Band Baaja Baaraat is the Indian take on a classic rom-com. It plays in 2 halves splitting the film almost exactly in half with the point of conflict right square in the middle. The first half of this film might rank up there with the most enjoyable scenes I've watched in movies all year. The bond formed between these two people is so engaging, and you instantly want to root for them to succeed. I love their rapport, and how they seem to complement one another so perfectly. Despite how things start between them, it doesn't feel like they have an uncomfortable vibe where one is secretly pursuing the other romantically and hoping to trick them into jumping into the sack. Instead they both seem to put romance on the backburner so they can be successful partners, which works extremely well for the plot. The early weddings are so enjoyable, and feel like an event I want to attend.
I knew the second half was coming, but I was genuinely hoping they'd find a different point of conflict to come between the two romantic leads. The story even has a potential outside antagonist that they could have used in order to create tension without breaking down the central relationship. I was definitely put off by that story arc, and I started to worry the film was going to lose me completely as the male lead becomes a complete cad. The ending attempts redemption for his character, and certainly has all the hallmarks of a good rom-com climax. I was a little underwhelmed by his confession and how it came across, but between that and some of the wedding scenes at the end, it reminded me enough of the first half of the film to win me over again. With some different choices Band Baaja Baaraat might have been an all-time great for me, but instead it wound up being good, and one I might revisit someday.
I knew the second half was coming, but I was genuinely hoping they'd find a different point of conflict to come between the two romantic leads. The story even has a potential outside antagonist that they could have used in order to create tension without breaking down the central relationship. I was definitely put off by that story arc, and I started to worry the film was going to lose me completely as the male lead becomes a complete cad. The ending attempts redemption for his character, and certainly has all the hallmarks of a good rom-com climax. I was a little underwhelmed by his confession and how it came across, but between that and some of the wedding scenes at the end, it reminded me enough of the first half of the film to win me over again. With some different choices Band Baaja Baaraat might have been an all-time great for me, but instead it wound up being good, and one I might revisit someday.