Thank You For Coming movie review: Bhumi Pednekar film revels in its joyous silliness

It would be doing a disservice to the film to dub it a sex comedy, though there is sex, and thank you for it. There’s the kind of welcome chatter about the Big O and self-pleasure that there should be more of in our regressive, prissy films which reflect societal mores, even though a few bits are on-the-nose clunky, especially between Kanika and her single, ready-to-mingle mom (Natasha Rastogi). But female desire being addressed head on feels as essential and as crucial as anything else in the movies right now. Or even more, actually.

The writing is mostly fluid, and wraps itself around its protagonists nicely. The men, yes, there are some men in here, are secondary to the proceedings (Pradhuman Singh as the ernest suitor-in-waiting, and Sushant Digvikar as the Rahul-Anjali double-bill, and the best friend’s sweet plus-sized hubby) but they all perform fine.

Watch Thank You For Coming movie trailer here:

If I have a quibble, it’s the way the mean girl trope stays a trope in the sketchy, stereotypical way that Kusha Kapila’s dressed-for-Instagram pouts are portrayed. And is doing shots the only way to let girly hair down? That’s an even more tired trope. And just what do all these women, thirty plus and counting, do for a living? Kanika’s mum is a gynaecologist; now that’s a profession. What about the rest? For a film which wants to be a feminist flagbearer, jobless women, or at least where they are not seen doing productive work, is not a good look. And the climax, featuring an expository speech-on-the-stage is a predictable, lazy device.

But I’ll take all of this when it comes to the film whose beats are steeped in beating the patriarchy. I’ll even forgive the blatant make-up brand placement that the leading lady brandishes. Surely a more classy way could have been found? But Pednekar herself is a riot, and really carries the film with a terrific mix of crumbling vulnerability and confidence. I enjoyed its joyous silliness, and its unapologetic revelling in being female, and celebrating female solidarity. It sends up expectations of being a ‘good’ daughter, daughter-in-law, mother, and fixes them with a warm, empathetic gaze which says, no worries, we got you, whether you come or go.

Thank You For Coming movie cast: Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill, Dolly Singh, Shibani Bedi, Kusha Kapila, Natasha Rastogi, Dolly Ahluwalia, Pradhuman Singh, Sushant Digvikar
Thank You For Coming movie director: Karan Boolani
Thank You For Coming movie rating: 3 stars