‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ dropped the trailer and although most fans are going gaga over the romantic comedy, some question if this is another rehashed version of a Pakistani family depicting Indian culture?
The trailer teases just enough, giving us a peek into arranged, assisted, contractually married arrangements – call them what you will.
But, What’s Love Got To Do With It ?
Exactly! Has love got anything to do with arranged marriage or … any kind of marriage at all?
Would you marry for companionship or only for love? Is it okay to wait to fall in love after you get married & get to know each other first? Arranged marriages have always confounded Western Society but they’re still curious to know what makes them click! (Coz maybe the other formula isn’t that successful either)!
Sajal Aly, What Pakistani Fans Can’t Get Enough Of!
Rarely if ever have we seen a British Pakistani show taking on local Pakistani stars. The makers usually limit themselves to British Pakistani actors. Hence Sajal Aly’s involvement in the project is a giant leap for (women) and mankind. Sajal has a massive fanbase and rightly so. She has been involved in projects that speak out of the box, across the border and in layered undertones – from Mom to Dhoop Ki Deewar, now What’s Love Got To Do With It and … everything in between! It is no mean feat to bring so much diversity to the table at such a young age and fan expectations are sky high because Sajal has decided to take on the role of Maymouna. Though we saw glimpses of her in the trailer, from the reserved young girl to the wedding shenanigans, it was enough to get fans sharing, tweeting and appreciating the onscreen presence.
Representation
It is perhaps safe to say that a British setting means most cultures overlap including the sub continental, and it would be too early to talk about representation or add the (mis) before it.
The British Pakistani is not your typical Biryani made in only one flavour. It is Bombay, Beef, Chicken, Pulao, Memoni, Malaysian, (Yeah, I know my Shan masalas) with or without potatoes and a whole lot of other flavours depending upon the culture inside your home, and which part of British Indian culture you absorbed. Yes, that’s how diversified we are. So taking on more British Pakistani actors to perform the characters might have steered the ship into safer, more ‘representative’ channels.
You see, if we don’t represent ourselves, we end up sending the wrong messages to those who are trying to understand our culture (and already quite confused about it). And then, if we get it wrong, to erase that message and write a new one will take a generation or more. Also, the more we see our ‘real’ selves on the screen, the more we will watch projects that have so much to offer. Remember Ms Marvel? So, representation matters in ways we cannot even begin to imagine!
Nevertheless, this Jemima Khan Rom-Com attempts to unravel the mystery behind why desis settle for arranged marriage and … is there an undiscovered secret to that ‘arrangement’ which other cultures might eventually find appealing?
Long shot that! But there’s definitely more to this romantic comedy than what we see in the over 2 minutes trailer!
And so, I’d say, don’t paint all characters with one brush and, wait for the full movie to get the show on the road.
Moving On To The Humour
Moving on to the humour…some might find it a a tad over the top, some might even find it offensive, but hello there, this is Pakistani Indian diaspora coloured in British humour. The witty one liners had viewers and the rishta scene was draped in quirky humour that will force a giggle from the light at heart and a raised eyebrow from those who might not (ahem) really get the ‘rom-com’ take on desi affairs too well!
Similarly, we have to appreciate the typically British undertones in dialogue, (it is a British production you know), almost like watching signature Hugh Grant humour with brown people thrown in. Oh, but now I’ve said too much, it is the trailer after all!
But one must make what one does of the trailer and wait for the real thing to arrive. I mean, that’s what a trailer is for right?
Performances from Lily james aka Zoe and Shazad Latif aka Kazim hit a number of notes, from amusing to poignant. One hopes Zoe’s journey will scratch beneath the surface and resonate with many viewers who see themselves in her – young, disillusioned love? However, point to remeber, this IS a rom-com and not a social message, Goodness knows we need more of these, keeping the average Pakistani drama in mind. So let’s sit back and enjoy the ride!
To sum it up, the over 2 minutes trailer for ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ gives a taste of humour (but it’s desi masked in British, so hold your Twitter finger there), big fat desi wedding feels and a step into the world of rom-coms with a star cast the likes of which we’ve never seen under one roof! I mean, just imagine, Emma Thompson, Sajal Aly, Shabana Azmi, Lily James, Shazad Latif and more are setting the tempo for some serious comic disasters onscreen. Don’t forget to watch Mo The Matchmaker on rewind, my favourite bit! So let’s sit back and wait for the full show … coming soon!
Watch The Trailer Here
‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ is written and co-produced by Jemima Khan and directed by Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. The ensemble cast includes Sajal Aly, Emma Thompson, Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Asim Chaudhry, Mim Shaikh, Jeff Mirza, Iman Boujelouah, Mariam Haque, Rob Brydonand, and Sindhu Vee. The film is set to release in UK cinemas on 27th January, 2023.
Want To Know More about The Plot?
The film centers around a girl Zoe played by Lily James who has had her fair share of bad dates much to her mother, Cath’s (Emma Thompson) dismay. Zoe decides to document her childhood friend and neighbor, Kazim’s (Shahzad Latif) journey from London to Lahore as he decides to follow his parents’ footsteps and opt for an arranged marriage with a girl from Pakistan (our guesses is that the girl is going to be played by Sajal Aly but nothing is official yet!)
As Zoe sees life from a new lens and experiences a world unknown to her, she questions her take on love. Get more details here.
