Shaadi Ke Side Effects (2014)

Thanks for the memories!

Better Late Then Never

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

The star cast of "Shaadi Ke Side Effects" has been fresh and somewhat eye candy, meet Farhan Akhtar, husband aka Sid and Vidya Balan, wife aka Trisha. This Balaji Films production no doubt received mega hype and publicity and the curiosity to see a light hearted Farhan and a newly wed Vidya was also starved.The story is simple and a universal concept, man and woman married suddenly realize they want a child or don't, their independence, responsibilities and fidelity are at the edge. So how to Sid and Trisha tackle these, what's their journey like and what's the lesson.There is not much lesson but an experience to see very good actors Farhan and Vidya in a marriage. There are no major wow moments in terms of direction by Saket Chaudhary, who has also written the story. This film is like a sequel to Saket's earlier "Pyaar Ke Side Effects". The music is bang on, which is normally the work of a Balaji Production and Pritish Nandy and Music Director Pritam doesn't fail especially with the International Bhangra Star Jazzy B song "Harry's Not a Brahmchari".A few uplifted moments from Hollywood, for example the beginning scene of Mr and Mrs Roy meeting at a club like strangers is from Liev Schreiber film "A Perfect Man" and Sid's studio at home and his moments there are like John Krasinski's "Nobody Walks".The freshness remains Farhan and Vidya, and the contributions by Ram Kapoor, Gautami Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri and Vir Dar were notable. Finally, it is a fun ride, enjoy.

Shaadi Ke Side Effects Review (By Me); most marriage movies don't go into dept of what goes on beside closed doors, but Shaadi Ke Side Effects does. when you put actors like Farhan Akhtar & Vidaya Balan on screen together it's just makes the whole film even better. As they portray their roles as husband and wife it was nailed! SKSE shows you the fun & serious parts of marriage, which everyone should know exists. marriage is about having fun and loving each other but what happens when your not ready for more responsibility like a baby or another car?? what if all you wanna do is have fun with the marriage?? SKSE takes you there and shows your the outcome of what marriages are like with lies and betrayal. FA & VB have done such an excellent job of making the audience understand that there is such a thing a love forgiveness & understanding. the funny moments of the film will make you laugh like crazy and the serious parts will have you think either is that how I feel or am u ready for marriage? Awesome movie altogether .

Why would you lie to your partner though? To assuage guilt? Avoid confrontation? Allan and Barbara Pease, in their iconic book on behavior of the "other" side- Why Men Lie and Women Cry, talked of how men, compulsive liars that they are, actually suck at lying. Even though the narrative is straight off a guy's perspective, the best thing about Shaadi ke Side Effects is its real characters. The sequel to 2006's entertaining romantic comedy, Pyaar ke Side Effects and (helmed by the original director Saket Chowdhury), which to date remains Mallika Sherawat's only memorable role, brings back the same characters who are now married and expecting their first child. And it starts off pretty well- inspired from one of Phil and Claire Dumphy's role playing dates from Modern Family. So many women out there like Trisha Roy (Vidya Balan), who let their lives take a U turn once they become mothers. Out goes career, husband and friends, and their life is controlled by diapers, baby monitors, maids and baby food. And so many guys out there like Siddharth Roy (Farhan Akhtar) who consider the child as a competitor, and a hindrance to their definition of happy married life. "If you make a mistake, say sorry. If she makes a mistake, you say sorry"The first half has its funny moments, and most of it derived due to Farhan's effortless charm and comic timing. Actor, director, singer- is there anyone more talented than this guy in Bollywood today? Being very much a guy's viewpoint of marriage, Vidya gets the short straw. Her Trisha is the nagging wife, the overprotective mother, one who carries her post motherhood weight with nonchalance, much to the chagrin of Sid. Come second half, and things nosedive spectacularly as Ram Kapoor tells Sid to find some white lies derived "me time". New characters pop up- Ila Arun's matronly maid, Vir Das's cool dude, and Purab Kohli's helpful neighbor. And the film plunges into stereotype Indian melodrama when Sid's alter ego time is equated to being akin to having an affair. The screenplay is a letdown, as after the mandatory crying, all ends well though for the couple, but not for the viewer.Balaji Telefilms deserves a pat for the past- weepy serials notwithstanding, their film portfolio has demonstrated a lot of gumption- Love, Sex aur Dhoka, Ragini MMS, The Dirty Picture, Lootera have been daringly different. Shaadi ke Side Effects starts off as trying to be different, a modern take on relationships, but end ups clichéd. The humor is extremely American sitcom inspired, and the so called funny jokes mostly reside on an average guy's whatsapp list. The movie is technically sound, well shot and designed, with good performances, and pretty like a bouquet of flowers, but unlike Pyar ke Side Effects, this one lacks warmth.A happy marriage is an oxymoron. We all know that, and probably didn't need a 2.5 hour movie to drive that point in- 5/10

I don't understand the fuss surrounding the movie, considering how it's probably one of the better scripts and execution of comedy I've seen in Bollywood in recent times. I had watched this is a fully booked theater and from the roars of laughter and clapping, I can assure you that 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' is worth at least a one time watch.Farhan and Vidya play a married couple (Sid and Trisha) who complement each other and are a breath of fresh air. (Definitely a break from seeing much older actors romancing heroines who could very much be their daughters.) The "unconventional" pairing plays out lovely on screen and needless to say, both actors nailed their respective roles with such conviction. Farhan's comic timing and delivery of witty dialogue has again ascertain his strength as an actor (amongst his ever growing list!) and Vidya's subtle portrayal of a urban woman struggling to be a new mother is remarkable.Saket Chaudhary's hilarious take on parenthood and painful truth of life after marriage is well-balanced with all-too-familiar scenarios of both "the good" and "the bad". While this uni-sided film is written in a male's perspective, we do get to see Trisha's woes as a wife/mother, too.The second half of the movie seems a tad draggy with some unnecessary parts but the film manages to pick up its pace at the climax. The twist is certainly unexpected and gets you wondering how the movie is set to end. (I actually did like the ingenious ending, too.)It's possible that audiences who didn't quite like the movie had much higher expectations of Farhan and Vidya for they are actors who have done quite "serious" films in the past. However, do keep in mind that 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' is a light-hearted comedy that invariably takes you on a quirky ride while occasionally tapping on the seriousness of marriage. I'd recommend this relatable film to anyone who's in the mood for some laughs!