Vazandar Review: A Heartwarming Tale Backed By Sai Tamhankar, Priya Bapat’s Solid Acting

We live in a world where people are easily scrutinised for their weight, colour, size, etc. To develop body image issues in such an environment is only natural and such is the case with Kaveri and Pooja in Vazandaar, directed by Sachin Kundalkar. The characters played by Sai Tamhankar (Kaveri) and Priya Bapat (Pooja) are shown as two heavily bodied women who are conscious of their size. The interesting part is that they didn’t care about the tires on their stomach or how big their thighs looked until they were made aware of it. Kaveri and Pooja attend a party and dance away to glory, without realising that they are being filmed by a stranger. The man puts up the video on the internet which goes viral and users start fat shaming the two. 

Watch the film here.

Kaveri and Pooja come to terms with their plus sized bodies and soon start a diet to lose the excess weight. From here on we are taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions involving drama, romance and comedy. Kaveri is a housewife in a rich orthodox family who is forced to follow a certain code of conduct at home. A lot is expected from her as the bahu of the Jadhav household, and this gets to her. She finds opportunities to go wild and is supported by her friend Pooja, who is a student, waiting to join a postgraduate course abroad. 

Pooja is a carefree girl who at times, struggles from bouts of low-self esteem. Both her and Kaveri carry immense baggage but leave it aside when in each other’s company. The characters are endearing and relatable, thanks to the power-packed performances by Sai and Priya. Where the former is convincing as a woman who feels trapped, the latter is appealing as a girl, waiting to soar high. Aside from great acting, Sai and Priya also bring great chemistry to the table. They are poles apart as Kaveri and Pooja and yet, look like they belong together as besties.

What makes Vazandar stand out is its heartwarming story. By telling the story of two women struggling with weight issues, the film touches a cord with those who may have been in a similar situation. It sheds light on how body image issues can hamper one’s relationships and professes the practice of self love. The film stresses upon inner beauty and how that’s the most important in all walks of life. 

There are a lot of subtle comic moments that the film boasts about. One of them is right at the start where Kaveri and Pooja are asked whether they would like to have breakfast. Both say a yes and no at the same time, and soon there follows an awkward silence. Lol! Also, watch out for the scene where Pooja talks about the famous size-zero diet followed by Kareena Kapoor Khan. 

Vazandar is made stronger by the supporting roles by Siddharth Chandekar (as Pooja’s boyfriend Alok) and Chirag Patil (Kaveri’s husband Omkar). Siddharth is likeable as Priya’s partner who loves her unconditionally and encourages her to love herself, no matter what size she is. Chirag too leaves a lasting impression with his balanced performance.

All in all, Vazandar is an ideal feel-good film that you should enjoy over the weekend with your loved one and a tub of popcorn!

For more such entertaining movies, check out ZEE5’s exclusive collection of the latest Marathi films here.