The story of the movie revolves around Badrinath Bansal (Varun) who falls in love at first sight as he crosses paths with Vaidehi Trivedi (Alia). And, as expected, love doesn't come easy in Bollywood. In order to impress Alia, Varun needs to tackle various personal and social issues. The flick also touches upon various social evils which are still prevalent in Indian society. After several twists and turns, the storyline of 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania' also takes the lead jodi to Singapore. However, the aroma of the film still remains desi at heart and romance remains the firm spine of its screenplay.

There's much to admire about the ultra energetic, feisty Varun Dhawan. He acts the hell out of this film. But he plays a character with such few redeeming features -- much like this movie -- that at some point you actually begin to feel kinda sorry for this young lad. I mean what sort of a duffer is Badrinath (Varun's character) -- six-pack ab son of a local gun/goon, who's a 10th class pass, and absolutely all he thinks about all day, is how to get married.

BADRINATH KI DULHANIA - the second franchise of Bollywood's first rom com continues the infectious chemistry between Varun and Alia and they both are cracking to the core. Writer director Shashank Khaitan who happily and proudly was seen wearing the obsession with DDLJ in his previous HUMPTY SHARMA KI DULHANIA, this time aims for something more in this film by re-opening the gate of 'dahej' (dowry) in this romantic musical that also tries to wink at women independency and choice to work after marriage.

The film revolves around the lives of a rich yet not spoilt brat, Badrinath Bhansal aka Badri (Varun Dhawan) from Jhansi and an ambitious young girl Vaidehi Trivedi (Alia Bhatt) from Kota. While Badri's only motive in life is to get hitched to Vaidehi with whom he fell in love while dancing at a wedding, Vaidehi has bigger ambitions in life and battles to fight. The duo has different plans in life, except that Badri will not take a no for an answer and wants to desperately win over Vaidehi.

Looks like it's the season of women centric films in Bollywood and the reviewer feels that it is a brave attempt on the part of the filmmakers for breaking the myth that Bollywood is a male dominant industry. With films like Pink, Dangal, in the recent times, it is obvious that films with a social message is the new flavour of Hindi film industry. Director Shashank Khaitan brings you all yet another quirky film after his maiden venture, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, but this time he's rich on content and emotions.

A pyramid, a Taj Mahal, a Leaning Tower... A conveniently miniaturised collection of the seven wonders are arranged next to the Kishore Sagar lake, a world of selfie-friendly replicas for newlywed couples to exploit. This makes it an appropriate backdrop for Shashank Khaitan's breezy but sincere Badrinath Ki Dulhania, a film that has monumental ambition yet relies, modestly, on make-believe. It starts with Varun Dhawan trying to grin. Too eager to flash his giddiness to the world, he's constantly being reined in by the photographer. Limits are hard for garrulous young Badrinath, and when he sees Alia Bhatt at a wedding, he falls hard.

This definitely won't go down as a match made in heaven. Badrinath Ki Dulhania is a pulpy, uneven romantic caper that strives to pass itself off as a mellow tale of patriarchy, love, honour and ambition set in small-town India and couched in doses of humour. Neither the mush nor the air of mirth can pull it out of the trough it digs for itself. Writer-director Shashank Khaitan's overly cheerful follow-up to 2014's Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania pulls off only a part of the exercise. The rest - comprising protracted swathes of the film - is at best glossed-up dross. The attempted marriage of frivolity and matters solemn isn't a happy one.

The expression "breaking new ground" acquires new meaning in Badrinath Ki Dulhania (BKD). For one, in a film industry that has, over the years, reduced the number of female rape jokes it cracks, this one goes the other way and presents us with an extended joke on male rape. I kid you not. Writer-director Shashank Khaitan appears to have bought into the widely prevalent notion that masculinity means the ability to 'protect' yourself, that no 'real man' would ever be the victim of sexual violence, and therefore, that the possibility of such violence is funny.

Badrinath Ki Dulhania is a rom-com with plenty of social commentary thrown in. The film highlights how a regressive social mindset combined with parental pressure hinders the prosperity of women. Badrinath Bansal (Varun Dhawan) is an affable slacker. Living under the shadow and massive roof of his bossy, old-fashioned father (Rituraj) in Jhansi, he has accepted that his wife will be chosen for him. That is until he runs into Kota girl Vaidehi Trivedi (Alia Bhatt) who refuses to conform to conservative mores of how a woman should be.

BADRINATH KI DULHANIA is an archetypal Bollywood rom-com drama (written by Shashank Khaitan), which mirrors the ups and downs in a couple's life and the quintessential role of the society in the relationship. The film starts off in Jhansi with an extremely unique explanation of a boy being an 'asset' and a girl being a 'liability' vis a vis the prevalent dowry system. This is followed by the self-introduction of the tenth standard pass Badrinath Bansal aka Badri (Varun Sharma) and his family which consists of his mother, his elder brother Alok Bansal (Yash Sinha) and his brother's wife Urmila (Shweta Basu Prasad).

Badrinath Bansal (Varun Dhawan) considers himself to be one of the most eligible bachelors of Jhansi, thanks to his father's financial standing. His father is patriarch who doesn't want his daughter-in-law to work in spite of she being cleverer than his elder son. At a wedding in Kota, Badri lays eyes on Vaidehi Trivedi (Alia Bhatt) and is smitten by her spunky attitude. She's like a firecracker and that an ambitious one. After he proposes marriage to her, Vaidehi first declines and later tries to befriend him, at least to set up her elder sister's marriage through his help. In the meantime, Badri keeps trying to impress her.

The moment you see the film is set in Jhansi, you know that sooner or later, there will be a line involving a certain legendary queen known for her valour. Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya beats the drums for its women, loud and clear; sometimes a tad too loudly and clearly, but that's okay, because it's that kind of film. The moment you see Badri (Varun Dhawan) and Vaidehi (Alia Bhatt) meet-cute in a wedding, you know where they are headed.

Badrinath Ki Dulhania begins as a cute sweet love story between a Jhansi boy and a Kota girl, but the director understands the current tide of films that celebrate powerful, liberated women, so it transforms into a progressive story before turning cute-sweet again. Badrinath Bansal (Varun Dhawan) is your gym-type boy-next-door. Slightly outspoken but mostly lovable. He may remind you of Govinda of the early '90s: Scheming, harmless, quick-witted and conventional. He belongs to a family that suffocates under his dominating father Amarnath Bansal's (Rituraj Singh) thumb. Badrinath's prime duty is to collect debt on behalf of his wealthy, patronising father.

Badrinath Ki Dulhania is a rucksack full of radioactive social issues handled cautiously with bedazzled Dharma gloves. But 'handled' is the operative word here. Set in small towns like Jhansi and Kota where patriarchy is as evident as daylight, the movie focuses on Badrinath (Varun Dhawan), a sahukar's son in pursuit of a bride. He spots Vaidehi (Alia Bhatt) at a wedding and starts wooing her. But Vaidehi refuses to bow down to social pressure and succumb to a marriage nurtured by an IV drip of dowry. Turns out she's that mutant small-town girl with actual opinions and ambitions and most importantly, a spine.