Movie: Double XL
Double XL cast: Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha, Zaheer Iqbal, Mahat Raghavendra, Kanwaljit Singh
Double XL director: Satram Ramani
Where to watch: In theatres
Bollywood has been quite adept at dishing out good social comedies over the last decade, be it religion, skin color, erectile dysfunction, pregnancy in old age, toilet hygiene and so on. This time around, the Hindi film industry has been talking about curvy women and how curvy can definitely be sexy, with Bollywood itself somewhat responsible for perpetuating the opposite stereotype since the new millennium. Thus, the protagonist of Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha, Double XL manages to advance the industry as well as influence the thinking of the public. In some ways, yes, but the journey is a bit bumpy nonetheless. So, are you excited about what to watch this weekend or what to watch this week and wonder if Double XL is your time worth? Scroll down for my full Double XL movie review below…
What is it about
Rajshri Trivedi (Huma Qureshi) has always aspired to become a sports presenter and her cricket knowledge is impeccable. Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha) has been honing her fashion skills since childhood and aspires to make a name for herself as a hotshot fashion designer. However, both face numerous roadblocks from family and outsiders as they do not fit the ideal body type of a woman who is meant to pursue glamorous professions.
Watch the Double XL trailer below:
What’s hot
Huma Qureshi once again proves what a good actress she is by breathing life into even the most pedantic dialogues and effortlessly switching between humor and emotion. Sonakshi Sinha can’t match her skill, but does enough to form an admirable pairing with Huma, while both Zaheer Iqbal and Mahat Raghavendra provide skillful support. Mudassar Aziz and Sasha Singh’s screenplay is good in some respects, highlighting several relatable points that both people who struggle with the complexity of their weight and those who make them feel that way would identify with, while Satram’s direction Ramani creates more than a few heartwarming moments – example being the park scene where Huma and Sonakshi expose all the problems they’ve been facing and how foolish they seem, a cameo from Kapil Dev, Huma finally winning over her mother, and the climax during a fashion show. Milind Jog’s camera work is another highlight.
What not
Where Double XL falters is in piecing together a cohesive story between the captivating moments. Firstly, it is too long for the subject, and therefore loses the plot at quite a few moments. Second, the supporting cast isn’t fleshed out well enough, doing too little or seeming annoying at times, and to the actors’ credit for making the most of their sketchy character arcs. The music is also a huge letdown, including the background music, where only the Tamil-esque song in a pub impresses.
BL verdict
Double XL has the right intentions and tries hard to get them across, but it gets lost in translation in more than a few places due to its length and shoddy plotting. An important movie that makes for a somewhat decent watch, but had to be better. I’m going for 2.5 out of 5 stars.
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