Durlabh Prasad ki Dusri Shadi: Overview
A grand première was held of this small film at PVR Icon, Infiniti Mall, Andheri, on 18 December, replete with two female musicians singing traditional songs and playing rhythm instruments, on the 3rd floor Auditorium Complex. The turnout was impressive, which might have led to the delayed start of the film, a full 60 minutes late.
An interesting title, on the lines of some big films with long titles, it raised curiosity about the story, though no famous names were attached to its cast, except Sanjay Mishra and Mahima Choudhary. Sanjay is de rigueur in films set in Uttar Pradesh, while Mahima is a surprise.
Director, Siddhant Raj Singh, who is also an actor and writer, and has been an assistant director, with experience in ad films, as creative post supervisor in Dharma Productions, having worked on projects like Selfiee (2023,) and shorts like Fear of God (2020) and Antardrishti (2022). He trained at The Drama School, Mumbai, and has a background in economics from Ramjas College of the Delhi University, with a Post Graduate degree in Event Management from Event Management Development Institute of India. Durlabh Prasad ki Dusri Shadi is his feature debut.
Set in Varanasi, it seems to have been inspired by a short story or a real event. Durlabh Prasad is a barber, a widower, who has a grown-up son, Murli Prasad. They two live with the boy’s maternal uncle, Ram Manch Prasad, also known as Manchu. Both father and uncle work in the salon, while the son is a good-for-nothing, only loafing around and having an affair with Mehak. Mehak is the daughter of an industrialist called Brajnarayan Bharti, who runs a cloth mill, making then famous Banarasi sarees. He is also likely to contest the forthcoming elections to become a legislator in the State Assembly.
Though the affair is ‘clandestine’, the two lovers are spotted by Bharti’s goons, who pick Murli up from his residence and take him to face the wrath of Bharti. Though Bharti is dead against the alliance, his mother and some other female members of his family are willing to consider getting their daughter married to him. But two factors go against him. Firstly, the idea of marrying a girl from such a rich and powerful family to the son of a ‘lowly’ salon owner is itself unlikely, and, secondly, and more importantly, there are no females in the boy’s family. The women feel that Mehak will be unable to share female issues, like periods, pre-menstrual and post-menstrual stress, etc., with the men.
His mother died years ago. His uncle is a Mangalik, born with the curse of planet Mangal, and his marriages are destined to lead to the death of the bride. Several have died. He was then married to dogs and cats, but even they died. As a last resort, he was married to trees, and lo…they died too. So, the question of Manchu marrying again is ruled out. But Manchu and Murli hit on an idea. Why not get Durlabh married again? They pretend to be visited by the ghost of Durlabh’s wife, who orders him to get a second wife. Reluctantly, Durlabh agrees. And what is more, the Bharti family also agree to get their daughter married to Murli if there is a woman in the house. Thus begins a hunt to find a bride for Durlabh, which leads to hilarious situations. No marriage-broker is interested in finding a bride for a 60ish groom. Manchu and Murli distribute pamphlets, sit down with placards advertising their need, and spare nothing to reach their goal. Fate leads them to a woman who walks on two crutches, and is a female Don and contract-killer. They run for their lives.
And the, one day, destiny lets the cigarette-smoking, liquor-drinking Babita brush past Durlabh in the streets. Will this fleeting encounter lead to Durlabh Prasad’s second marriage?
The main cast:
Mahima Choudhary as Babita
Vyom Yadav as Murli Prasad
Pallak Lalwani as Mehak
Pravin Singh Sisodia as Brajnarayan Bharti
Shrikant Verma as Ram Manch Prasad
Behind the camera are
Director of Photography: Anil Singh
Sound Designer: Rajendra Hegde
Story & Screenplay: Prashant Singh
Dialogues: Adesh K Arjun
Editor: Sanjay Sankla
Background Score: Arabinda Neogi
Music Director: Anurag Saikia
Lyrics: Juno
Executive Producer: Late Simran Sawhney & Zamir Hussain
Producer Ekansh Bachchan, Harsha Bachchan
Co-Producer: Ramit Thakur
Duration: 130 minutes.
Central Board of Film Certification rating: U/A
