Family fun: 'Badhaai Ho' trailer has the country in splits

Last month, when 45-year-old Rekha Sahni of Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh received a link to the trailer of 'Badhaai Ho' in her ‘Gang of Girls’ WhatsApp group, she was a little perplexed. “We usually talk and gossip about life, husbands, and families. Movie recommendations don’t happen on that group,” says Rekha. But when she saw the trailer, not only was she compelled to discuss it in that group, the private school teacher even forwarded it on other groups.“It is such a grounded and relatable story even though the idea is a little fantastical. And the humour is so clean too. I found the entire take very innocent and fun,” says Rekha.

Like Rekha, it seems, thousands of others have taken to sharing the trailer on the instant messaging app. But even as it has garnered over 20 million views (along with 3 lakh likes) in three weeks, the trailer is also spreading by word of mouth, or rather by word of WhatsApp. It has become a talking point in several WhatsApp groups across the country, with folks discussing and dissecting the trailer and laughing about it. Some share it to tease their parents, or issue a mock warning, while others are already making group plans to watch the film. Anand Kishore, 52, a banker from Shahdara, tells us, “A cousin shared the trailer on the family WhatsApp group, roasting me and asking ki kahin aap toh khushkhabri nahin dene wale? The idea is so fresh and the family so relatable that it feels very funny. I shared it with all my school and college friends and we had hour-long discussions and jokes about it.”

In UP, where people are particularly relating to the tone of the film, the trailer has become the talk of the town. Jaiti Arora, a 48-year-old from Meerut, says, “I laughed a lot after watching the trailer of the movie. Then, I forwarded this trailer in my WhatsApp group warning the ladies that even at this stage, this can happen with them as well. Everyone replied joking that they will be careful. Some said they will not lock their rooms from now on while some said they will not switch off the lights.” Sanchita Sarkar, a 29-year-old homemaker from Kanpur, adds, “What a unique story it is! I am impressed with the storyline of 'Badhaai Ho'. I also shared it with my mother and she jokingly asked if she should start thinking in this same direction. I will watch this movie with my parents. I hope it will be laugh riot for them as well.”

Many groups are already making plans to watch the film, ‘saving the date’ per se. Aniket Sharma, a software engineer from Noida, tells us, “Maine toh trailer dekhte hi apne friend circle mein forward kar diya. All of us found it so funny and relatable. It has a strong middle-class vibe and that makes it relatable. We have decided to watch it on the first weekend.” Rashmi Ahuja, a homemaker from Dehradun’s Garhi Cantt, says, “The moment the trailer of 'Badhaai Ho' came out, it was posted in our WhatsApp group. Since then, it’s been a hot topic of discussion, especially in our kitty parties. In our small group of friends, we pull each other’s legs and warn not to take such a step at this age.”

But it’s not just the moms and dads who are sharing the trailer and applauding it on their groups. The kids aren’t far behind. “I have started sleeping with my parents after watching the trailer of 'Badhaai Ho'!” says 19-year-old Ashi Singhal from Meerut. “At this age, I don’t want a sibling. I even warned my friends about it by sharing the trailer on WhatsApp group and advised them to keep an eye on their parents to avoid the ‘mishap’. Everyone burst into laughter after watching the trailer. This has now become a hot topic for our group to discuss and laugh endlessly,” she sums up.
— Inputs from Yukta Khanna, Sumit Jha and Taresh Dutta