{"id":3790,"date":"2016-05-03T20:13:25","date_gmt":"2016-05-03T14:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/13.201.39.237\/?p=3790"},"modified":"2016-05-03T20:13:25","modified_gmt":"2016-05-03T14:43:25","slug":"kedarnath-review-sara-ali-khan-debut-floods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/13.207.105.184\/?p=3790","title":{"rendered":"Kedarnath Review: The Biggest Disaster Aren\u2019t the Floods But the Love Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A<\/span><\/p><\/div>

bhishek Kapoor\u2019s <\/span>Kedarnath<\/span><\/i> \u2013 set in the backdrop of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods \u2013 belongs to a genre largely untapped by Hindi cinema: disaster films. The inexperience is glaringly evident. In Hollywood disaster films such as <\/span>Titanic<\/span><\/i>, the eventual fate of its two leads rests solely on the demands of the plot. But in <\/span>Kedarnath<\/span><\/i>, a Bollywood love story set amid a disaster, the fate of its leads depend on whether one of them is a star kid making her debut. (It\u2019s not hard to discern why the climax of <\/span>Dhadak <\/span><\/i>was favourable to Janhvi Kapoor). <\/span>\n\nEven in its plot, <\/span>Kedarnath<\/span><\/i> doesn\u2019t stray very far away from expectations. It unfolds as an uninspiring rich-girl-poor-boy love story that soon becomes a doomed Hindu-Muslim romance opposed by parents and by nature. On paper, the idea of an interfaith couple in Kedarnath \u2013 the epicentre of Hinduism \u2013 in a climate that legitimises \u201clove jihad\u201d might come across as brave. But trust Kapoor to go out of his way to make it look gimmicky. <\/span>\n\nMuch of the problem with <\/span>Kedarnath<\/span><\/i> is that it remains very disinterested in elucidating on its central premise: The environmental concerns that could have triggered the floods are presented as an insinuation and not identified as a cause. The film then offers no solid purpose for its backdrop, apart from an opportunity to give VFX a starring role. <\/span>\n\nInstead, Kedarnath<\/em> seems wildly obsessed with the idea of two people romancing rather than providing us an insight on how two strangers from contrasting backgrounds and with differing personalities fall in love. It focuses only on checking all the boxes required to manufacture a passionate modern affair. There\u2019s a class and religion divide; an outspoken woman who falls in love with her male saviour; a male lead who doesn\u2019t give up despite being beaten up for loving her; stalking that is disguised as pining; self-harm which is confused with female agency; and a totally token obstacle.<\/span>\n\nTraditionally, most Hindi films are guilty of being woefully unaware of how courtship works in real life and <\/span>Kedarnath<\/span><\/i> takes no effort to understand it either, instead taking refuge in exaggerated tropes. For instance, Mandakini aka Mukku (a watchable Sara Ali Khan), the daughter of a conservative Hindu pandit, is predictably painted as the rebel without a cause \u2013 a cross between <\/span>Manmarziyan\u2019s<\/span><\/i> Rumi and <\/span>Jab We Met\u2019s<\/span><\/i> Geet. And <\/span>Kedarnath<\/span><\/i> brings alive her pluckiness by resorting to the three most infuriating stereotypes that could be bestowed on female leads: Mukku abuses, assumes that her scant regard for rules can justify her lack of ambition, and loves cricket. Basically, yet another female character who is supposed to be liberated and appealing only because she acts more like a guy. <\/span>\n\n

What will it take for Bollywood to realistically portray two young people falling in love without romanticising downright creepy behaviour?<\/p><\/blockquote> \n\nIn fact, it\u2019s Mukku\u2019s passionate love for cricket \u2013 a personality trait which tops the list of male fantasies \u2013 that makes Mansoor (Rajput) notice her. One of the most unimaginative scene from <\/span>Kedarnath<\/span><\/i> involves the duo bonding over an India-Pakistan match that obviously ends with India scoring a six on the last ball. In her role as a manic-pixie cricket fan, she spews off stats about the match and celebrates India\u2019s win with the over-enthusiasm of an IPL cheerleader. Naturally, it prompts Mansoor to lovingly look on with an expression that can roughly be translated to \u201cHow can a girl know so much about cricket from the kitchen?\u201d<\/span>\n\nEven cringe-worthy is how the film depicts the progression of their week-long courtship. It starts off with Mukku\u2019s sudden infatuation with Mansoor as if she\u2019s a kid in a toy store. When he continues ignoring her, she attempts to get his attention by talking non-stop to his mule and throwing her cup of tea away so that he can share his tea with her. So far, so weird. <\/span>\n\nIf that\u2019s not enough, Mukku basically ambushes him into falling in love with her by quoting Rupi Kaur-level pretentious lines: \u201cBaarish ki boonde humein aasman se jodti hai\u201d. And then proceeding to drink raindrops which she playfully spits out on his face minutes later. More infuriating is, however, the route Mukku adopts to have Mansoor forgive her after an argument: She stalks him and later cuts herself. If the film\u2019s writers \u2013 Abhishek Kapoor and Kanika Dhillon \u2013 are to be believed, then being a small-town brat is adorable when it\u2019s an attractive woman. What will it take for Bollywood to realistically portray two young people falling in love without romanticising downright creepy behaviour?<\/span>\n\nYet the worst victim of <\/span>Kedarnath\u2019s<\/span><\/i> blind devotion to stereotypes is Mansoor, whose religion is exploited as a prop to cement his underdog status. In a year where <\/span>Mulk<\/span><\/i> has hit home with its nuanced representation of the plight of Muslims in an increasingly polarised country, <\/span>Kedarnath <\/span><\/i>makes its Muslim lead a sacrificial lamb. It\u2019s what Mansoor loses to save the girl that makes him a hero, softening Mukku\u2019s Hindu father\u2019s stance on his religion. After all, how can Muslims be regarded as heroes unless they offer a character certificate? <\/span>\n\nIn a film which features flash floods, it\u2019s the love story that becomes the disaster. Kedarnath<\/em>, is indeed a calamity. <\/span>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Like most Hindi films, Kedarnath presents a love story saddled with infuriating tropes about Muslims and modern courtship. In the film, Sara Ali Khan behaves like an outspoken guy but needs a knight in shining armour to save her. And its Muslim hero has to offer a character certificate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":3791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3114],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bollywood"],"yoast_head":"\nKedarnath Review: The Biggest Disaster Aren\u2019t the Floods But the Love Story<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Like most Hindi films, Kedarnath presents a love story saddled with infuriating tropes about Muslims and modern courtship. 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