Review: ‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video,’ starring Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri

October 22, 2024

by Carla Hay

Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri in “Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video” (Photo courtesy of AA Films)

“Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video”

Directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa

Hindi with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in India, in 1997, the comedy film “Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video” features a predominantly Indian cast of characters (with one white person) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: Two newlywed spouses make a sex video on their honeymoon and frantically look for it after the video goes missing.

Culture Audience: “Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and don’t mind watching long and silly romantic comedies.

Vijay Raaz in “Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video” (Photo courtesy of AA Films)

“Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video” drags on entirely too long (146 minutes) for a movie that could’ve been half of its run time. This lightweight film about a newlywed couple losing a sex video they made together has capable acting but a terrible screenplay.

Directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa, “Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video” was co-written by Shaandilyaa, Yusuf Ali Khan, Ishrat Khan and Rajan Agarwal. The movie’s title means “The Video of Vicky and Vidya” in Hindi. The movie’s concept is so simple and the story is so repetitive, the long run time of the movie is like watching a vehicle circling around and really not going anywhere.

“Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video” (which takes place in 1997 in India) begins by showing a mehendi artist named Vicky (played by Rajkummar Rao) working at the wedding of a doctor named Vidya (played by Triptii Dimri), who was his childhood sweetheart. This chance encounter re-ignites a spark between them. Vidya (who doesn’t want to marry her intended groom in an arranged marriage) convinces her family that she should marry Vicky instead.

Vicky (who is a “regular guy”) and Vidya (who is somewhat high-maintenance) get married and travel to their honeymoon in Goa. One night, they make a sex video that’s recorded on a CD-ROM. (Remember, this story takes place in 1997.) The CD then goes missing. Panic predictably ensues.

A police officer named Laadle (played by Vijay Raaz) is called to investigate. Laadle is a buffoon who has a crush on Vicky’s commitment-phobic sister Chanda (played by Mallika Sherawat) and pursues her like a lovesick suitor. Coincidentally, Vidya’s family also has a maid named Chanda (played by Archana Patel), so the movie has some not-very-funny moments about identity mixups because these two women have the same first name.

Most of the movie is built around mindless and time-wasting hijinks, with a lot of people running around and shouting. Some of the movie’s annoying characters include a burglar named Badshah (played by Mast Ali); a healing guru named Bulbul Didi (played by Ashwini Kalsekar) and Bulbul’s bumbling henchmen Sunil (played by Mubeen Saudagar) and Shetty (played by Jaswant Singh Rathore). The movie does little to show much of the personalities for the newlywed couple’s relatives, such as Vicky’s unnamed grandfather (played by Tiku Talsania), Vicky’s younger brother Gopal (played by Akshobhya Gauniyal), Vidya’s unnamed mother (played by Archana Puran Singh) and Vidya’s unnamed father (played by Rakesh Bedi).

The only real plot development is when Vicky gets wrongfully arrested for attempted murder. There’s also a clumsily handed subplot about blackmail. And then there are the time-filler musical scenes that aren’t very memorable. After all the buildup about what happened to the CD, the cliffhanger ending (which obviously hints at a sequel) is the movie’s biggest letdown.

AA Films released “Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video” in U.S. cinemas and in India on October 11, 2024.

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