Nimra Bucha and Priya Kansara in Polite Society.Parisa Taghizadeh/Focus Features
- Polite Society
- Written and directed by Nida Manzoor
- Starring Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya and Akshay Khanna
- Classification PG; 103 minutes
- Opens in theatres April 28
Critic’s Pick
When a teaser for Polite Society first appeared in my inbox last year announcing the film’s premiere at the Sundance Festival, I clicked the link with some skepticism. Another film about an arranged marriage in the diaspora? How many more movies do we need about the big fat South Asian wedding?
I’m delighted to report that my wariness was totally unfounded.
Yes, Polite Society involves a Pakistani wedding, dripping with ostentation – including the bride wearing a 35-kilogram lehenga. But that’s just a plot point for the family drama that comes before, which centres on the bond between the Khan sisters – Ria (Priya Kansara of Bridgerton) and Lena (Ritu Arya, from The Umbrella Academy). It is like Monsoon Wedding meets the seminal British sketch comedy show Goodness Gracious Me, with inspiration from action movies ranging from The Matrix to Kill Bill.
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Polite Society, however, is in a league of its own. The concept – a young Pakistani girl growing up in London with the desire to become a stuntwoman, just like her idol Eunice Huthart – is fresh and original. (Side note: the British Huthart has frequently appeared as a stunt double for Angelina Jolie and worked as stunt co-ordinator for films such as Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker and Maleficent.)
The only person who seems to understand Ria’s dream is her older sister, Lena, an art school dropout. I love the way these two girls are throwing the whole model minority myth into the trash can, much to the disappointment of their parents Fatima (Shobu Kapoor) and Rafe (Jeff Mirza). Not that Fatima and Rafe are particularly controlling, as South Asian parents are often depicted in popular culture. But they are concerned about their daughters’ futures.
As it happens, Fatima fraternizes with the posh Raheela Shah (Nimra Bucha), and is delighted when Raheela deigns to invite the Khans to the Shahs’ Eid soiree. It’s where Lena meets the Shah scion Salim (Akshay Khanna), the dashing doctor and eligible bachelor. The only person disenchanted by the whole situation is Ria, whose description of the evening’s affair in her voiceover is wonderfully caustic.
Much to everyone’s surprise – and to Ria’s absolute disgust – Lena goes on a date with Salim, and ends up getting engaged to him. While everyone is in a celebratory mood, Ria can’t get rid of this nagging feeling that something’s not quite kosher with this arrangement. So she takes matters into her own flying fists of fury, with the help of her two best friends, Clara and Alba (Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri), to try to save her sister from the shackles of marriage.
Polite Society is brilliant in showcasing its origin story. Writer-director Nida Manzoor wanted to tell a tale of sisterly love, even as the pair negotiate parental and cultural expectations, in her debut feature film. Inspired by the movies she’d grown up on, and the under- or misrepresentation of South Asian characters, she wanted to make a film about a “South Asian girl who is flawed and funny and kicks ass,” according to the production notes.
The film is like Monsoon Wedding meets the seminal British sketch comedy show Goodness Gracious Me, with inspiration from The Matrix to Kill Bill.Parisa Taghizadeh/Focus Features
The first half of the film hits the right notes, as it follows and gently mocks the coming-of-age narrative arc. Ria relentlessly trains in martial arts, trying to perfect a signature move and embody herself as The Fury, as she’s chosen to call herself. She drags Lena, sometimes literally, into helping her make “a vid” to upload to her YouTube channel.
Ria’s disbelief that her sister would agree to something as banal as marriage is another manifestation of her love, as well as a selfish act. She doesn’t want to lose her partner-in-crime. Her attempts to derail the impending nuptials – first by digging for dirt on Salim, then engaging in sabotage, aided and abetted by her besties – are deliriously hilarious. Scathing voice-overs bring to life Ria’s ranting e-mails to her idol Eunice – full of witty observations from a young woman who loathes an Austenian story line.
The latter portion of the film, fashioned as a social horror/thriller, is where things become unhinged in parts. Turns out Ria was onto something with her misgivings about the Shah mother-son duo.
According to the production notes, writer-director Nida Manzoor wanted to make a film about a 'South Asian girl who is flawed and funny and kicks ass.'Parisa Taghizadeh/Focus Features
There’s a little too much going on at the wedding party, which makes for a hodgepodge of a plot. And yet, some bits are a perfect example of how an insider’s knowledge can inform a narrative. I guffawed out loud at the song Ria chooses to perform as part of the wedding ceremony. It’s just so perfect on so many levels, definitely a meme-worthy moment.
Polite Society is a welcome addition to the canon of works featuring the lives of contemporary South Asian diaspora, with its distinct British humour. It made me look up Manzoor’s previous work. I plan on digging into her 2021 series We Are Lady Parts, about a British Muslim female punk band, even as I wait for her next project.
Aparita Bhandari