- Doctor G Movie Review
Doctor G Movie Review: Ayushmann Khurrana's new social comedy about a male gynecologist is caring and heartwarming, making it a confusing but watchable mess that leaves you intrigued and inspired She does too.
Doctor G is two films in one. The first half of the film is a sad cringefest, filled with bad jokes that don't laugh, stereotypical characters, and some bad funky background score that's all very wrong in the 21st century.Then, there is the post-interval part, which feels like a completely new film.It has several moments that will leave a lump in your throat. This coming-of-age drama takes the Ayushmann Khurrana formula to its extreme limits. But despite the jarring nature of the film, it is watchable (largely) because of Ayushmann and Shefali Shah's performances.
Doctor G is a typical Ayushmann Khurrana film. It is about a small-town boy who is trapped in a situation that society considers abnormal. Over time, with the help of his family and friends, he learns that there is more to life than people's perceptions and overcomes his hesitation and accepts his flaws. Have I just described the plot of Doctor G or is it the plot of Badhaai or Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui or even Vicky Donor? you get the flow. The taboo subject here is gynecology and Ayushmann is the only male doctor in this supposed all-female world at a medical college in Bhopal.
The protagonist is sexist and the film clearly establishes this. It doesn't want you to like Dr. Uday Gupta, but relate to him, at least in the middle-class, small-town, patriarchal set-up you see all around you. So he's not likable but definitely relatable. Ayushmann does the rest. It's all too easy for him to fall into this type of character now, but sadly, it's starting to feel repetitive. It's not refreshing when the same template is presented with a new garnish every year.
And the film starts off poorly. The comedy aspect of Social Comedy is not quite right. Jokes about female or male anatomy and simulating childbirth on a man are far too childish and stale. The first hour of the film is a minute-and-a-half where you start to wonder if it all makes sense. That cringefest is dead in its tracks with Shefali Shah coming on screen. As Dr. Nandini, the head of gynaecology, she is every bit as intimidating and alluring as we can expect her to be. Just wish there was more and less of what the writers were trying to pass off as comedy.
The film introduces several characters as Uday reluctantly enters his college and there he is ragged by all his seniors. And then most of those characters disappear and are never seen again. It's an editing flaw that makes many scenes pointless, and keeping track of what's happening is a bit frustrating. Meanwhile, Ayushmann moves on, even though he too looks a bit weary of what the script has to offer. Rakul Preet Singh is decent as his senior (and eventual love interest) Dr. Fatima, but has little to offer to the story except for a few strong scenes where she mirrors Uday. But over the top and over smart dialogues ruin many such moments.
But after the interval, a whole different movie resumes. You can be excused if you wonder if you have wandered into the wrong auditorium. Because post-interval, Doctor G is sensitive, emotional, heartwarming, and seldom misses a beat, even though it does get melodramatic in its climax. But it still manages to avoid being preachy, which is a big win for a film handling issues like gender disparity and medical ethics. The same writing that holds Doctor G back in the first half sets it free in the second. It’s bizarre but no complaints from my side on the improvement, at least.
Ayushmann Khurrana is breezy but he should note that the trope, the formula is starting to get old now. He needs to reinvent before it’s too late. Rakul Preet has very less to do in the film, which is sad because she is earnest and likeable in whatever scenes she has. The star, of course, is Shefali Shah. I have said it before and I’ll say it again. She is in the form of her life right now and is easily one of the finest actors in the country. She proves it here once again, balancing authority with sensitivity so seamlessly. The surprise package of the film for me was Ayesha Kaduskar, who plays a teenager in love with a much older married man. The maturity and grace with which she has handled the challenging and brief role is admirable.
Doctor G could have been a much better movie. But looking at the first half, one realises it could have been much worse as well. In the end, it’s a middling coming-of-age social drama that will find its audience. It manages to stay non-preachy and even though it attempts to give clean humour, does get cringey in parts. What saves it are the actors, who breathe new life into a tired script. Go watch it for them, if nothing else!
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