Have you watched the movie Luka Chuppi? #186

Luka Chuppi – literally means hide and seek which goes perfect with the story of the Bollywood movie.
Recently, I stumbled upon this movie on Netflix and decided to give it a try. I don’t watch many movies in theaters; compared to my friends, I think it’s a waste of money to buy tickets and go when you can watch the same film at home for less later.

This isn’t a typical movie review. I’m not here to criticize the acting, cinematography, plot or casting; instead, I want to share how I felt connected to the plot as a viewer.

The movie begins in Mathura, a small town where a young celebrity is facing media criticism for their live-in relationship. This might not be a problem elsewhere, but it’s a big deal in India’s smaller towns. While youngsters in cities have gained social acceptance to cohabitate with their partners, it’s still frowned upon in rural areas.

The movie portrays political influence over news channels projecting “living relationships” as a sin. In response, a local news agency decides to make a report on people’s opinion of living relationships in India. Vinod (Kartik Aatyan) and his friend/cameraman Abbas (Aparshakti Khurana) are assigned the project. Mr. Trivedi, an election candidate in Mathura, brings his daughter Rashmi (Kriti Sanon) to his friend’s new agency so she can gain media experience before moving to Delhi for her career.

Vinod and Kriti quickly fell in love while working on the project. They spoke to people from different cities, ages, and cultures. A sadhu said living together wasn’t a sin if two people were emotionally connected. An old granny supported this idea, saying it was important to know your partner before marriage. She shared an example from her life; she wished she had known about her husband’s alcohol addiction before they married because he died only a few days after their wedding and left her with nothing to live for.

People had different views, but even the village folk weren’t strongly opposed to living together. Vinod, newly in love, proposed to Rashmi—but she refused. When she couldn’t deny her feelings for him, she said it was too soon to marry and suggested they live together a few days before making a final decision. They found an apartment in the nearby city and moved in together.

Vinod was hesitant to live together, but Rashmi was eager. She even said in the movie, “You’re a man…What are you scared of if I’m okay with it?” There are two main reasons why living together isn’t accepted here—one of which wasn’t highlighted in the movie.

Live-in relationships or premarital sex can lead to an unplanned pregnancy. The partner may flee in fear of responsibility. We still lack strong laws to protect the mother and child outside marriage. No one will marry her, so they must battle society for a normal life.
We feel pressured by society. People are often gossiping and too nosy about other’s personal affairs, but we lack the courage to confront them. So, we choose to do what is socially acceptable rather than what we truly desire.

I won’t discuss what religions say about live-in relationships. Returning to the movie… Vinod and Rashmi lived happily for a few days, getting to know each other better. To rent an apartment they had to pretend they were married. The dealer blackmailed them and charged extra money for not being wed. Soon, nosy neighbors got wind of the situation and showed up at their house. The young lovers saved the day with some photoshopped marriage pics. Eventually their families found out about it—with a twist!

Vinod’s family found out first that he had secretly married the girl. At first they were angry, but eventually accepted it. Then they went to meet Rashmi’s father, who is a politician and much wealthier than Vinod’s middle-class family. Rashmi’s family also accepted the marriage since it was better than a “live-in” arrangement. Vinod and Rashmi were scared to tell their parents about their relationship.

Vinod and Rashmi were already emotionally committed to each other and wanted to get married, but how? Society saw them as married, yet they had nowhere to go for the wedding rituals. Vinod’s family welcomed Rashmi with all the traditional rituals and pujas. His mother showered her with affection, which made Rashmi feel guilty. Even though their families accepted them, Vinod and Rashmi felt guilty for not being honest with their parents. They tried to find a way to marry in secret but failed every time.

Finally, they attended a community marriage and tied the knot. Mr. Trivedi (Rashmi’s father) arrived and the couple confessed the truth. Vinod argued that if he supported live-in relationships, he would gain support from young people in the next election. Ultimately, they married and lived happily ever after.

It’s a light-hearted comedy movie that didn’t bore me with unnecessary songs and dances. The side characters were fun too. Overall, it was enjoyable to watch.

So I am rating Luka Chuppi 6.5 out 10.

Credit: Photo by Asad Photo Maldives from Pexels

Thanks for reading. Check out my thoughts on another movie here.