A Familiar Fairytale in a Designer Wrapper
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari arrives drenched in glitz, glamour, and a truckload of déjà vu. With wedding crashers, opulent Rajasthan resorts, branded couture, and sparkling jewelry standing in as character substitutes, the film clings tightly to the now-exhausted sangeet-sagaai-shaadi trope. It’s yet another glossy attempt to revive Bollywood’s rom-com magic, but this one stumbles under the weight of its own extravagance.
A Tale Retold—Without a Fresh Voice
The storyline, coated in candy-floss nostalgia, offers nothing we haven’t seen before. Star-crossed lovers, interfering families, and a cocktail of misunderstandings populate a script that feels stuck in rewind. The inclusion of buzzwords like “situationship”—delivered by a spunky Sanya Malhotra playing Ananya—feels more performative than progressive. Her character delivers a punchy line about reclaiming agency (“Why should only boys have all the fun?”), but even that lands with a hint of over-familiarity.
Love, Drama, and the Five-Day Tamasha
Enter Sunny Sanskari (Varun Dhawan) and Tulsi Kumari (Janhvi Kapoor) into the heart of a grand destination wedding, where chaos and romance inevitably bloom. Amid dramatic showdowns, heartbreak, and the obligatory realization of “asli pyaar”, the film transforms into a visual parade of lavish costumes, choreographed dances, and endless celebrations. The ever-busy wedding planner (played with comic flair by Maniesh Paul) adds to the commotion, while family tensions escalate in a parallel track starring groom Vikram (Rohit Saraf), his domineering mother, and an overburdened bhabhi determined to break her shackles—with loud, theatrical flair.
Echoes of Yesterday, Minus the Soul
From DDLJ-coded sequences to remix dance numbers like Bijuriya, the film is a love letter to the ’90s—but without the warmth or novelty. Sanya Malhotra injects some life on the dance floor, and Janhvi Kapoor has moments of sincerity, yet neither the music nor the romance tugs at the heartstrings. Instead, we get glossy montages, overproduced songs, and a screenplay that mistakes references for originality.
Too Much Spectacle, Too Little Substance
Director Shashank Khaitan, reuniting with Varun Dhawan after Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania, seems to struggle under the pressure to replicate their earlier charm. Where those films felt fresh and emotionally grounded, this one feels smothered in layers of costume and hollow banter. The narrative frequently slips into parody, prioritizing influencer cameos (like Prajakta Koli and Dharna Durga) and Instagram-worthy bridal shots over character development or emotional payoff.
Chemistry That Feels… Plutonic?
Perhaps the most baffling aspect of the film is the curious lack of chemistry between its leads. Even during a rare moment of intimacy—when Sunny and Tulsi lie side-by-side in a supposedly tender scene—the mood feels more like two old friends catching up than lovers on the brink of confession. When the kiss finally comes, it feels less like a climax and more like a checkbox ticked too late.
Final Verdict: A Glittery Miss
Despite a talented ensemble cast and production values that scream blockbuster, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari ultimately falls flat. It’s high on presentation but painfully low on emotional engagement. In trying to be everything—a romance, a satire, a wedding musical—it ends up being forgettable. Kissy-kissy? Yes. But bang-bang? Not quite.
