Vicky, Ayushmann Kurrana’s daughter, became a sperm donor in 2012 to make some money. Seven years later, Sonakshi Sinha’s Baby Bedi was running a sex clinic in Khandaani Shafakhana to support her family. Both films discussed how sex is forbidden in our culture, but the Indian audiences reacted to them in completely different ways.
In today’s Monday Masala, we’ll talk about how Sonakshi Sinha, Badshah, and Varun Sharma sought to shatter the taboo in Khandaani Shafakhanaa.
The movie begins with Baby Bedi struggling to make ends meet in a tiny village. She is the household’s lone breadwinner and is motivated to help her family overcome their financial difficulties. While she is on the lookout for a way to make some serious cash, an opportunity knocks on her door. Her uncle leaves her a shafakhana (sex clinic), which she now has to operate. How can a woman manage a sex clinic in a society where using the word “sex” in public is frowned upon? But that’s what a financial emergency forces you to do. Sonakshi accepts the socially frowned-upon employment without hesitation. Slowly, she realizes its worth and seeks to expand it, but not without encountering her own set of challenges.
If Shoojit Sircar’s male protagonist Vicky Donor was exposed to mudslinging, imagine what a woman running a sex clinic would be subjected to. And at Khandaani Shafakhana, Baby Bedi has to deal with it all. Baby Bedi has seen everything, from being branded a badchalan by her own mother to facing dubious glares from her neighbors. She, on the other hand, refused to submit.
In one scene, Baby is seen on a rickshaw, yelling about erectile problems through her megaphone, advertising her sex clinic. A lady freely discussing sex on the streets of a tiny town is a bold statement in and of itself. Such situations abound in Khandaani Shafakhana. This is backed up by Varun Sharma’s comic timing.
The film’s flaw, though, is its slow pace. The filmmakers attempt to make the film funny while conveying a strong message, but they fall short. The speech in the picture becomes a little sanctimonious at times. The film’s speed is further slowed by the focus on Baby Bedi’s societal vilification.
Khandaani Shafakhana stars Sonakshi Sinha. She carries the entire movie on her back. Her acting is genuine, but the film’s sloppy screenplay doesn’t do her due. Badshah as Gabru Ghatack gives some support to Sonakshi with his songs and cameo in the film. Annu Kapoor, who played Dr. Chaddha in Vicky Donor, played an encouraging lawyer and kept loyal to his character.
Khandaani Shafakhana had the makings of a fantastic film, with an intriguing, unexplored narrative and a dependable star ensemble. Today marks the two-year anniversary of the picture. It’s presently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
