Foreign residency via polyandry.
Punjab and London seem to be 'Siami twins' in many a film.So is the case with the movie under review.Punjab has big landlords,acres of cropping spa...read more
Punjab and London seem to be 'Siami twins' in many a film.So is the case with the movie under review.
Punjab has big landlords,acres of cropping space and off course the munda ( Param,played by Arjun Kapoor) and the kudi( Jasmeet,played by Parineeti Chopra).They fall in love .Why? No soothsayer has ever answered this .No issue.After dating all the seasons of the year,they decide to marry.But what's the hitch?
The kudi wants to work post marriage as a jewellery designer.The internal reluctance ( though reconciled) comes from the munda.The external no-never comes from the Amrish Puri type orthodox grand parent of the kudi.To him the husband is the eternal bread earner and the spouse the home maker.( Many parents do hold this 'division of roles' even in well educated families.Nothing unusual).
The munde wallahas agree to the contract.Marriage yes,job no.
Now starts the problem.How do the couple get a visa for a foreign land?
The kudi enters into a ' sham marriage' with one Sam( Aditya Seal),with a British passport holder.Why? All because she's liberated and ambitious.She's advised so by an unscruplous travel agent Gurnam Singh( Satish Kaushik).All she has to do is to ' fake' as a ' couple ' a few years and by the influx of time seek a divorce and residency rights.
The original husband is left with no choice accept to see her off at the airport with the ' husband number 2'.
In London Jasmeet has to nurse the aged grand dad ( Vinod Nagpal) of Sam and learn and cope with the socio- culture environment if the new city.Soon the grand dad has passed away.Sam is inclined to exercise his right as the husband.Jasmeet continues to resist as far as she can in some pretext or the other.
The second twist occurs in the story .Param has surprisingly arrived in London himself.( Courtsey the same Gurnam Singh who like many others is an illegal immigrant).
Now we have two husbands and the same wife face to face.Alisha( Alankrita Sahai) enters as a ' vamp' in this plot and pursues Param.
What next? Better go and see for your self.
What the reviewer liked about NE?
Many a woman want to work.They seek empowerment. Misogny continues to be a hurdle.Rightly or wrongly is debatable.In the pursuit of her job parenthood gets delayed,but means to support and enjoy a higher living increase.Also,a working spouse is an ' insurance' should any untoward thing happens to the husband.Working women have God gifted inner strength to manage both - the house and the work - without a grudge.Many employers do allow maternity/ paternity leave facilities,work from home facilities and the sundry to the married.Late parenthood is avoided by some through surrogacy.( After all Karan Johar and Tushar Kapoor are single dads through this route,without even getting married).
The ' bhare bazaar' mein number was foot tapping though it had only one mukhra and one antara.Javed Akhtar has opened out to write lyrics attuned to pop culture.The ' bhasan' given by Param to the so called NRIs demeaning every thing Indian was Manoj Kumarish .Nothing wrong to be a proud Indian .The fettish of settling abroad had to go.Satish Kaushik was the best performer.Arjun's role was subdued throughout.Pari has performed the dual wive's role with restraint.
What could have been avoided? Too many bhangras.The crash course in entering a foreign country the wring way.( To me nothing was inhibiting for Param to get a tourist visa to London the legal way).Too many bed room and mooching scenes could be avoided lest the Me Too tagline looks a ruse.If everything is open on the screen,why blame real.Lot of foreign currency is being spent on foreign locations with no purpose.Lets conserve it.Look at some of the one liners- ' Stalkers stair,lovers admire';' India is a land of dirt,corruption ,pollution' as many NRIs think and many more.To me both the lead players have been miscast.They simply go through the motions.
The BO success of NE is in doubt .A one day advance opening hasn't helped.Make your choice.
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