Thank You For Coming
The movie “Thank You For Coming” starring Bhumi Pednekar celebrates its exuberant and delightful silliness. This film, with its clever title, appears to be a direct response to the age-old notion of “Why Should Boys Have All The Fun?” It boldly asks, why shouldn’t girls have fun too?
This collaborative effort by Ekta Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor is a lively, intelligent, and heartfelt departure from the countless movies that have traditionally favored boys and their interests. Instead, it places the spotlight firmly on its female characters, allowing them to be playful, spirited, and unapologetically themselves. And for the most part, it succeeds admirably.
Kanika Kapoor, portrayed by Bhumi Pednekar, embodies the archetype of a Delhi girl who has often found herself on the fringes, yearning for more. She has endured hurtful labels such as ‘kaandu’ and ‘thandi,’ cruel epithets that only school kids can dispense without considering the emotional toll they may inflict. Her close friends, played by Dolly Singh and Shibani Bedi, serve as both sounding boards and confidantes as Kanika navigates through a series of relationships in her pursuit of the perfect one. While it would be a disservice to categorize the film as a mere sex comedy, it does candidly explore themes of sexuality, for which we are grateful.
The movie engages in candid discussions about intimacy, self-pleasure, and the elusive “Big O,” subjects that should receive more attention in our often conservative and prudish films. Admittedly, some of these conversations may come across as heavy-handed, especially in exchanges between Kanika and her single, ready-to-mingle mom, played by Natasha Rastogi. Nevertheless, the film’s unapologetic exploration of female desire feels not just important but absolutely necessary in the context of contemporary cinema. In fact, it might even be more crucial than anything else at this moment in film history.
