274. Muklawa; movie review

MUKLAWA
Cert PG
112 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild violence

Blimey, getting married has been a complicated business in India, hasn't it?
Thanks to Muklawa, I have discovered that not only did couples not necessarily meet before their wedding day, they didn't even get to see each other's faces for an indeterminate time after that.
Simerjit Singh's film picks up on the frustration of the bride and groom ahead of the Muklawa ritual.
Set in Punjab in the 1960s, he shows that marriages could even be called off if the processes weren't followed precisely.
It stars Ammy Virk as the inquisitive husband who is bursting with curiosity to see the face of his new wife (Sonam Bajwa).
This doesn't seem entirely unreasonable by today's standards but it seems that back then, a diplomatic incident might be caused if he does.
Thus, even though he is married, he is forced to come up with all sorts of crazy plans including roping in his bachelor uncle (B.N.Sharma).
Even though Virk's character is a tad irritating, it is easy to have empathy for him and he ekes every bit of emotion.
But the problem with Simerjit's movie is that it goes over the same ground repeatedly.
Once it has been established that the young man is distressed not to see his wife's face and makes futile attempts to do so, there is only one way it can go.
And I simply found the intransigence of the bride's family and the incessant shouting too much to bear.
Nevertheless, it opened the door on a slice of Punjabi culture of which I was completely unaware and it doesn't surprise me that it has been such a big hit with those from the region.

Reasons to watch: An insight into Punjabi traditions
Reasons to avoid: Too much slapstick and childish behaviour

Laughs: None for me
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? Muklawa started from the days of child marriage. Post-marriage the bride used to stay with their family until the mutually decided time. When the decided number of years had passed, the bride was sent to the groom' s home. This process of sending the bride to the groom’s family is actually called Muklawa.

The final word. Ammy Virk: "As the movie is set against the backdrop of Pre-Partition Punjab, it was a unique experience shooting for it. It is a first-of-its-kind romantic comedy movie and I am hopeful the audiences will love it.” Tribune India

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