Friday Streaming - Fakt Mahilao Maate is hilarious and oh-so-relatable if you're familiar with the happenings inside a Gujarati household!

With a cameo by Amitabh Bachchan, the less talked about Gujarati comedy, Fakt Mahilao Maate pressed all the right buttons!

Most people don't understand the difference between hearing and understanding each other and that's what Fakt Mahilao Maate is all about. Directed by Jay Bodas, this family entertainer has all the makings of a great slapstick comedy - a 28-year-old man who lives with three women and struggles to understand them, a supporting cast with relatable problems, and character arcs, the solution offered which eventually becomes a problem and ridiculously witty one-liners that leave you laughing hysterically!

Cast - Bhavini Jani as Baa is so hilarious and apt as the mother-in-law and grandmother whose only job is to crib all day. Deeksha Joshi as Sneha will leave you frustrated because she's that naive girlfriend who looks past every red flag and keeps giving multiple chances to someone who doesn't deserve her. Yash Soni as Chintan ties everything together in this one. Amitabh Bachchan plays Chintan's father and makes an appearance in the last scene. Tarjanee Bhadla plays Chintan's sister.

Storyline - Chintan finds himself stuck between the constant bickering that goes on inside his house and specifically between his Baa, his sister, and his mother. On a trip to Ambaji temple, Chintan wishes that he could listen to what women really think about instead of what they say and before he knows it, his wish comes true. 2 minutes into this, Chintan is fed up and regrets asking for something like this before he realizes that this superpower can salvage his relationships and help his business, which in turn will help him save up enough to buy a house and separate from his family.

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Watch the trailer here!

What I liked - The balance between comedy and drama is maintained very well with well-integrated plot lines throughout. The comic timing throughout the film is excellent and a nicely written script that addresses the little things helps you connect to it. There's a scene where Chintan's friend is talking to the pani puri wala and asking him to pour some sweat into the pani because that's what adds 'svaad' according to him. It is references like these that make this film such a relatable watch because they feel like conversations we've grown up listening to in our households which left us flabbergasted, and disgusted and sometimes found us in splits. Fakt Mahilao Maate has a rather catchy background score as well!

What I didn't quite like - Fakt Mahilao Maate could've done with fewer characters though because the start feels a little chaotic for no reason. This film should've been titled 'Chintan Badhu Samjheche' because it was more about his journey and lack of understanding towards his family and their problems and less about the women he's surrounded by. Some parts of it feel a tad problematic because while it depicts Gujarati society which is ridiculously male-dominated, its portrayal of women feels rather biased. It left me wondering whether, as a woman, I found it funny because I've been conditioned to laugh each time a man complains about not being able to understand women. What I didn't quite understand is the ending when Chintan gets grief for wanting a life of his own, one that's away from his family. Aren't all of us entitled to decide what we want for ourselves?

If you do, please watch this one with your family!