Befikre: Again Paranthas Win Over Peanut Butter
The parents of the free spirited heroine Shyra (Vaani Kapoor) in Befikre, could well be aged Raj and Simran of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, who have settled down in Paris after negotiating with the stern, pigeon feeding, India-loving Bauji. But unlike their own parents, they have brought up their daughter without the baggage of being Indian. Why, they even packed peanut butter sandwiches in her school lunchbox, instead of Aloo Parantha! All this so she could belong.
So Shyra is not Indian – neither by birth, nor passport, and certainly not at heart- and proclaims it aloud “Main Hamesha Se French Hoon.” The Mr. Director has given us a brand new sets of parents, who instead of asserting their authority, stand at the periphery of their daughter’s life admitting that it is she who has brought them up than the other way round. A boyfriend who does “Pairi Pauna in Paris” might warm the cockles of their heart as much as Chai and Pakode, a live-in relationship might not exactly please them, but they are aware of the larger truth, that they are in Paris after all, not in Patiala.
Well, ultimately Befikre, like DDLJ, is also a love story and how much can you experiment with it. Millennial love, it seems has to be about being playful, having fun especially when it comes to carnal matters and a baser passion. It’s not about waiting for your guy to turn back and give you that heart melting look. Love grows from one dare to another. It is about celebrating the anniversary of a breakup than of being together.
At times Befikre feels like a Hollywood film- in its humor, in its overtly smart-sharp attitude, in how it’s built around trifles-the little, throw a way episodes in the journey of an evolving relationship. Singh and Kapoor fit in well. One is the irritating but oddly likeable man-boy, other an impetuous girl who will eventually settle down, who will take her mom’s advice on the most important decision in her life, but by exploiting her “French” side.
The end is obvious. So it is about Paranthas winning over Peanut Butter. It is about giving in to love and saying “Je t’taime”( I Love You) after singing all about “Ne dis jamis je t’aime”( never say i love you). It is about seeking the “happily-ever-after” feeling in marriage. Love is still that predictable leap of faith as it has always been for many centuries.
My verdict Befikre is a film that tries to remain unpredictable and breezy in its expression of it. It tries to hold back from wallowing in the traditional, even as it posits the time – honored and conventional as a solution. It tries to keep us smiling even the emotional moment’s play out casually and is not giving into sentiments. It tries to give us new lessons in love.
Vinay Gupta Producer, VinR Films is a third-generation entrepreneur, with rich and varied experience in a wide range of business domains. Vinay is a software engineer from Amity, NOIDA. and has completed his MBA from the IT division of Symbiosis International University. He is also the Founder Director of Dynamic Technosoft (Software Company) and a Director in Vinsam Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. (Investments & Wealth Management Company). In his professional career Vinay has diverse experience in the fields of information technology, software projects, infrastructure development, financial wealth management, film making etc.
