Badhaai Do (Give Congratulations) is a Hindi-language movie from India directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni and starring Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar. Like the 2018 film it is billed as a successor to, Badhaai Ho, Badhaai Do tackles unconventionality in Indian families — this time, homosexuality.
Shardul, a gay policeman, and Suman "Sumi", a lesbian teacher, agree to marry each other to placate their families and help each other navigate conservative Indian society. Shardul and Sumi then have to navigate the ups and downs of this choice, such as hiding their sexualities from their circles, balancing their fake marriage with their respective real same-sex relationships, and Sumi's desire to adopt a child.
The film was released on 11 February 2022.
Tropes:
- All Lesbians Want Kids: Lesbians Sumi and Rimjhim really want a child. Rimjhim asks why Sumi doesn't conceive with her (gay) husband, but Sumi stresses that she wants to adopt. Shardul even agrees since it will satisfy his family's desire for a kid. They get their wish in the end, with Shardul and Sumi's marriage on the adoption papers, but the film makes it clear Rimjhim will also be a mother to the baby.
- Bait-and-Switch: The film ends with a puja to celebrate Shardul and Sumi's successful platonic adoption of a baby. After Shardul's supervisor arrives Sumi's girlfriend stands to not make it so obvious that they're lesbians. The film fades to black on this bittersweet note...but then Sumi's father tells her that she can sit with Shardul and Sumi as one of the baby's mothers. Shardul then invites his boyfriend Guru up with him. Though the boss is still somewhat hesitant, it's clear that Shardul and Sumi will try to make their unconventional family work with the support of the family members that accepted them.
- The Beard: Shardul (gay) and Sumi (lesbian) enter into a mutual bearding lavender marriage to relieve societal pressures to get married.
- Catfishing: Sumi agrees to meet with a woman on a dating app...only to find out that "Mireil" is a stalkerish man trying to get with lesbians. This event leads her to the police station where the gay Shardul works.
- Coming-Out Story: The film builds towards Shardul's and Sumi's respective coming-outs to their families.
- Daddy's Girl: Unlike her vitriolic relationship with her disapproving mother, Sumi is on great terms with her father. The reveal that she is gay strains it a bit but they make up towards the end.
- Gayngst: The LGBT characters all struggle with Indian homophobia.
- Shardul and Sumi marry just to keep their families off their backs. Sumi's lesbianism comes out first and she is nearly disowned; Shardul comes out in solidarity.
- Rimjhim is estranged from her parents because they disapproved of her being a lesbian.
- Shardul meets his boyfriend Guru while monitoring some homophobic protestors.
- If It's You, It's Okay: Defied. After Shardul's family, who aren't aware that Shardul and Sumi are in a lavender marriage, pressures them to have a kid over the Diwali holiday, Shardul and Sumi briefly contemplate actually trying sex with each other to conceive. They get as far as an Almost Kiss before mutually backing out. Later Sumi's girlfriend is disgusted by the idea and suspects Shardul to be secretly bisexual (he's not, it was just ill-thought out).
- Lazily Gender-Flipped Name: Guru trolls Shardul's mom by hinting that he is gay, including by mentioning that they met at the wedding of their friends Amit and Harsh. Shardul, not wanting to make his mom think he is gay, is quick to say Guru means their female friend Amita.
- Marriage of Convenience: A gay man and a lesbian get married so that their families and friends will stop pressuring them. After the ruse is found out, they remain married so they can adopt a child since Indian laws forbid gay couples from adopting, though now with their respective same-sex relationships out in the open.
- Metaphorical Marriage: Gay marriage isn't legal in India, but that doesn't stop a couple named Amit and Harsh celebrating their union in public with a party "announcing" their marriage. It's where Shardul, a closeted policeman, meets his boyfriend Guru, who's an attorney.
- Mood Whiplash: Around the 3/4 mark there's a humorous bit about Guru, Shardul's "friend", riding home with him and his mother and befriending her despite Shardul's obvious frustration with Guru's hints of homosexuality. And then his mother finds Sumi in bed with Rimjhim. The rest of the film is a coming-out drama.
- Old Maid: Sumi's family despairs that she's unmarried at 31.
- Open-Minded Parent:
- Despite spending the whole film being a tender doormat towards her in-laws, Shardul's mother is the first person to accept him for being gay, while the rest of them either don't come around or are slower to do so.
- Discussed; Sumi tells her father that she had assumed homophobia from her mother if she were to come out, but figured that her father would be supportive. She's heartbroken when he isn't initially, but he comes around.
- Platonic Co-Parenting: In the end Shardul and Sumi continue their lavender marriage so they can adopt a child. The ending makes it clear that Sumi's girlfriend Rimjhim will also be involved in the rearing.
- Pretty Boy: Sumi says that Shardul's boyfriend Kabir, who is slender and beardless, looks like a schoolboy.
- Pride Parade: To symbolize that he is now now out of the closet, Shardul puts on a rainbow mask while monitoring a pride parade.
- Quitting to Get Married: Sumi's aunt assumes that she'll quit her teaching job after she marries. She has no such notions.
- Relatively Flimsy Excuse: To hide Sumi's lesbian relationship with Rimjhim, Shardul and Sumi claim that Rimjhim is her cousin.
- Saw "Star Wars" Twenty-Seven Times: Shardul says he watched Pumping Iron 30 times to motivate himself to get jacked.
- Third Wheel: Shardul spends his honeymoon with Sumi being romantic with Kabir, while Sumi accompanies them (not that she minds).
- Workout Fanservice: Shardul is introduced shirtless at a gym getting his body measured.
