Archika Khurana, IST
Raksha Bandhan Story: Responsibility for the four sisters’ marriage rests on the shoulders of Lala Kedarnath, the eldest and only brother. What follows are his relentless efforts to ensure his sisters settled down in marriage before marrying Sapna, his childhood sweetheart. Will he be able to keep his promises, or does fate have other plans for him?
Raksha Bandhan Review: The film takes off quickly in the locales of Chandni Chowk, where Lala Kedarnath (Akshay Kumar) owns a pushtaini gol gappa (panipuri) shop. He is popular, especially among the pregnant women who believe that after gulping down gol gappas from his shop, they will possibly give birth to a baby boy. Even in his personal life, he is surrounded by a gang of four sisters- sensible and responsible Gayatri (Sadia Khateeb), chubby Durga (Deepika Khanna), dusky Laxmi (Smrithi Srikanth), and tomboyish Saraswati (Sahejmeen Kaur) – and, of course, his girlfriend, Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar). Lala made a promise to his mother on her deathbed that he would tie the knot only after he has fulfilled his responsibility of marrying his sisters into suitable homes. Despite his best efforts and careful screening of all available men, he is unable to e time, Lala’s devotion to his sisters impedes his romantic life with Sapna.
After Atrangi Re!, director Aanand L Rai and writer Himanshu Sharma collaborate again. Kanika Dhillon has co-written this familial tale that is overly simple and relatable. The first half is a breeze, thanks to Lala’s sisters’ teasing and bonding, but the second half is more emotionally-charged, turning it into a social commentary. As a result, the narrative gets repetitive and a tad tedious in the latter part, making you wonder where it is all headed.