Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari Review: Is This Rom-Com a Box Office Sanskaar or Just Chaos?
The long-awaited Bollywood romantic comedy Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari has finally arrived, with a promise of a return to the festive, big-fat-Indian-wedding drama genre that director Shashank Khaitan mastered with his last two successes. Headlined by Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, the film tries to juggle old values with new bedlam. But was this Dharma Productions effort a box office boon, or did the entire affair just go into recognizable din?
The Plot: Old Wine in a Glittering New Bottle
It’s all about Sunny (Varun Dhawan), the good-for-nothing Casanova, and Tulsi (Janhvi Kapoor), the high-class beauty. A traditional case of musical chairs of love ensues when both the respective ex-lovers, Sanya Malhotra and Rohit Saraf, fall in love with each other and get married. Sunny and Tulsi, both carrying broken hearts, join forces to disrupt the destination wedding and win back their lost loves—only to realize that there is an unmissable chemistry between them.
The premise is a familiar Bollywood rom-com trope, and on this score, the film delivers a shiny, visually stunning spectacle. The opulent Rajasthan backdrop, the chic clothes, and the energy-drenched dance routines make it a carefree, escapist viewing experience.
The Verdict: Enjoyable Performances But Poor Execution
The first Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari Review from critics has been divided, whereas the SSKTK Public Reaction on social media is towards “light-hearted family fun.”
Varun Dhawan: Varun, back in familiar turf, is the film’s undisputed lifeline. His goofy persona, impeccable comedy timing, and emotional sincerity anchor the wafer-thin narrative, with several terming him “back in his element.” He is the single largest reason that the mayhem seems containable.
Janhvi and the Ensemble: Janhvi Kapoor, playing Tulsi, is gorgeous and sincere, especially in the lighter moments, although some reviewers felt she didn’t bring the depth required to her scenes with Heart in the emotional part of the story. The supporting players, including Rohit Saraf and riotous Maniesh Paul as the scenery-chewing wedding planner, are great, but Sanya Malhotra is wasted in a sparsely written role.
The Problem: The movie grapples with a dearth of narrative coherence and uniqueness. Though the first half gets into high gear with witty exchanges and engaging banter, the second half and climax have been widely panned for being unrealistic, illogical, and highly predictable. The movie wants to be a rom-com, a family drama, and a comedy, dealing with contemporary relationship themes, but never takes a full plunge in any direction, leaving viewers with neither tears in their eyes nor full satisfaction.
The Box Office Face-Off: A Moderate Start
Releasing on the celebration day of Dussehra, the movie had a huge and sudden obstacle in the form of Rishab Shetty’s pan-India saga, Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1.
At Day 1 Box Office Collection, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari had a mid-range opening, gathering an approx. ₹9.25 Crore (Nett) from India. Although this is a good opening for a romantic comedy in today’s market—breaking ahead of quite a number of recent releases in the genre—it lagged far behind its rival, which opened more than six times greater.
The moderate opening indicates that although the Varun Dhawan Janhvi Kapoor combination of actors has star quality, the content clash and general generic nature of the Bollywood Rom-Com capped its theatrical bang. Its success will now solely rely on positive word-of-mouth pushing weekend collections.
Kantara A legend: A must watch movie!!!
Final Verdict
“Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari” is a gloss-high, surprise-low wedding movie. It’s a pleasant-enough one-time viewing as a light fun outing for families, particularly for the lead pair’s fans. But the film is chaotic rather than sanskaari, depending greatly on Varun Dhawan’s charm and the colorful production design to gloss over its sloppy, template-based script. It doesn’t buck the trend, but it does dish up the sort of light, escapist fare that Bollywood excels at.
Rating: 3/5 (Go for the songs and Varun Dhawan)
