Zara Hatke Zara Bachkeis everything a good Bollywood comedy should be — it’s fast-paced, relatable, and doesn’t leave you hanging. Directed by Laxman Utekar of Luka Chuppi and Mimi fame, the movie shows an Indore couple, knee-deep in love, trying to navigate the labyrinthine world of middle-class struggles and government welfare schemes. Played by Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal, the movie makes you laugh and sympathise with them throughout its 2-hour-and-20-minute runtime.
Sara and Vicky might not be a great romantic on-screen pair, but when it comes to their rapport and comedic timing, the two are in complete tandem in Zara Hatke Zara Bachke.
The premise
Following in the footsteps of movies such as Badhaai Ho (2018) and Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), Zara Hatke Zara Bachke shows the trials and tribulations of a middle-class family.
The songs lack originality, and the background score doesn’t hit the mark either. It’s slow-paced and doesn’t do justice to the energy of the film.
Somya Chawla (Sara) and Kapil Dubey (Vicky) are desperately looking for a house of their own. In that quest, they try to skirt around the Narendra Modi government’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) even though they are not eligible for it. And thus begins their comedy of errors.
Using the template well
Zara Hatke Zara Bachke does everything by the book — from the casting, camerawork, dialogue, and setting. Inaamulhaq plays the role of Bhagwandas Ishwardas Sahay, an agent who helps the couple make use of PMAY, and due to his skilled dialogue delivery, he is a complete delight to watch.
Akash Khurana and Neeraj Sood portraying Somya and Kapil’s family members make for a fun watch — the plot is punctuated with quotidian squabbles and everyday banter. Dialogues are crisp and snappy — you remember each one after you leave the cinema.
Minor characters are extremely well-crafted, too — they bring their own eccentricities on screen, be it Kapil’s childhood sweetheart, the couple’s lawyer friend, or Somya’s student. From costumes to dialogues, the Zara Hatke Zara Bachke team has put immense effort into moulding each character uniquely — no matter how small it is.
Honest portrayals
What stands out in Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is its faithful portrayal of middle-class society — how families speak to each other and how couples actually fight. And that’s where Vicky and Sara’s performance really dazzles.
The film has its share of overly dramatic scenes — one such is where the Dubey family is mortified upon learning that they accidentally ate a cake with egg in it. Nonetheless, the punch and humour draw plenty of laughter.
Somya and Kapil have their low moments in the film — the couple is separated for a short while — and though the sad song Saanjha tries to add to the mood, it doesn’t help much.
Vicky shows how the typical Indian male in a marriage reacts when he’s angry — forceful, terrorising, and sparing none. The skilful portrayal is a nod to his talent. Meanwhile, Sara adds depth to her own scenes where she undergoes a breakdown.
The good thing about Zara Hatke Zara Bachke is that it gets to the point quickly. The plot is well-rounded and reaches its logical end while sustaining interest throughout. All in all, Utekar has brought the best out of Vicky and Sara on screen.