Shaadi Mein Zarur Aana MOVIE REVIEW: Rajkummar Rao steals the show in this sweet love story!

STAR CAST: Rajkummar Rao, Kriti Kharbanda, Manoj Pahwa, Govind Namdev DIRECTOR: Ratnaa Sinha GENRE: Romance/Drama DURATION: 2 hours 17 minutes RATINGS: *** 2017  has been the year of content driven small budget films that won audiences heart and fared well at the box-office. Be it Bareilly Ki Barfi or Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, these movies clicked well with movie lovers and joining the league is now this Rajkumar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda starrer Shaadi Mein Zarur Aana. Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda in a still from the movie From romance to drama and revenge the shaadi saga has every element that you expect in a Bollywood entertainer and this is one of the main reason for watching the movie. The film is directed by debutante Ratnaa Sinha who makes an impressive directorial debut with Shaadi Mein Zarur Aana. STORY: The movie is about a boy next door Satyendra Mishra/Sattu (Rajkummar Rao) who is a clerk by profession. He meets a middle-class girl Aarti Shukla(Kriti Kharbanda) in an arranged marriage setup planned by their respective parents. Satyendra immediately falls in love with Aarti who has every quality of an ideal wife. Soon love blossoms between the two followed by finalising of wedding date. However Sattu's life goes upside down when his lady love and the bride runs away on the day of his marriage. What follows next is a heartbroken Satyendra shattered by the rejection and societal humiliation! Five years later, fate brings Sattu and Aarti together but in the form of the most unexpected twist. ACTING: The movie has a great ensemble cast with some real good performances led by Rajkummar Rao. After 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' and Newton once again the talented actor proves how brilliant he is! Rajkumar is the real star of the movie and with his subtle and honest portrayal of Sattu in the first half and as a strict officer followed by a heartbreak in the second half. Leading lady Kriti Kharbanda exudes charm and simplicity, she looks beautiful on screen and looks promising. Other supporting cast like Manoj Pahwa and Govind Namdev are excellent in their respective roles as mamaji and a strict father of a girl respectively. The songs aren't that great that you will remember for long however 'The Pallo Song' which is a recreated version of the popular folk song adds glitz and glamour and looks interesting. The movie goes excellent in the first half and throughout there is a smile on audiences' face the cute love story between the lead actors is beautifully portrayed however the film is a little boring with some loopholes in the second part! The director addresses various social issues like dowry, bribe and gender inequality in the society which looks overstretched. However Rajkumar Rao & Kriti Kharbanda's chemistry in this romantic drama is the catch and will keep you engaged! For me Rajkumar Rao is the best reason to watch the film this weekend, the other reason could be the cute old-school romance and that will give you a nostalgia of a 90s family flick! Overall the movie is a family entertainer which you can opt for this weekend! WATCH the trailer below: