Summary

Director Karan Boolani delivers an engaging and deserving sex-positive movie that focuses on the everyday concerns of women in India. Bhumi Pednekar’s star turn as Kanika Kapoor offers laughs and life lessons, with her comedic timing and chemistry with co-stars carrying the movie. While the film’s large cast limits in-depth exploration, Pednekar’s standout performance and the movie’s big heart make it a delightful and enjoyable watch.

Director Karan Boolani has helmed a picture that demands — and deserves — to be talked about with Thank You For Coming, which is celebrating its premiere at Toronto International Film Festival. The sex-positive movie was written by Radhika Anand and Prashasti Singh, and the female gaze is refreshingly present throughout the nearly two-hour runtime. Thank You For Coming comes close to being a definitive sex comedy for women, with Bhumi Pednekar’s star turn offering laughs and life lessons to spare.

Pednekar plays Kanika Kapoor, a vibrant woman in her early 30s whose free spirit and progressive views on sex and marriage have not helped her when it comes to the art of orgasms. Though her single mother (who is herself a gynecologist) confidently assures her that it’s men who are to blame for the fact that 70% of women don’t experience them, Kanika still can’t help but feel she is defective in some way. With her best friends Pallavi (Dolly Singh) and Tina (Shibani Bedi) in tow she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that manages to include an arranged marriage, an unthinkable betrayal, and the art of self-love all in the course of no more than a week.

While India may be captivating the global market with epics like RRR and the upcoming Kalki 2898 AD, Thank You For Coming instead shines a light on the everyday concerns of women in India. But while Kanika is specifically bucking against the traditions of her culture, her story is a universal one given the general lack of sex education and true equality anywhere in the world. Thankfully, both screenwriters and director know how to avoid didactic cliches, relying instead on Pednekar’s innate comedic timing and chemistry with her costars to carry the movie.

A sense of predictability does set in after a drunken night and her own hazy memory send her on a manhunt for the elusive frog she may have kissed and turned into a prince, but Thank You For Coming stays true to form and doesn’t settle for a pat fairytale ending. In fact, much more than her lukewarm engagement to the loyal Jeevan (Pradhuman Singh Mall), or her short-lived dalliances with any number of exes, the heart of the film lies in her friendships and family connections. One of the standout plotlines is when her friend’s teenage daughter Rabeya (Saloni Daini) decides to follow in her Aunty Kanika’s footsteps, simply because the consequences are explored in an honest and unexpected way.

Those who are used to the grandeur of Bollywood may be surprised by the preponderance of premarital sex (though it is much more often spoken of than seen) as well as by the sheer lack of musical numbers, but rest assured that there are a few extended dance sequences that will satisfy. Perhaps the biggest drawback of the film, which is otherwise delightful fun, is that the cast is too large to accommodate in-depth exploration. The generational and interpersonal bonds that connect back to Kanika are all strong and immersive, but when characters need to relate to anyone else, there isn’t much to say.

Of course, Pednekar’s light shines so bright that it’s an easy problem to ignore, but it does make the movie’s message less impactful. Kamika is herself such a unique character that her attempts at social rebellion don’t necessarily reflect the rest of the women in the cast, and while she is extremely relatable, the one-size-fits-all conclusion is a little too snug for some of the other problems the screenplay hints at. Nevertheless, Thank You For Coming is nothing short of a good time made all the sweeter thanks to its big heart.

Thank You For Coming premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and is currently seeking US distribution. It has a runtime of 116 minutes and is not yet rated, though it has a content advisory for coarse language, mature themes, and sexual content.