“Khandaani Shafakhana” Review: Too Generic For A Genuine Recommendation

Khandaani Shafakhana was highly awaited by cinephiles because its trailer got everyone excited. An old sexologist bequeaths his well-established sex-clinic to his small-town niece who will have to run it for at least six months before she thinks of selling it off.

This sounds such a cool premise for a comedy film. But does the movie do complete justice to the topic it deals with? Does it succeed in spreading the message that it aims to send? I watched Khandaani Shafakhana at a special screening for media and here is my take on the film.

What Khandaani Shafakhana Is About?

Hoshiarpur-based Baby Bedi (Sonakshi Sinha) is a medical representative, trying to save every single penny she earns to repay the loan her family had taken from her uncle for the marriage of her younger sister. If she fails to repay the loan with interest, she will have to vacate the outhouse along with her mother (Nadira Babbar) and good-for-nothing younger brother Bhooshit (Varun Sharma).

One day, Baby Bedi comes to know that her late maternal uncle has bequeathed his controversial sex-clinic to her along with several other properties he owned in and around the town. She is over the moon. She wants to sell the clinic off and repay the loan her family has taken from her greedy uncle.

However, there is a problem: Baby will have to run the clinic for at least six months before she sells it off. Will she be able to deal with the stigma of running a sex-clinic which predominantly treats men lacking sexual virility? Will she really sell the clinic off after the period of six months get over? Watch Khandaani Shafakhana in cinemas near you to know more.

Is Khandaani Shafakhana Worth Your Time & Money?

Khandaani Shafakhana treats every sexual disorder from erectile dysfunction to low sperm count. When Baby Bedi takes over the clinic after the sudden demise of her maternal uncle, she has to deal with a sea of problems. She faces social boycott and protests from her own people. She tries to convince everyone with her valid reasoning but to no avail.

As mentioned earlier also, Khandaani Shafakhana deals with an interesting and relevant topic which makes a lot of sense. The film unflaggingly tries to underlines the importance of sex education in an overtly populated society like ours. Khandaani Shafakhana marks the directorial debut of writer Shilpi Dasgupta. The best part about her film is that it never resorts to cheap humor and double meaning jokes to extract laughs from the audience.

Having said that, the film lacks the fun that its trailer promises. The screenplay of the film is weak and dialogues unappealing. Some jokes work, some do not and, frankly, I cannot remember either. Khandaani Shafakhana has some hilarious moments and may find the college-going audience, but will appeal to few beyond that demographic. The film also suffers from lazy editing.

Talking about performances, Sonakshi Sinha is convincing in the role of Baby Bedi. She plays her challenging part with honesty. Varun Sharma, as usual, tries to tickle your funny bones but there is nothing refreshing about him because we are used to seeing him in similar characters more often than not.

Rapper composer Badshah, who makes his acting debut with the film, gets some good scenes and he does complete justice to them. Television actor Priyansh Jora also makes his silver screen debut with Khandaani Shafakhana. But his character looks half-backed and is not given proper time to carve out a personality of its own. The actor shows a lot of promise though.

Final Verdict

Khandaani Shafakhana is a one-time watch. When you go to watch it, keep your expectations low. The film could have been funnier, better and crispier. However, slapdash writing, poor screenplay, and lazy editing make it a laborious watch for most of its part. I am going with 2.5 stars.

Movie Credits

Banner: Sundial Productions, T-Series Films
Director: Shilpi Dasgupta
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Sharma, Badshah, etc.
Runtime: 136 Minutes
STARBIZ Rating: 2.5 Stars

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