Climax. The first thing that probably comes to our mind when we hear this is films. No matter how good a film is, if the climax is a letdown, then the audience walks out unhappy. But Bhumi Pedneker’s Kanika in Thank You For Coming, has a different problem with... ahem.. a different climax. Her sexual encounters always end with an anti-climax. Does she ever get the ending she deserves? Answers Thank You For Coming.
Two weeks ago, Netflix released the final season of Sex Education, and when I saw Kanika, I instantly got reminded of Otis (Asa Butterfield) from the show. Just as a young Otis knows more about sex than his peers, Kanika too does, thanks to her progressive-gynaecologist-unmarried-single mother Beena (Natasha Rastogi). As a young child, Kanika orates in a stage play, “Men and women have sex, and that’s how children are born.” From that day, Kanika is called ‘Kaandu Kanika’, a tag that sticks on for life.
The film then proceeds to show us a grown-up Kanika and her two best friends, Pallavi (Dolly Singh), and Tina (Shibani Bedi). However, we aren’t shown much about how they became friends. Adding that detail would have helped us connect more with these characters. For example, Tina has a teenage daughter Rabiya, but we assume that she’s 32 just like Kanika. So, did she give birth in her late teens? We will never know…
Thankfully these vacuums in detailing, don’t pull down the quality of the film. As the trailer suggests, Kanika finally has a day where her carnal desire is met with a crescendo of a conclusion. Woefully, a drunk Kanika doesn’t know whose libido made her reach her sexual pinnacle. And there begins the hunt, as she tries to eliminate every man she has had a relationship with. Starting from Anil Kapoor’s cameo as Professor to Sushant Divgikar’s bejewelled dance number, this exploration by the protagonist - although shortlived - takes us on a humourous ride.
Kanika’s investigation and the film’s short and sweet portrayal of gay culture (something I wish not to spoil) are funny and impactful, but also fleeting. The film’s tone quickly shifts to a sense of tragedy as she realises who might have written her the climax she was desperate for. From there, we enter the world of bullying and cybercrime. Again, in 120 minutes most of these concepts come and leave pretty quickly one after another. Although the portrayal of these issues is like great foreplay, it misses the G-spot. The impact of bullying on Kanika, for instance, is shown through short montages. As bullying is a much-needed topic to be addressed, if it was dealt with in detail, the effect would have been much more satisfying.
Coming to the main matter, does Thank You For Coming have an apt climax? Well, like every other film about feminism, self-realisation and individual choice, this film also has a monologue by the lead actor. In fact, when Bhumi grabbed the mic and began her spiel, I was quickly reminded of America Ferrera’s soliloquy from Barbie. But, the speech rapidly takes a turn towards genuine emotions and feelings and is then backed by enjoyable humour. The film too, ends without reiterating the 'Happily Ever After' trope; leaving us with a good filmgasm on the whole. At the end of the day, what’s the use of a good ride without a bang-on ending?
Director: Karan Boolani Cast: Bhumi Pedneker, Dolly Singh, Shibani Bedi, Shehnaz Gill, Pradhuman Singh, Sushant Divgikar, Gautmik
Rating: 3/5
(The story originally appeared on Cinema Express)
