KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA movie review is here. Starring Sonakshi Sinha, the movie is helmed by debutant director Shilpi Dasgupta, and also sees rap sensation Badshah debuting as an actor. The supporting cast includes Varun Sharma and Annu Kapoor. The movie is a social comedy about a girl Babita who faces all obstacles when she decides to run a fertility clinic owned by her uncle. Does KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA delivers the master medicine as ordered?. Let’s find out in the movie review of KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA
Also read: What is Shafakhana?
Immediate reaction when the end credits roll
So, Bollywood is talking about sex baby, seriously the taboo nazar of the society regarding sex, fertility, dysfunction gets a clinic in KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA – a social comedy on the taboos regarding sex education and outlook towards women that is boosted by Sonakshi Sinha’s fabulous performance.
The Story of KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA
Baby Bedi (Sonakshi Sinha), a Medical Representative who dreams to have an agency of a herbal brand through which she can end the financial miseries of her family which includes her mother played by Nadira Babbar and brother Bhooshit Bedi (Varun Sharma). The sudden death of her estranged uncle (Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Mama ji) a Unani medicine expert changes the scenario. Mamaji has made a will that makes Baby the owner of his infamous clinic but before selling the sex clinic, Baby has to run the clinic for at least six months. How a girl in a traditional Punjabi hinterland finds ways to run a sex clinic where the orthodox society gets upset/ashamed by even with the mention of the word ‘sex’ forms the crux of this movie.
Good points
Sex, dysfunction is not new to Bollywood. VICKY DONOR, SHUBH MANGAL SAAVDHAN where successful in instigating this CHETNA amongst the cinegoers. The USP of KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA is that it talks about sex with a female voice. VICKY DONOR, SHUBH MANGAL SAAVDHAN spoke about the issue having a male protagonist. Baby was not an easy role for anyone to play and for a main stream popular actress like Sonakshi Sinha, it’s a challenge which the actress has accepted gracefully. Sonakshi Sinha delivers a solid power packed performance. Baby wins your heart. Debutant helmer Shilpi Dasgupta comes with relevant and sensitive subject. She handles it with care and yes she is extra cautious and plays it very safe but there are moments that stay. For example the one when pamphlets are distributed, when Sonakshi makes an announcement in the busy Hoshiarpur market area with a loudspeaker traveling on a cycle rickshaw and shares stories to justify her point of view. Varun Sharma as the good-for-nothing brother is perfect. Annu Kapoor is a delight as lawyer Tagra. Priyanshu Jora as Sonakshi’s neighbor impresses. Nandita Babbar as Sonakshi’s mother is outstanding. Rajesh Sharma as Judge entertains. Rajiv Gupta as the selfish uncle of Sonakshi is good. Kulbhushan Kharbanda as an open-minded Mama ji is excellent. Last but not the least, rap sensation Badshah as Gabru Ghaatak is fantastic in his debut as an actor. The rapper plays himselfin the movie but in the end breaks his comfort zone and leaves his mark. Rishi Punjabi’s camera is another character that speaks while it moves as it captures the essence and milieu remarkably.
Flaws
The much needed discussion between the sexpert Sonakshi and her patient is missing. This could have been the talking point of the nation and strangely the writer Gautam Mehra ignores this and concentrates more on family melodrama which is good but for an out of the box social comedy a continuous banter between the sexpert and patience was a must. A copy of the amazing documentary ASK THE SEXPERT for the reference must have been suggested by someone. Sonakshi could have become a lovely female version of Dr. Mahinder Watsa. The writing on this front is very weak and the sly humour enjoyed in VICKY DONOR, SHUBH MANGAL SAAVDHAN is missing. KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA is constructed more in the coming of age format.
Conclusion
There is an ancient saying – Neem Hakim Khatra E Jaan ( rough translation – half knowledge can be dangerous) KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA tries to explore this adage with the sex taboo issue. The movie has glaring loopholes but the subject matter is so relevant. A dialogue by Sonakshi sums it all which goes like, “we need to understand the difference, having a sexual awareness is not being pervert”. Sex education in our nation of kamasutra still remains a taboo, the allegations on Dr. Dr. Mahinder Watsa for obscenity is a befitting example. KHANDAANI SHAFAKHANA is a relevant ‘sex’posure powered by Sonakshi Sinha’s marvelous performance. Do visit this clinic once.
