Daadi Ki Shaadi

For those who still believe that a film title arrives bearing a reliable clue to the entertainment within, Daadi Ki Shadi proves to be a rather elaborate practical joke. The title promises a frothy carnival of matrimonial mayhem; what it ultimately delivers is a strangely solemn family melodrama that occasionally remembers it was advertised as a comedy. The premise, admittedly, is deliciously mischievous: a lonely grandmother’s social-media-fuelled announcement of her impending remarriage sends tremors through the carefully choreographed wedding plans of her granddaughter. One expects escalating confusion, irreverent wit, and generational satire. Instead, the film proceeds with the caution of a family elder carrying a tray of hot tea across a slippery floor — anxious not to spill either sentiment or decorum.

It’s a strange family. Granddaughter Kannu (Sadia Khateeb) is in the midst of her roka with Tony Kalra (Kapil Sharma) who’d yearned for her from a distance in their college days. Maybe that’s where the comedy lies – that 45-year-old Kapil and 28-year-old Sadia went to college at the same time. Overlook that amusing part of their crackle-less relationship as chaos descends. Kannu’s dadi Vimla (Neetu Kapoor) has posted on social media that she’s getting married. Fiancé-to-be Tony and his big joint Kalra family won’t stand for such a scandal. As for the Ahujas, they gang up to visit dadi in Shimla to stop her from becoming the family embarrassment. Don’t wait and ask why none of Kannu’s close relatives, dadi included, knew that she was getting officially betrothed.

n a cinematic universe that has long portrayed Indian elders — particularly widows — as embodiments of quiet sacrifice or burdensome relics, Daadi Ki Shaadi arrives as a gently subversive, commercially packaged provocation. Neetu Kapoor, still radiant and effortlessly charismatic, steps into the lead as a spirited grandmother who dares to assert her right to companionship and romance in her later years. The premise reminds of Badhaai Ho (2018) where a middle-aged mother gets pregnant. While Daadi Ki Shaadi doesn’t feel as lived-in or organically rooted as Neena Gupta-led dramedy, it still delivers several sparkling moments that make it an enjoyable watch.

माता-पिता अपने बच्चों को तन, मन, धन से सींचकर बड़ा करते हैं, लेकिन बड़े होने के बाद उन्हीं बच्चों के पास अपने बूढ़े पैरंट्स के लिए प्यार, सम्मान तो छोड़िए वक्त तक नहीं रहता। इस भावुक विषय पर अमिताभ बच्चन की फिल्म ‘बागबान’ आज भी याद की जाती है। अब इसी संवेदनशील कहानी को कॉमेडी की चाशनी में लपेटकर लाए हैं कॉमेडियन कपिल शर्मा। देखा जाए तो उन्होंने एक समसामयिक संदेश वाली साफ सुथरी फैमिली एंटरटेनर बनाने की अच्छी कोशिश की है, लेकिन कई जगह बेतुके ह्यूमर के कारण फिल्म के इमोशन कमजोर पड़ जाते हैं। इस फिल्‍म से ऋष‍ि कपूर और नीतू कपूर की बेटी रिद्ध‍िमा कपूर साहनी ने एक्‍ट‍िंग में डेब्‍यू किया है। यह फिल्म शुक्रवार, 8 मई को मदर्स डे पर रिलीज हुई है। कहानी के केंद्र में भी एक मां है।

I didn’t imagine I’d be starting a film review in 2026 with the question: what if Baghban and Kal Ho Naa Ho hooked up, had a baby out of wedlock, tried to make it work, lived separate lives in one home, but traumatised the child because of their dysfunctional relationship? That kid would grow up to be Daadi Ki Shaadi (“Grandmother’s Wedding”) of course: a dated and overlong and cloying and unfunny family dramedy that again scolds busy Indians for not visiting their aging and lonely parents enough. How often have we seen adult children of widows or widowers shamed for treating their seniors like an afterthought?