Thank You For Coming Movie Review: Inclusivity. Diversity. Representation. That is the need of the hour and rightly so. Over the last few years, cinema has been trying to emerge as the most inclusive space for people across genders and ethnicities. It is indeed a triumph of sorts every time an American film has an Asian headlining it. Back home, having actors from the LGBTQ community shattering the glass ceiling and matching shoulders with cis-gendered stars is a sweet victory. But is that enough? No, ticking checkboxes to look millennial, progressive, and cool is not enough.
And that’s exactly why Thank You For Not Coming doesn’t soar. We’re all for sex-positivity, but this is 2023, and we women are so much more than the men we date and have sex with. We don’t just whine, gossip and talk about men, sex and orgasms with our girlfriends. This isn’t a prude talking. Thank You For Coming tries too hard to pay homage to the notion of self-love and self-care but dishes out a rather shallow and skewed representation of feminism and it hurts because it dumbs down women.
Thank You For Coming revolves around Kanika Kapoor, who is infamously known as Kaandu by almost everyone in her school. She was born out of wedlock and was raised by a single mother. In her own words, her life and hence the film can be best described as a ‘bhasad waali fairy tale’. Ever since her teenage years, she’s been on the search for the one because a ‘kunwaari’ can’t have a fairy tale alone. So, what’s she looking for in her partner? ‘Veer Pratap jaisa pyaar aur Sunny Leone jaisi bauchaar,’ states Kanika with abandon.
But things don’t go as planned. So, when she hits 30, she realises that she will never find companionship and during her birthday party, she blurts it out to her friends, Tina and Pallavi, that she has never experienced an orgasm. Thus begins her journey to find someone who can locate her G-spot but this is no smooth ride. On her engagement night, she finally experiences pleasure but is unable to remember the guy who helped her win ‘a gold medal’.
This leads to the second half which is a hodgepodge of sorts. Soon, the script takes a new turn. Commentaries are made on how women shouldn’t have to apologise to live life on their own terms, how a young school girl doesn’t want to wear a bra, and how to deal with a leaked MMS. Smashing the patriarchy becomes a motto. Don’t misunderstand… portrayal of themes like women supporting women, sisterhood, and feminism are numero uno today. And so is calling out patriarchy. But halfway through the film, you lose your way in a tunnel that perhaps doesn’t have a light at its end.
The screenplay is packed with too many themes and issues and after a point, it all seems too contrived. What could have been a breezy and seamless watch about women’s pleasure turns too laborious and loud. Having said that, there are some moments that will genuinely make you laugh.
What stands out is Kanika’s mother and her struggles as a single woman. The track is beautifully woven in the narrative and her scenes with Kanika are rather impressive. The chemistry between Kanika and her friends is palpable. Their scenes might just take you back to your school days and make you think about how simple life would have been had there been no pressure to land a guy.
The strongest link in Thank You For Coming, however, is Rahul (and Anjali). Warning: Spoilers Ahead: The writers, Radhika Anand and Prashasti Singh deserve brownie points and a loud applause for creating a character like Rahul and how he turns into a drag queen at night. Watching Sushant Divgikr play a trans-character in a mainstream film, owning herself and reveling in her glory in Pari Hoon Main is sheer delight! We only wish the rest of the screenplay also had more of such nuance.
The costume department deserves a special mention too. Thank You For Coming is a stunning film to watch. It’s a treat for sore eyes. Unfortunately, the sheen and the spark hardly add anything to the storyline. Kanika’s engagement dance sequence with her friends and ex-flames with Ritviz and Nucleya’s Baaraat playing in the background is all kinds of stunning. The cinematography, the camaraderie, and the costumes come together perfectly like wine and cheese.
What makes up for the lack of luster in the plot are some good performances. It’s delightful to see Bhumi Pednekar stepping out of the small-town-girl avatar and playing a drop-dead gorgeous diva. Shibani Bedi and Dolly Singh are natural. They bring a lot of freshness and fun to the table. There seems to be a fine actor trapped within Shibani and hopefully, we will get to see more of that. Kusha Kapila, who plays the token mean girl, and Shehnaaz Gill look ravishing but they don’t have much to do in the film. The latter plays a character named Rushi, who refers to Kanika as ‘didi’ and calls herself ‘happiness’. And much like happiness, she suddenly disappears from everybody’s life. Karan Kundrra deserved a better role.
Sushant carries the trophy home. Her spark, spunk, and sass completely steal the thunder from most. This is hopefully just the beginning of some great times ahead. Dolly Ahluwalia and Natasha Rastogi are stunning. Anil Kapoor in a cameo appearance of sorts adds to the humour quotient of the film without overdoing it. Saloni Daini holds her own amid some seasoned artists.
In short, Thank You For Coming is a good attempt but it doesn’t pan out well. When you have two women backing a film and two female writers putting a script together, you would anticipate a more well-thought-out and less shallow portrayal of women. Yes, we do talk about men and pleasure. But there’s more to our lives. Men are just a small part of it. Sure, films don’t bear the responsibility of being the flag-bearer of morality. Women most definitely are flawed too. But hey, we aren’t frivolous. Thank You For Coming doesn’t quite hit the spot and take that from a single millennial woman.
