Veere Di Wedding": A Celebration Of Female Friendship And Lov

Veere Di Wedding is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language female buddy comedy film. The title translates to Friend's Wedding and the plot centres around four friends, all young women, who are facing issues with relationships, both familial and sexual. The film stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam K Ahuja, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania in lead roles as the four friends, with the story revolving around one of the women, Kalindi (played by Kareena Kapoor Khan), getting married. The film received mixed reviews, with some praising its realistic portrayal of female sexuality and others criticising its portrayal of feminism as regressive and apologetic.

The film's depiction of female friendship

The 2018 Indian film Veere Di Wedding (Friend's Wedding) is a female buddy comedy that centres on the depiction of female friendship. The film follows four friends—Kalindi, Avni, Sakshi, and Meera—who are facing issues with relationships, both familial and sexual.

The film portrays a particular kind of female friendship that transcends the usual Indian terminology of "friends" or "sisters". The term "veere", meaning "big brother" in Punjabi, conveys a stronger bond, akin to having a brother who will protect and defend you no matter what. This is reflected in the film as the four friends rally around each other, offering support, defence, and protection during challenging times.

The film explores the complexities of female friendship and how it can serve as a powerful driving force in one's life. Despite their differences and individual struggles, the friends provide a strong support system for each other. They encourage each other to confront their problems head-on and help each other find solutions. For example, when one of the friends, Meera, is estranged from her father due to cultural differences regarding her marriage to an American man, her friends encourage her to reconcile with him.

The film also challenges societal norms and expectations of women in Indian culture. It showcases the friends navigating their careers, sexualities, and relationships on their own terms, often going against traditional expectations. For instance, Avni, a successful divorce lawyer, yearns for an arranged marriage despite her modern and educated background. However, when faced with the reality of such expectations, she ultimately decides to forgo the idea of marriage altogether and embraces her life as it is.

Veere Di Wedding presents a nuanced portrayal of female friendship, one that is rarely depicted in Indian cinema. It highlights the strength and complexity of these bonds, demonstrating how they can be a source of empowerment and support for women navigating various life challenges.

The film's treatment of female sexuality

The 2018 Indian film Veere Di Wedding has been described as a "game-changer" for its treatment of female sexuality. The film centres on four friends, all young women, who are facing issues with relationships, both familial and sexual. It has been praised for putting women's desires first and for its realistic portrayal of female sexuality.

The film features a scene in which the character Sakshi, played by Swara Bhaskar, uses a vibrator. This scene received a lot of attention and was praised for its realistic portrayal of female sexuality. Bhaskar's mother, Ira, a professor of Cinema Studies, commented that the film represents a shift in the depiction of female sexuality, from very metaphoric and symbolic to much more direct articulation. She also noted that the character Sakshi is confident in her sexuality and makes no qualms about what she wants.

The film also addresses the issue of female masturbation, which has been a taboo topic in mainstream Hindi films. In the film, Sakshi's husband walks in on her masturbating and is appalled, deciding to divorce her. This portrayal of female masturbation as something shameful or embarrassing has been criticised, with some reviewers noting that the film makes masturbation seem like an indirect form of cheating. However, others have praised the film for starting a conversation about female pleasure and sexuality, which is rarely depicted in Indian cinema.

Veere Di Wedding has been compared to other Bollywood films that have explored female sexuality, such as Margarita With A Straw, Fire, and Water. These films have addressed the conflict between social mores, family limitations, and a woman's physical desires. Despite facing controversy, these films have sparked important discussions about female sexuality and have contributed to a gradual shift in the portrayal of women's desires in Hindi cinema.

While Veere Di Wedding has been lauded for its portrayal of female friendship and sexuality, it has also received criticism for its treatment of feminism. Some reviewers have argued that the film reinforces stereotypes about liberated women, portraying them as drinking, smoking, using cuss words, and talking about sex constantly. They argue that the film skirts more meaningful issues and instead aims to shock audiences with its treatment of female sexuality.

The film's reception in India

Veere Di Wedding received mixed reviews from critics and audiences in India. While some praised the film for its realistic portrayal of female sexuality and modern Indian women, others criticised it for its weak characters, lazy script, and overuse of profanity.

The film was praised for its strong female leads and its portrayal of female friendship. Swara Bhaskar, Shikha Talsania, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Sonam K Ahuja received acclaim for their performances, with Bhaskar's portrayal of female sexuality in a particular scene receiving polarised responses on social media but critical acclaim. Kapoor was also described as a "legend" by Bhaskar.

However, Veere Di Wedding was criticised for its weak character development, lazy script, and overuse of profanity. One review called it a ""weak effort", while another said it was "boring" and "annoying". The film's similarities to Western productions such as Sex and the City, Bridesmaids, and Bachelorette were also noted.

Despite the mixed reviews, Veere Di Wedding was a commercial success, earning over ₹139,000,000 (equivalent to ₹185,959,888 in 2023) worldwide and becoming the fifth-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2018, as well as the highest-grossing film that year with female leads. A sequel, Veere Di Wedding 2, is currently in the works.

The film's treatment of feminism

The 2018 film Veere Di Wedding has been the subject of much discussion regarding its treatment of feminism. While some critics have hailed it as a feminist film, others have argued that it falls short of making the cut.

The film follows the journey of four friends, all women, from their late teens to their late twenties as they navigate relationships, marriages, and divorces. One of the most talked-about scenes in the film involves the character Sakshi, played by Swara Bhasker, who is seen masturbating with a vibrator, only to be caught by her husband, who then blackmails her. This scene has been criticised for its portrayal of female sexuality and masturbation as Bhasker's character is embarrassed and reluctant to share this with her friends, with whom she has otherwise uninhibited discussions. The film has also been criticised for its treatment of female sexuality more broadly, with one critic noting that the idea of women being comfortable with their sexuality does not equate to talking about it crudely.

Another point of contention is the film's treatment of gender roles. Some critics have argued that the film does not offer a radical overturning of gender roles and expectations in Hindi cinema but rather a pragmatic negotiation with market forces that lends a semblance of radicalism without going too deep. The film has been described as bro-culture packaged as feminism, extending empathy only to certain types of women, specifically those within the network of affluent, upper-caste women. The film's promotion and the cast's insistence that it is not a feminist film have also been scrutinised, with some arguing that this is due to a fear of being associated with a term that is often vilified.

However, some critics have defended the film, arguing that it is a movie about female friendship and that it does not need to be a grand statement about feminism or women's empowerment. They argue that the film showcases women living their lives and battling what life throws at them with humour and friendly support. The absence of violence against women, a common trope in Bollywood, is also noted as a positive aspect of the film.

Overall, while Veere Di Wedding has been praised for its female-led cast and its treatment of female friendship, it has also been criticised for its portrayal of female sexuality and its failure to offer a more radical vision of gender roles and feminism.

The film's plot and characters

Veere Di Wedding is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language female buddy comedy film directed by Shashanka Ghosh. The title translates to "Friend's Wedding". The film stars four friends, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam K Ahuja, Swara Bhaskar, and Shikha Talsania, who are facing issues with relationships, both familial and sexual.

The plot centres around the character of Kalindi (Kapoor Khan), a commitment-phobic woman who lives with her boyfriend, Rishabh (Sumeet Vyas), in Australia. When Rishabh proposes to her, Kalindi is taken aback but eventually agrees to the marriage. The film follows the four friends as they navigate love, life, and family, with each character dealing with their own set of problems.

Kalindi travels to Delhi to get married and stays with her uncle Kuki (Vivek Mushran) and his partner. Her friends Avni (Ahuja), Sakshi (Bhaskar), and Meera (Talsania) all attend the engagement ceremony, which turns into a fiasco due to various dramas and misunderstandings. The next morning, the friends find Kalindi in her old home, where she grew up, and she and Rishabh amicably break off the engagement. The group then takes a trip to Thailand, where they reconnect and confront their respective issues.

Avni is a practising lawyer in Delhi, specialising in divorce cases. Her mother is looking for a suitable groom for her, but Avni is nervous about marriage due to her daily experiences with divorce cases. Sakshi is already married but is living with her parents after leaving her husband. The reason for their break-up is a source of embarrassment for Sakshi, and she eventually reveals to her parents that her husband wanted a divorce after discovering her using a vibrator. Meera has married an American, John (Edward Sonnenblick), with whom she has a son. She is estranged from her father, who was intensely opposed to the marriage for cultural reasons.

The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its realistic portrayal of female sexuality and subversion of male-dominant stereotypes, while others criticised its outrageous nature, excessive loudness, and unnecessary abusiveness.

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