Thank You For Coming review: Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill's film is brave attempt at smashing patriarchy

3.5/5

Five years after Veere Di Wedding, Ektaa Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor joined forces for another chick flick, Thank You For Coming. Their 2018 film, Veere Di Wedding, revolved around the theme of female friendship and had several layers to the story. While VDW featured Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar, and Shikha Talsania, TYFC stars Bhumi Pednekar, Kusha Kapila, Shehnaaz Gill, Dolly Singh, and Shibani Bedi.

How unique is the 2023 film Thank You For Coming in its approach? Let's find out more in our review of the film.

Thank You For Coming Story:

Thank You For Coming is a coming-of-age chick flick that features Bhumi Pednekar as Kanika Kapoor. Dolly Singh plays Pallavi Khanna, while Shibani Bedi is seen as Tina Das. Shehnaaz Gill is Rushi Kalra, and Kusha is seen as Neha in TYFC.

The plot of the film revolves around the life of Kanika Kapoor, who is a single woman in her 30s. The story navigates through various themes of female friendships and female pleasure while also shedding light on the complexities of relationships and societal pressure on women.

Thank You For Coming Review:

Filmmaker Karan Boolani's Thank You For Coming is not just limited to female friendships and how women support each other. It has a lot more to do with the struggles that a woman faces in society once she crosses a certain age limit and beyond.

Set in Delhi, the film begins with an introduction to Kanika Kapoor's character (played by Bhumi). Since her childhood, Kapoor has been ridiculed and called various names because of 'kaands' in her life.

Until she turns 32, Kanika has been in a few relationships, but none of them have given her the 'happiness' that she needs. She is always seen confiding in and sharing her love life problems with her BFFs, Pallavi Khanna (Dolly Singh) and Tina Das (Shibani Bedi). They stand by Kanika's side through thick and thin.

The 32-year-old is willing to find the Veer Pratap Singh of her fairytale. As she is unable to find one, Kanika gives in and decides to get engaged to Jeevan Anand, the man who wholeheartedly loves her, to fulfil her 'desires'. With her ex-boyfriends Arjun (Sushant Divgikar) and Professor (Anil Kapoor), along with Arjun Malhotra (Karan Kundrra), gathering under one roof at her engagement with Jeevan, Kanika is left wondering about the man who gave her the ultimate pleasure—the first-ever orgasm of her life.

What unfolds next in the story is for you to watch on the silver screen. Whether 'Rajkumari' Kanika lives happily ever after with Jeevan or gets back with one of her ex-boyfriends is something you should definitely wait for. This tale has more fireworks than you might have expected.

Thank You For Coming Storyline:

It doesn't seem predictable. A surprise element shocks you just as you start thinking about the next move of a particular character in the movie. Having said that, the plot of this movie does have a few bumps here and there. While the first half comes across as flat, the second half is engaging enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen. You can definitely expect some epic one-liners and comic punches in this one.

Thank You For Coming Music:

The music is decent. The tracks chosen for the film go very well with the theme of TYFC. Songs like Desi Wine and Haanji are foot-tapping numbers. But Pari Hoon Main's recreated version seems unnecessary.

Thank You For Coming Performances:

Bhumi Pednekar as Kanika Kapoor has a lot to offer in the movie. Her character is as bindaas as it gets. She empowers women, and how!

Dolly Singh as Pallavi Khanna and Shibani Bedi as Tina Das are the BFFs you would want in real life. The content creators-turned-actors do justice to their respective roles.

Shehnaaz Gill as Rushi Kalra is a revelation in itself. It's refreshing to see the actress in a role that's not constrained to being glamorous and comical.

Kusha Kapila, as Neha, has very little to do in the film.

Cherry on top is actor Anil Kapoor. He ages like fine wine in TYFC, just as in his real life. Karan Kundrra, as Arjun Malhotra, stays true to the character.

Thank You For Coming Verdict:

Thank You For Coming makes for an interesting watch. Young girls, especially, should consider watching the Karan Boolani directorial—not only for good laughs but also for the important message that TYFC conveys. It is a brave attempt at smashing patriarchy.