20260520-20151022-0-49494611
Critic's Rating: 2.0
SHAANDAAR IS SOULLESS; IT MAY WANT TO MAKE YOU SCREAM

Story: A Punjabi girl and a Sindhi groom are to have a destination wedding in Britain. Simultaneously, the bride’s sister also gets romantically entangled with the wedding planner.

Review: Shaandaar has a fun plot. However in his attempt to spoof destination weddings of the bankrupt and the famous, Vikas Bahl, (who also directed that gem, Queen) forgot to take a script along.

movie


You can defend the director’s indulgence or even forgive him for borrowing Tarantino’s Kill-Bill, part-animation, part-live narrative style to tell you the tale of an orphan girl who is given shelter by an affluent businessman, Bipin (Pankaj Kapur). The tycoon’s harridan mum (Sushma Seth) and ambitious wife (Nikki Aneja) do not take a shine to the child. Even worse, the bechari anath is an insomniac. The story-telling attempt is wearisome. Years later, Bipin’s belligerent mother decides to get his daughter, Isha (Sanah Kapur) married into a rich Sindhi family called Fundwanis (howlarious!). This 'deal' has to go through or they will remain cash-strapped for life. Everyone is scared shit of 'mummyji’' so they abide by what she says.

The ridiculous plot, allows one real romance to also blossom. This one is between Alia (Alia), who we later discover is Bipin’s illegitimate daughter (damn, one should have known) and the wedding planner, Jagjinder Joginder, JJ (Shahid).

A happy coincidence—like Alia, JJ also suffers from a sleep disorder. So the two of them take midnight swims, befriend a frog, go horse-riding, and befriend bugs or even better, they dance to an array of songs— like the catchy 'Gulabo' or the all-time favourite 50s ditty, 'Eena meena deeka.'

If you think this review is incoherent, feel free to blame it on the film. Apart from some LOL jokes when the characters resort to abbreviations like PP (pairi pauna) or FTB (father-of-the-bride), this film serves up trite. Shahid, Pankaj and Sanah (the Kapur khandaan) went along for an all-expenses-paid vacation. And Alia, who saw Queen before she boarded the flight, was none the wiser.

Seriously, how was anyone to guess that this is a cruel joke played by Bahl on his investors and perhaps on an unsuspecting audience.
Summary / Analysis

Spoiler alert! Please do not read the following plot summary if you have not seen the film.
A rich businessman Bipin (Pankaj Kapur) adopts a little girl Alia (Alia Bhatt). His mother Sushma Seth and wife Nikki Aneja Walia do not like the fact that he has brought home an orphan. However, Bipin and Alia share a deep bond. She calls him Bips. He treats her like his little princess. Alia suffers from a sleep disorder and Bips makes up little dreams for her. He tells her that the day she finds sound sleep, all the dreams that he has made up for her will come true.

Bipin and his wife Nikki have another daughter called Isha (Sanah Kapur). Bipin's mother wants Sanah to marry into the rich Fundwani family so that they can inherit big money.

The wedding is set to take place at a Palace in Leeds, Great Britain. Jagjinder Joginder (Shahid Kapoor) turns up as the wedding planner with a team.

He falls for Alia. In the meanwhile, a plump Isha is very unhappy that she has to marry the Fundwani boy who can only talk about his eight and a half packs and is always saying mean things to her about her weight. However, she agrees to be a part of the 'business deal' that her grandmother has made because she wants to save her family from bankruptcy.

The wedding background becomes a playground for the Sindhi and Punjabi families with all their sho-sha. The elder brother of the groom, Sanjay Kapoor dresses in gold and always hold a gun in his hand even when he is having breakfast. There is a lot of ridiculous stuff happening. People eat magic mushrooms and brownies and start hallucinating.

In fact, this is the time when all their hidden truths come out. Like Pankaj Kapur confesses how Alia is his 'bastard' child from a woman called Prabha back in his flying school days. One of Pankaj's brothers talks of being a homosexual. It also comes to light that the Fundwanis are also bankrupt and they are hoping that their association with the Punjabi family will save the day for them. In short it is a bunch of morally bankrupt people who are trying to pull wool over each others eyes.

Alia and Shahid are the only two real people in this situation. They genuinely fall for one another and they even find sleep in each other's arms. Prior to their relationship, both suffered from insomnia.
This Movie has 52 user reviews available
ADD REVIEW
Trivia & Goofs

TRIVIA

1. This is the first time Shahid Kapoor shared screen space with his father Pankaj Kapur.

2. Shahid felt it was a family film for him since his father and his sister Sanah were both in the film.

3. Sanah kapur put on 15 kilos for her role in the film.

4. Govinda was initially offered the role that eventually was taken up by Pankaj Kapur.

5. The film was primarily shot in Leeds.

6. Alia was the first choice for her role.

7. Alia and Shahid both play insomniacs in the film. Alia is an avid reader in the film.

8. Vikas Bahl didn't know that Sanah Kapur is Shahid's sister when he signed her.

9. 'Shaandaar' is being touted as the first destination wedding film of India.

10. Govinda, Karan Johar and Sajid Khan were approached to play Alia Bhatt's father in the film, before the role finally went to Pankaj Kapur.

FAQs
  1. What is the release date of 'Shaandaar'?
    Release date of Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer 'Shaandaar' is 2015-10-22.
  2. Who are the actors in 'Shaandaar'?
    'Shaandaar' star cast includes Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Pankaj Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor.
  3. Who is the director of 'Shaandaar'?
    'Shaandaar' is directed by Vikas Bahl.
  4. What is Genre of 'Shaandaar'?
    'Shaandaar' belongs to 'Drama' genre.
  5. In Which Languages is 'Shaandaar' releasing?
    'Shaandaar' is releasing in Hindi.