Thank You For Coming Review: Bhumi Pednekar & Shehnaaz Gill shine in their empowering feminist comedy

Film:
Thank You For Coming

Thank You For Coming Duration: 1 hour 57 minutes

Director: Karan Boolani

Starcast: Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill, Shibani Bedi, Dolly Singh & Kusha Kapila

Platform: Theatres

Thank You For Coming Review

Very rarely do we get a chance to witness women written by women in Bollywood. Luckily enough, Radhika Anand and Prashasti Singh have joined the league by beautifully penning the story of Karan Boolani’s sex-positive comedy Thank You For Coming. Produced by Rhea Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor, the film stars Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill, Shibani Bedi, Dolly Singh & Kusha Kapila. It premiered at the 46th 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in the Gala Presentations section on September 15, 2023 and has now released in theatres.

Known for its hilarious tone and empathetic gaze, Thank You For Coming is based on a 30-something Delhi girl, whose free spirit and progressive views on sex and marriage have not helped her when it comes to the art of orgasms. With her girlfriends by her side, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that manages to include an arranged marriage, an unthinkable betrayal, and the art of self-love all in the course of no more than a week.

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Watch the trailer while reading Thank You For Coming review:

Storyline

The film starts off by taking us into the life of Kanika Kapoor (Bhumi Pednekar) whose childhood is anything but normal as she is born to a single mother (Natasha Rastogi) – a gynecologist who had a child out of wedlock and is subjected to criticism at every turn. Her mother is extremely progressive and doesn’t care what society has to say about her singlehood or dating life. But Kanika wants to take every precaution to avoid a similar fate. So from a young age, she’s a serial dater, looking for the validation of men and hoping to eventually find someone she wants to marry. Soon comes her thirtieth birthday when she tearfully admits to her horrified best friends Pallavi (Dolly Singh) and Tina (Shibani Bedi) that she has never had an orgasm.

Fast-forward two years and Kanika’s misery is still the same. Enters Rushi Kalra (Shehnaaz Gill) who teaches her the art of self-love. She even advises her to be with a man who loves her and not the one she loves. And well, that leads to Kanika deciding to have an arranged marriage with her family friend Jeevan (Pradhuman Singh), who has always been in love with her. On the night of her engagement, Kanika parties her heart out as she drinks away any doubt she has about her upcoming, chemistry-less marriage. But the next morning, she wakes up having finally attained her unreachable goal – an orgasm – she just can’t remember who got her there.

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What Thank You For Coming talks about

The rest of the movie is all about Kanika trying to find the man of her sexual life along with her BFFs. By the time we get answers to the search for the secret orgasm-giver, the fun is almost over and it just feels like a dragged & boring second half. But the first half and the climax are the true winner of the film. The movie is fun, entertaining, raunchy and also smashes patriarchy, making us go ‘Yas Queen’.

Thank You For Coming is a new addition to the genre we have all been craving for. It proves that female stories can be as good if told correctly with humor, light and meaning. The film rightly points out at what years of sexism and patriarchy has done to women and how the society has somehow managed to make us believe that it’s all normal.

Performances

Bhumi Pednekar adds life to Kanika Kapoor’s character. She’s realistic and relatable but also unnecessarily over-dramatic at times. Her chemistry with all her love interests is just bang on. Shehnaaz Gill lights up the screen each time she makes an appearance. Even with way lesser screen time, Shehnaaz delivers an impactful performance as her character Rushi is the one who makes Kanika realise the importance of self-love.

The absolute surprise package in the movie has to be Shibani Bedi as Neha. She is possibly the most natural actress in the entire film and delivers a fantastic performance. Dolly Singh lends good support to the film but what is Kusha Kapila even doing in Thank You For Coming? Sadly, she’s just used as a pawn and her talent is gone to waste in the movie.

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Anil Kapoor is a charmer even in his special appearance. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone so go a watch it for yourself to see what role he plays. Big shoutout to Sushant Divgikar for delivering one of the best performances in the movie. Again, no spoilers here. Rabia Das as Shibani Bedi’s daughter adds a much-needed layer to the film. Natasha Rastogi does a fantastic job as Bhumi’s super-cool and sensible mum.

Technical Aspect

Thank You For Coming had every chance to go wrong had the director and screenwriters not been on the same page. Karan Boolani knew exactly how to avoid didactic cliches and not make it a clear case of a preachy feministic film. Radhika Anand and Prashasti Singh have aced it with their writing. Anil Mehta’s cinematography is delightful. Shweta Venkat Matthew and Manan Sagar’s editing is brilliant in the first half but the second half could have been crisper. QARAN, Jamroom and Hanita Bhambri’s music is the best part of the movie. Be it Haanji, Desi Wine or Pari Hu Mai, the music uplifts the tone and setting of the film.

What’s great about the Karan Boolani-directorial

Smashing patriarchy: What’s most thoughtful about Thank You For Coming is its handling of themes like marital pressure, societal criticism, and sexual shame and independence. Conversations about masturbation, nonconsensual porn, and sexuality are smartly woven in. And the ladies have managed to smash patriarchy, one dialogue at a time.

The girl gang: Even though the film somewhat lacks the glorification of female friendship, it does have some impact to showcase how when things go South, your girlfriends are the first ones to jump and save you. Bhumi, Dolly and Shibani have showcased an putstanding chemistry and camaraderie. The girl gang, including Shehnaaz of course, will make you appreciate your friendships a lot more.

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Thank You For Coming Drawbacks

Underutilization of talent: The biggest drawback of Thank You For Coming has to be the underutilization of talent. Shehnaaz Gill, who is possibly one of the best things in the movie, does not even get a fair screenspace. Each time she entered the frame (just twice to be precise), there were hoots and whistles, that was her impact but unfortunately, it was short lived. Kusha, an otherwise sassy and brilliant actor, was also wasted in the movie. Her role has absolutely no value and could have been easily skipped.

A boring second half: Thank You For Coming starts on a very high and energetic note. The flow is great until it’s not anymore. The first 45 minutes of the second half are extremely boring. What saves the day for the film is the climax. It’s subtle but talks about all the right things.

Conclusion

Thank You For Coming sheds light on the less-disccused concerns of women in India. The film’s purpose to serve as a feminist sex-positive comedy is fulfilled and also executed with fun. So, if you are looking for an entertaining watch this weekend and just want to have a good time with your girl gang, then Thank You For Coming is the right choice for you.

Also Read: Thank You For Coming: Bhumi Pednekar and the girl squad will get you nostalgic with the new rendition of Pari Hu Mai song

Rashita Sahni

I make celebrities talk, laugh & spill the tea!
Film & Fashion Journalist | Bombay