfluous stuff.
 
Overally, the film will fill you with nostalgia about the 90s and make you revisit memories from there. An unconventional and family film will always be loved by the audience.