Cinema has always played a role in influencing many minds and that’s exactly why lots of filmmakers pick up subjects that create awareness in the masses and bring about a certain change. In 2022, that for me was the film Double XL as it dealt with an issue that was probably very simple yet needed to be spoken about. Sadly, in our Indian society SIZE DOES MATTER, and that’s exactly what Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha challenged and questioned with their film. The message they brought to us was that dreams don’t see the size you belong to, so you can have as many ambitions as you wish, all you need to do is work towards them. The 2 hours 11 minutes film also stars Zaheer Iqbal and Mahat Raghvendra. It is directed by Satram Ramani.
Double XL is not just a story about two plus-size girls chasing their dreams, it’s also a tale of self-validation. It is a story about dealing with brickbats and believing in yourself, the film for sure will leave you with a smile, but its impact won’t last very long. Yes, this is an ambitious story sweetly told, but it still felt like the emotions in this one were on a crash diet.
Here’s what I like about Double XL…
1. Mahat Raghvendra
Undoubtedly my favorite in the film was Mahat Raghvendra, his earnest performance in the film was very sweet to watch. There is a simplicity Mahat carries with him throughout and that simplicity is very charming, to top that his whacky side was quite a surprise package.
2. Huma Qureshi & Sonakshi Sinha
Rajshri Trivedi (Huma) and Saira Khanna (Sonakshi) are truly inspiring to watch on the big screen. The struggles they face and the fight they give back to the mean society is endearing to watch. There is light at the end of the tunnel for both Huma and Sonakshi, and I liked how they took all the flak with a pinch of salt. So, kudos to them for such an honest and natural performance. Another thing I loved about them in the film was the representation of female friendship, the one we see in the film, which needs both the ladies to be on the same page and here they clearly were.
3. Zaheer Iqbal
Call him Zo, za, zoo, or anything you like, but Zorwar Rehmani was the icing on the Double XL cake. So full of life, charming, and suave, Zaheer seems to have enjoyed every bit of playing this character and it shows in his performance.
Things that could have been better with Double XL…
1. The Screenplay
Even though Double XL is quite a strong story, the screenplay could have been watertight. I found it to be messy in a lot many places, there were technical snags in execution that could have been paid a little more attention to.
2. Emotional Quotient
As I said, the story is good, and the performances are also at par, yet I was waiting for an emotional punch to hit me, and throughout the film, it didn’t. There were funny one-liners, but they somewhere came between an emotional dialogue that took away its impact. I liked the sass that both Saira and Rajshri excuded, there were also glimpses of a vulnerable side, but I wanted some more of their vulnerability to be shown because that would have catapulted their triumph to another level.
But, I still say, everyone needs to watch Double XL at least once, for it will somewhere change your outlook towards people and the way you see them.
The film is presented by Gulshan Kumar, T-Series, Wakaoo Films & Mudassar Aziz in association with T-Series Films. Double XL is a Wakaoo Films, Elemen3 Entertainment & Reclining Seats Cinema Production. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar. Vipul D Shah, Rajesh Bahl & Ashwin Varde, Saqib Saleem, Huma Qureshi & Mudassar Aziz.
MM Verdict: 3 stars out of 5