Movie Review: Mere Brother Ki Dulhan

Kush Agnihotri (Imran Khan) is looking for the ideal Indian bride for his Brother Luv Agnihotri (Ali Zafar) who stays in London. In his quest, Kush goes through an array of wacky encounters with several families until he finally finds that perfect girl in Dimple Dixit (Katrina Kaif), the wackiest girl he has ever known. Both the families meet and formalities are completed. Preparations proceed in full swing. And just then, Kush falls in love with Dimple... his brother's dulhan.

Let's get one thing straight, there is nothing unique about Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. But then, it doesn't promise to be a path-breaking film either. It follows the old-age formula, with the very clichd ordinary Bollywood triangle love story which has been showcased in our Bollywood films a zillion times. In fact, the film also gives you flashes of the classic Dilwale Dulhaniye Le Jayenge at times. However, surprisingly, the film yet works! That's mainly because of its treatment. Firstly, the film succeeds in keeping you engrossed nearly throughout its proceedings. In spite of having a predictable storyline, which is expected in films of such a genre, MBKD maintains an interest among the audiences to know what's going to happen next. In fact, it also surprises at times. For example, where dramatic scenes are usually a compulsory part of any triangle love story, MBKD doesn't have any of it. There is no rona-dhona, no bhaiyon ke beech takraar, no love sacrifices, no families going against lovers; nothing at all. MBKD has zilch drama. The entire film is treated in a very light entertaining manner which works for it brilliantly. However, it can't be said that the film has no dull moments. The film gets extremely slow at times, mainly in the pre-interval and post-interval portions. Also, to have 6 full-length songs in a film is something which the audience may not be used to anymore. The film has a long list of songs which might seem to flow well with the narrative, however, ends up slowing the pace of the film.

Ali Abbas Zafar has done a fine job being a first-time director. Handling a light entertainer might seem to be a very simple task, but is in fact much tougher than it looks like. Ali Abbas Zafar has handled it all very well. The music by Sohail Sen is extremely entertaining. Songs like 'Dhunki' and the title track are already a hit among the audiences, and the music shall only draw in more people. Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography is appropriate. The screenplay and editing could have been improved on. As mentioned, the film tends to dip at places.

Imran Khan is extremely likeable. One rare aspect about Imran's performances is that he gives very realistic performances and doesn't dramatize or exaggerate too much. It's the same with this film. Imran Khan has once again given a mature and realistic performance. However, he needs to brush up on his dancing skills. Katrina Kaif is brilliant. She's the soul of the film. This is her best performance so far after Namastey London. In fact after veterans like Kajol and Juhi Chawla, she's maybe the only actress (besides Lara Dutta) who can manage to be great in comedy. Also, the chemistry between Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif is fantastic and one of the USP's of this film. Ali Zafar is amazing. His expressions or even hand gestures are enough to crack you up. Being just his second film, there's a lot to be seen from this talented performer. However, he overacts a slight bit in a few scenes. Parikshat Sahni and Kanwaljeet Singh are great, as always. Tara D'souza is effective in her bit.