Fake Dating, Overbearing Parents, and 14 Weddings

"Everybody’s scared. […] Now you just gotta own what you want, listen to your heart, and just let your love be greater than your fear." –Ravi

The Broken Hearts Gallery Poster — Wedding Season Movie Poster (c/o IMDb)

Wedding Season

PG

August 4, 2022

1h 38m

Available on Netflix

Directed by Tom Dey

Screenplay by Shiwani Srivastava

Starring Suraj Sharma, Pallavi Sharda, Rizwan Manji, Veena Sood, Ari Afsar, Sean Kleier, Manoj Sood

Synopsis:

Pressured by their immigrant parents to find spouses, two Indian-Americans pretend to date in order to survive a summer of weddings but find themselves falling for each other as they struggle to balance who they are with who their parents want them to be.

Contains overbearing, meddling parents and aunties.

Jhanya: Upon seeing the synopsis for Wedding Season, I knew what to expect and already had an idea of how the plot will go. Because it really seemed like your average rom-com or even Hallmark romance film. But nevertheless, like every other good romcom film out there Wedding Season has a charm that keeps the viewers engaged and entertained. Additionally, I don’t understand how this was released around the same time as Purple Hearts, but that red flag of a film became more popular. I mean, I understand why. But still. It’s just sad because this had so much more potential.

Ria: I went into this movie only knowing the synopsis listed in the description on Netflix. I didn’t even know this movie until Jhanya told me about it from the recommendations we asked from you guys! But, I’ve been in a rom-com slump (in terms of books) lately, and I thought it would be great for me to revisit a good ole rom-com film. And I did!

Plot + Themes

Jhanya: The plot is predictable. I mean, it’s to be pretty expected for a rom-com film. But it all came down to execution with this one. There were various subplots other than the budding romance between Asha and Ravi that were pulled off well. They were not only able to tackle the whole rom-com aspect of the film, but also female empowerment, Indian cultural traditions, multiple wedding traditions, and even the whole no college, no job stigma.

Ria: I think a good start is to talk more about the plot and the mix of different themes in the film. The plot was pretty typical but what I liked most about it is the number of subplots intertwined in the story. The subplots flowed naturally with the main narrative. They didn’t come out of anywhere when we were halfway through the movie. It made sense, and I love the intention to make it feel like the film showed the life of Asha and not just her love life, which we often see in usual romcoms. And because of this kind of plot, there were a lot of themes aside from romance that was given importance.

Romance

It only feels right to start with romance since romance is the main plot point of the story. All I can say is that this movie explains the reason why I just love fake dating. The execution and the plot (albeit predictive, at times) just hit all that perfect fake dating marks and ugh *chef’s kiss*. It also took an unconventional path when the protagonists actually like each other. UGH WE LOVE MATURE CHARACTERS (CRIES OF HAPPINESS)

Family Pressure

I think pressure is something a lot may experience whether direct or indirect and from whatever (or whoever) it comes from. Out of all the themes, this is actually the main theme that got me so emotionally connected to the characters. I just related to the pressures that Asha and Ravi (especially Ravi!!!) got from their parents. It’s also what made me tear up in some of the scenes when Ravi was talking to their parents. I just think that this was such a great representation of that and it’s not the usual overbearing Chinese parents. The film really showed that not only Chinese children or the ‘usual Asian kid’ but even immigrants and other cultures.

Career and Individualism

Another theme that resonated with me so much is the individualistic and career goals that Asha and Ravi had. I honestly think that this really called to me because of my personality and my goals. So I actually don’t think this could resonate with you, but I don’t think you can deny that this theme was so relevant to the plot and story arc itself.

Representation

Another breath of fresh air that I got from this film is the Indian Culture that was mixed all throughout the film. The different weddings and mix of cultures from each wedding were wonderful. I loved seeing the different dresses that Asha wore to each wedding each being unique but still showing a bit of culture. It was also great to know even at least the surface level Indian culture and religion in the culture from the film. It really showed great representation.

Jhanya: Overall, the various themes in the film were handled greatly. Some may think that there are over-the-top moments, especially with the family, and sure, there are times, but it actually happens in real life, especially for Indians and I love that the film was able to cover these aspects well.

Characters

Ria: We love mature, real characters. Honestly, throughout the film, I felt like I was looking into a real person’s life and how it changed because she met someone. And how that turned into something more not just because they found someone but because that person helped our main character be a better person. The amount of depth in our main characters is just so refreshing. And although it’s not as pronounced in the other characters, even supporting characters made sense and felt like real people.

Jhanya: The characters are what made Wedding Season stand out for me. Most of them weren’t just empty shells of character templates we’ve seen over and over again. They felt like actual people that face normal day-to-day struggles. The growth we witnessed for almost all of them during the short span of 1 hour and 36 mins was really impressive and made me want the film to be a bit longer.

Asha

Ria: This is my boss girl who I love thank you very much. If I were to say that she embodied only a single personality trait, I would be lying. But I definitely could tell you that if we were to see these characters as imagery, she’s career-oriented, goal-oriented, and aims to help women with her work. I loved her character, the down-to-earthiness, authenticity, and take no sh*ts kind of person but still vulnerable to people because of her experiences.

Jhanya: I love Asha’s character SO MUCH. Her passion for her career is something one can look up to and I totally related to her relationship with her sister Priya. But at the same time, I found her so stubborn during a lot of moments, especially at the end. She did redeem herself though, a bit.

Ravi

Ria: Definitely a dream boyfriend (jk xD). I loved the rawness that his character had and the vulnerable moments he had. I probably related to him a lot because of the outcome of the pressure he had of being successful in a path he came to realize wasn’t really for him. And his passion for what he does love is refreshing. I have got to say though, I can for sure say I’m not a fan of public grand gestures because I was getting both cringe, cheesy, and slight secondhand embarrassment when he did his grand gesture. But, at least his rich, wbk.

Jhanya: Ravi has to be the most quotable male lead in a rom-com series EVER xD. Out of all the characters, I think he had the most fleshed out because we get to learn bits about a lot of his struggles and secrets slowly throughout the film, and it’s nice to see how it all comes together to explain and form his character. Like Ria, I found his character very refreshing. It’s nice to see a male lead in a rom-com that actually knows what he wants to do in his life and properly supports the female lead without being an a**hole.

Ria: Side Note: Literally just realized at the end of the movie that the sister and brother-in-law of Asha connotates Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas AHAHAHAHAHAA

Jhanya: Speaking of supporting characters, I absolutely loved the supporting cast. They weren’t just there to push the plot and annoy our MCs. They themselves have actual stories that fit into the overall plot of the film. I especially liked the side plot of Asha’s company and her boss. There was also a part near the end of the film where one of the characters told Asha off for being too prideful and I LOVED IT.

Technicals (Writing, Cinematography, etc.)

Ria: In the technical aspects, I loved loved loved the script writing here! There was an abundance of quotes and lines (that aren’t cheesy!) that were so heartfelt throughout the movie. I believe that filmmaking is an art and the shots in this film really expressed that creativity with the different shots. Mr. Director, I liked the job you did!

Jhanya: As Ria said, the writing is pretty solid for a rom-com film and there were tons of good quotes. The transitions between scenes could’ve been better and I would’ve liked to have more proper scenes of them together, especially the weddings instead of having montages in the middle of the film. The cinematography was good and was able to set the mood for a lot of scenes. However, there were times when the soundtrack wouldn’t match the scenes and distracted me instead. Also, I’m kinda confused as to why there was no good Hindu song in this whole film huhu

Final Thoughts

Jhanya: Though predictable and pretty mediocre, Wedding Seasons is a great film to watch when you want to relax and have fun. At heart, I’m just a simple girl who loves rom-com films that pull off the fake dating trope well. The fact that it has pretty good (and often over-the-top) cultural representation makes it even better. Also, if Americans can have a cookie-cutter, Hallmark-Esque film released almost every month, then so does everyone else.

Ria: Overall, I really did like this movie. It was a fun, cute, funny, but still heartfelt and emotional film that I definitely do not regret watching. The depth it has from the themes, plot, to characters was a breath of fresh air from the typical romcoms. But, of course, there is still a level of predictability that all romcoms cannot take away from it, and this is no different.

Rating

Criteria	Jhanya	Ria
Screenwrite/Plot/Flow (1.5)	1.25	1.25
Cinematography (1.5)	0.75	1
Visual Effects/Realism (1.5)	0.5	0.75
Casting/Acting (1.5)	1.25	1.5
Morale (1)	0.75	1
Originality (1)	0.25	0.25
Soundtrack (1)	0.5	0.25
Rewatch Value (1)	0.5	0.75
TOTAL	5.75	6.75
Final Score	62.5