‘A WEDDING STORY’ REVIEW | 30 August, 2024

Boundless Blackbuck Films’ A Wedding Story (UA) is a horror film.

Vikram (Vaibhav Tatwawadi) and Priti (Mukti Mohan) are due to get married but strange things start happening on the farmhouse where the celebrations are going on. Five members of Vikram’s family — his father, uncle, two cousins and he himself — die one after another. It turns out that the multiple deaths take place because Vikram’s paternal cousin, Tarun (Lakshvir Singh Saran), had refused to complete some rituals after his father’s demise.

Shubho Shekhar Bhattacharjee’s story is very ordinary and fails to scare the audience. His screenplay lacks thrills and chills, so necessary in a horror drama. Consequently, the viewers don’t feel a sense of participation in the unfolding drama because there are no occasions to shiver, shriek or scream or even feel frightened. Shubho Shekhar Bhattacharjee’s dialogues are average.

Vaibhav Tatwawadi is so-so as Vikram. He doesn’t look like a Hindi film hero. Mukti Mohan is okay as Priti. Akshay Anand lends average support as Vikram’s father, Vipul Nain. Monica Chaudhary is alright as Vikram’s paternal cousin, Neha Nain. Lakshvir Singh Saran is ordinary in a brief role as Tarun Nain. Urvi Upadhyay is okay as little Twinkle. Saad Baba hardly impresses in a tiny role as Vikram’s uncle, Vasudev Nain. Jitendra (as Varun Nain) hardly deserves mention. Rajoshi Vidyarthi is just about passable as Priti’s mother, Sweety Bhardwaj. Plom Khurana lends routine support as Priti’s grandmother. Sanjay Kota (as Tyagi), Krishnakant Bundela (as the pandit) and Prateek Pachauri (as the assistant at the crematorium) are very ordinary.

Abhinav Pareek’s direction is weak. There’s not much in his narration to hold the viewers’ interest. Music and background music (by Rahi Sayed and Tallz & Sucheta Bhattacharjee) are hardly anything to be excited about. Lyrics (Rahi Sayed, Tripurari Kumar Sharma and Devendra Ahirwar) are average. Supratim Bhol’s cinematography is so-so. Production designing (by Sukanta Panigrahy and Ratan Suryawanshi) is average. Ranendu Ranjan’s editing leaves something to be desired.

On the whole, A Wedding Story neither entertains nor thrills. It will, therefore, bomb at the box-office.

Released on 30-8-’24 at Metro Inox (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay thru First Film Studios. Publicity & opening: poor. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull everywhere.