Double XL Review: Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha's film is a radiant social drama that shines throughout

Director: Satramm Ramani

Cast: Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha, Zaheer Iqbal, Mahat Raghavendra and others

Where: In theatres near you

Rating: 4 stars

Director Satramm Ramani, who earlier dealt with the subject of safe sex in Helmet, now brings yet another thought-provoking film which is far better than his directorial debut. The credit must go to the top-notch writing, which is engaging and entertaining. The film highlights the issue of body shaming through two plus-size women.

Rajshri Trivedi (Huma Qureshi) lives in Meerut and aspires to become a sports presenter in a leading channel based in Delhi but her nagging mother is behind her to tie the knot with possibly the most idiotic guy. Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha), a modern Delhi girl dreams to have her own design label. What happens when these two meet and elope to London? — they explode.

Satramm kept the tone of the film light. His treatment of it is quirky but smartly embeds the emotional quotient every now and then. It is a feel-good film and has a message of its own. There are three highlights in the film that are noteworthy — the interval point, a cameo of an actor, (who never gets the girl in Hindi movies) in the second half and the climax. Body positivity and self-love are what the film aims to narrate but in a humorous way. It’s not preachy at all.

Satramm has improved a lot as a filmmaker after Helmet. The sincerity with which he has told this story is appreciative. Earlier, he assisted the director in producer Ashwin Varde’s Notebook, who has also co-backed this first-ever production venture along with Vipul Amrutlal Shah under their banner. Huma, who shines in her tailor-made role, has also turned producer with Double XL. She, who has been under the spotlight for her weight more than her acting since the beginning of her career, unfortunately, has come out as a true champion.

Sonakshi too, who has been on the radar of the fashion police despite being launched alongside Salman Khan has surely made her space in the industry, and Double XL is nothing but yet another example of her acting prowess. Zaheer Iqbal, who debuted in Notebook and looked pale, surprises you with his brilliant comic timing as Zoravar Rehmani aka Zo-Za-Zu. Tamil-speaking actor Mahat Raghavendra is like a sunshine to the film. It couldn’t be better than anything to have a solid Hindi debut like this.

Overall, Double XL is a roller coaster ride of aspirations, desires, and two underdogs — who are simply adorable. Besides having the most cliche romantic tracks in the film, it says a lot of underlying emotions — women empowerment, their independence, and most importantly their ability to fulfil their life goals. Experience this light-hearted social drama that is fancy and fascinating yet has its heart in the right place.