Double XL Film Review: A potential subject marred by cliches and poor writing

Double XL Story: Faced with body shaming and societal pressure, two women go out in London despite all odds to fulfil their dreams. Will they succeed, or will they be stymied by expectations and roadblocks?

Review of the Double XL: Rajshree Trivedi (Huma Qureshi) dreamed of becoming a sports presenter since she was a child in Meerut. Her mother continuously badgers her to get married ‘before it’s too late,’ despite the fact that she is approaching 30 and is overweight. Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha), on the other hand, appears to be regaining control of her life. She has a boyfriend, a best friend, and a goal of starting her own fashion label. She receives a significant boost once a major television network approves her proposal to film a fashion documentary in London. The same network has also considered Rajshri for a position as a sports anchor. But, just as they are about to achieve their goals, everything that may go wrong does.

Body shaming is an important topic that must be addressed as a cultural problem. Writer Mudassar Aziz and director Satram Ramani chose their subject and actors intelligently, but it’s a touch all over the place and drags, just like Saira’s fashion documentary. The first half of the film is spent building up the plot, with more unneeded diversions than Sonakshi Sinha’s lip piercing and caricatures played by certain character actors whose performances fall short. Even when the screenplay advances, the plot does not. It’s still a jumble of pleasant coincidences that make everything appear far too easy for the two core characters, whose struggle is supposed to be genuine. Consider this: they travel to a foreign country on an all-expenses-paid trip for a film, with a team that has no idea what needs to be done. The film’s narrative is sanctimonious and keeps repeating the same message in numerous circumstances that are similarly empty, leaving you with emotions that don’t actually touch your heart. This further distances us from the film’s fundamental concept of body shaming and societal restrictions that prevent women from pursuing their aspirations.

Huma Qureshi‘s sincere performance is the film’s redeeming grace. The actress portrays Rajshri‘s suffering in a strong and emotive manner, and she also physically alters herself to play the Double XL role. Sonakshi Sinha’s character, on the other hand, is written in such a way that it does not elicit much empathy from the spectator, and the actor, despite her best attempts, does not leave the intended impression. However, the screenplay is at its best when the two starring females bounce ideas off each other. Zaheer Iqbal’s performance as the flamboyant and flirtatious Zorawar Rehmani, who insists on being addressed as Zo, Za, or Zoo, is more irritating than endearing. Mahat Raghavendra’s debut as Srikanth shows promise. It’s also heartening to see renowned character actress Shubha Khote back on the big screen after a long absence. Alka Kaushal, who plays Rajshri’s neurotic and often furious mother, does an excellent job of capturing the doubts and fears of a middle-aged small-town lady. The soundtrack to the picture is easily forgotten.

The notion of Double XL is novel and timely. It takes a lot of guts on the part of the creators and actors to construct a plot around the issue. However, the film’s original potential is diminished by bad screenplay and execution.