Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Meenakshi Sundareshwar’ is Part Brilliant but Part Dull

REVIEW: ‘Meenakshi Sundareshwar’ is Part Brilliant but Part Dull

Jason FlattBy Jason Flatt11/06/20214 Mins Read
Meenakshi Sundareshwa - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Meenakshi Sundareshwa - But Why Tho

Meenakshi Sundareshwar is a Hindi-language Netflix Original rom-com directed by Vivek Soni with writing by Soni and Aarsh Vora, produced by Dharamatic Productions. Starring Sanya Malhotra as Meenakshi and Abhimanyu Dasani as Sundareshwar, the two newlyweds are quickly forced to live in separate cities as Sundar vies for a job in his field away from the gravity of his family and their saree business. But long-distance relationships are hard, and even harder when you barely know each other, and even harder still when one of the two parties to the relationship is painfully awkward and has zero communication skills.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

There is so much to enjoy in Meenakshi Sundareshwar. I mean, it starts with a gorgeous, colorful, musical wedding. There’s nothing more immediately captivating than that. But usually, the wedding comes at the end of the movie, not the beginning, and this two-and-a-half-hour movie reveals its true nature. The challenges of living apart, especially when Sundar learns he has to pretend he’s a bachelor in order to keep his spot at his new company, are the central plot of the film. It’s a quite original-feeling premise and the need to learn to love each other despite being apart and in secret feels fresh, especially given the enthusiasm with which the couple takes on the tall task. The only problem is that for as great a character as Meenakshi is, Sundar is absolutely emotionless, uninteresting, awkward, and barely even feels worth the turmoil.

Meenakshi is smart, funny, beautiful, and expressive. Sundar is oblivious, dull, mediocre, and honestly pretty annoying. You’re supposed to feel bad for Meenakshi (and Sundar) for being in this crummy situation, but I really just felt bad that this was the man she was feeling bad over. It’s not a commentary on the circumstances of the marriage themselves. Meenakshi even had a say in the arrangement. It’s simply the fact that this was the protagonist that Meenakshi Sundareshwar was trying to make my empathize with and root for. I’d root for Meenakshi any day, but Sundar? He’s entirely forgettable.

If you get past half of the main duo being a disappointment, the plot is still a good one. I was only really invested in Meenakshi’s half of it, but I did totally enjoy ever scene with her.  Malhotra just put so much expression into her face, her voice, and her dancing that even when she was sulking over her lame husband I was ensconced by her scenes. It certainly helped too that many of her scenes were accompanied by some of her many in-laws. They were all hilarious in their own different ways, especially Sundar’s nephew Rasu (Kalp Shah) and Sundar’s father (Purnendu Bhattacharya). Totally different ends of the comedy spectrum, but both great secondary characters who stole their scenes.

The musical numbers by Raj Shekhar and Justing Prabhakaran in Meenakshi Sundareshwar were all great. They were actually the only times throughout the movie that Sundar felt like a likable character, too. Maybe it’s because he didn’t have to speak during those scenes, so he was able to just come off as a nice, albeit goofy guy. The moment the music stopped and he has to start talking again it gets awkward, and not in a charming or endearing way. But until then, each number is a bop, the dancing is great, and there isn’t a single miss in the whole movie.

Meenakshi Sundareshwa has the makings of a great rom-com, with a creative and modern premise and a great 50 percent of its romantic duo. But Sundar is a totally uninteresting, awkward, and almost annoying main character, making half of the movie just so much less enjoyable and seriously reducing my emotional investment in their successful marriage.

Meenakshi Sundareshwa is streaming now on Netflix.

Meenakshi Sundareshwa
  • 7/10
    Rating - 7/10
7/10

TL;DR

Meenakshi Sundareshwa has the makings of a great rom-com, with a creative and modern premise and a great 50 percent of its romantic duo. But Sundar is a totally uninteresting, awkward, and almost annoying main character, making half of the movie just so much less enjoyable and seriously reducing my emotional investment in their successful marriage.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleNovember DC Comics To Look Out For
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Arcane,’ Act 1 – Episodes 1-4
Jason Flatt
  • X (Twitter)

Jason is the Sr. Editor at But Why Tho? and producer of the But Why Tho? Podcast. He's usually writing about foreign films, Jewish media, and summer camp.

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here