Our take
Deception aside, there’s something charming about the way Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi brings romantic comedy tropes into an arranged marriage. For one, the girl isn’t the one with the Cinderella makeover– It’s the guy. It probably helps that the guy is portrayed by Shahrukh Khan, out of type as a nerdy teacher’s pet-turned-salaryman pretending to be, well, him. It also helps that RNBDJ has a completely different aim: it’s out to satirize the way Suri, and Bollywood itself, misinterprets Taani’s ideal leading man. Still, even as it pokes fun, RNBDJ is a sincere Bollywood romcom, unabashedly celebrating the devotion Suri has in trying to understand his wife, and his openness to be transformed for it. RNBDJ should not be emulated in real life. But perhaps it’s a sweet reminder to let in a bit of romance into the everyday, show a little vulnerability, and maybe try on a new look once in a while.
Streaming arrival
The story
A lonely 40-ish man, likely to remain a bachelor, has a chance to find the love of his life when he falls for a vivacious young woman.
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
