‘PAUDHA’ Review: Wins heart with its fluid storytelling
You thought only two human beings married can divorce each other? What if you are married to a tree because you are a Manglik and you need to divorce the tree before marrying for the second time? Here is an interesting twist in this comic satire – Paudha by Shashwat Dwivedi. In Indian weddings, we have come across many funny traditions. But ever thought if these traditions could put you in a spot by threatening the very thing they were supposed to fix?
Are the planets never going to be aligned for your love story?
Shravan, the male lead agrees to see a girl for arranged marriage and falls in love with the match. But as fate cries, the past haunts. Turns out he is already married and cannot get divorced. Which Indian tradition is going to help him fix his wedding now?
Writer and Director, Shashwat Dwivedi adeptly weaves in a stirring social message, adds a bit of mystery, folklore and suspense, without sermonizing. Though in the second half, the imagination dries up and most scenes are predictable. The eerie silences are punctuated by some meaningful writing.
The cinematography is nicely done, but small unnecessary scenes are prolonged unnecessarily. On contrary, the little moments of love are captured in a beautiful way. Innocence of modern day arranged-marriage is preserved well. Flaws in prevailing Indian customs are shown in a humorous way. The characters are sketched to perfectly blend. Although, they could have enacted the same dialogues in a better way. Editing could have been better. In spite of its flaws, of which there are many, Paudha wins your heart with its simple fluid storytelling and characters who seem to have taken birth in a house next door, long before the camera was switched on. Overall the moral of the story was well received.
Stars : ⭐⭐⭐1/2
Aditi Gandhi for Bombay Weekly!
