Zee5’s Virgin Bhanupriya is a comedy/drama film directed by Ajay Lohan and starring Urvashi Rautela, Archana Puran Singh, Niki Walia in lead roles.

Second-hand embarrassment

Virgin Bhanupriya follows Bhanupriya, who decides to lose her virginity after not getting lucky and tries to do everything in her power to overcome her bad luck.

I don’t even know what to say. You know those movies that leave you speechless out of embarrassment? Virgin Bhanupriya is that movie. It’s not funny, it’s just embarrassing. The film pieces together scenes, dialogues and situations that the creators thought were funny and got together a movie that is unaware that it’s being made in 2020.

Bhanu’s only thought in life is to have sex. I don’t know whether she’s ever had a boyfriend or not, but the movie makes sure to remind us that she’s a virgin. Because if you’ve not had sex, your life is meaningless. We never get to know whether Bhanu is working, studying or doing anything else. We don’t see her hanging out with her friends, and when she does, it is only to discuss the next possible sexual partner. She seems to be a college student but doesn’t study. In fact, the only time I’ve seen her go to college is to possibly make out in the library.

Virgin Bhanupriya also has a very skewered view of the world. Students openly make out/ have sex in the bathrooms and library, smoke weed in the staircase, and never study. In this world, it is fine to slut-shame and fat-shame people because that’s oh-so-funny. And it’s also completely okay to force your best friend to date someone so that it’s easier for you to get some.

Oh, and everything is either a sex joke or a sick pun of some sort. It’s cringy and off-putting and does nothing for the movie. Moreover, the acting is atrocious. Everyone reads off the script and doesn’t do the bare-minimum to act. Rautela tries but isn’t very successful either.

Apart from the shaming, Virgin Bhanupriya tries to tell its audience that men don’t get raped. Yes, that’s exactly what it says out loud, no beating around the bush. That women can do anything that they want, and the law is on their side. Which is honestly disturbing, disgusting and untrue. Rape isn’t funny, and should not, in any way, be used as a means to instil laughs. Period.

The film also tries to imply time and again that two people’s relationship is on the rocks because one of them isn’t attractive enough. Which is absolutely disgusting, because all they do throughout the movie is fight with each other. Maybe the problem is the fact that you two are just not compatible with each other – looks have got nothing to do with it.

Speaking of relationships, Rakul is probably the worst friend. She selfishly pressures Bhanu to get on with a boy she doesn’t like so that her relationship isn’t disturbed, insults Bhanu for being a virgin (which isn’t an insult, btw), she portrays her problems as more important than anyone else’s, and doesn’t think for a minute before throwing Bhanu under the bus. Oh, and she’s also cool and edgy. She has 5 “goth” posters on her bathroom wall. Great.

Summing up: Virgin Bhanupriya

I don’t know what I expected from a movie whose title is Virgin Bhanupriya but this movie is crass and unfunny and is problematic in so many different ways. There are other things in life than love and sex. There’s no expiration date to these things, and there’s also no need to use the term virginity as something embarrassing or a reason for shame. Everyone has their own time, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Quit pressuring the generation into thinking that having a sex life is the only thing that matters.

Also, Bengalis don’t do black magic. It’s honestly infuriating to use that as a character trait and generate laughs through it. Much like this film, it doesn’t make sense.

Watch Virgin Bhanupriya here.

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