Cast: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, Sadia Khateeb, Sahejmeen Kaur, Deepika Khanna, Smrithi Srikanth, and others
Director: Aanand L. Rai
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Where to watch: Theatres
Rating: 3 stars
Raksha Bandhan movie review
After making a special appearance in Aanand L. Rai's last directorial Atrangi Re, Akshay Kumar reunites with the filmmaker as he single-handedly leads the emotional family drama Raksha Bandhan released on, well, Raksha Bandhan. Akshay's heartfelt and earnest performance is the biggest strength of the film which tackles the issue of dowry in Indian society.
Set in Chandni Chowk in the national capital, Lala Kedarnath (Akshay) is the owner of a chaat bhandaar famous among the pregnant women who believe eating golgappas from his shop would bless them with a baby boy. On the other hand, Lala has four sisters namely Gayatri (Sadia Khateeb), Durga (Deepika Khanna), Laxmi (Smrithi Srikanth), and Saraswati (Sahejmeen Kaur) whom he must get married before he gets into his own mandap as per the promise he made to his mother on her deathbed.
Among these four sisters, Gayatri is the most 'ideal' bride, while Durga is overweight, Laxmi is dark-skinned, and Saraswati is a tomboy who loves Sunny Deol films. Lala's pledge to get his sisters married has a roadblock - his own childhood sweetheart Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar) who keeps pestering him for marriage.
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When Sapna's father gives an ultimatum of eight months to Lala that he would get his daughter married off to anyone else before he gets retired in due time, the film's humourous tone gets serious. As Lala finds himself fixated on how to get his sisters married before Sapna is hitched, Raksha Bandhan takes ample twists and turns to arrive at a tearjerker climax.
Aanand L. Rai and his writers, Himanshu Sharma and Kanika Dhillon, must be credited for getting the pulse of the heartland right. The emotional beats work well with Akshay and Bhumi shining in a couple of scenes, which will certainly get you teary-eyed. However, the implausible and over-dramatic sequences derail the film. The stereotypes attached to Akshay's sisters and some of the cringeworthy dialogues might not go down well with the multiplex audience. Also, the film feels rushed at places.
After two successive box office failures Bachchhan Pandey and Samrat Prithviraj, it won't be incorrect to say that Akshay Kumar has bounced back with Raksha Bandhan as his dedicated and poignant performance deserves accolades. The film doesn't match up to Aanand L. Rai's previous dramas, Raanjhanaa or Tanu Weds Manu Returns, but certainly is a sincere effort.
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