Dharma Productions has released the first trailer for its upcoming romantic family drama JugJugg Jeeyo, starring Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani as a married couple on the verge of divorce. But they decide to keep the news to themselves until after a family wedding. Life throws a curveball at them when they learn that Dhawan’s character’s father has also decided to leave his wife.
Set against the backdrop of a traditional Punjabi wedding—typically more vibrant and alcohol-fueled than most other Indian wedding celebrations—the trailer teases intense familial conflict, all while retaining the dollops of mainstream appeal that Dharma is so well known for. Monsoon Wedding this is not. The tonal dissonance is palpable in the nearly three-minute trailer, and will likely be an issue in the film itself.
JugJugg Jeeyo, which can be roughly translated to “live long and prosper”—not in the Spock way, but more like a blessing that elderly folks in India give to younger people—is what Western audiences will (correctly) call a Bollywood movie. It’s a blend of many genres, and isn’t afraid to throw its characters into song-and-dance sequences at the drop of a hat. It’s also the kind of movie that Dharma boss Karan Johar is best known for, although the company has diversified in recent years.
Advani, for instance, starred in Dharma’s well-reviewed war drama Shershaah last year, and in the campus drama Guilty the year before that. She also starred in Good Newwz, which was directed by JugJugg Jeeyo’s Raj Mehta.
Dhawan, on the other hand, made his acting debut with Johar’s Student of the Year. He also starred in Dharma’s two Dulhania films—Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania. Anil Kapoor was last seen in the Netflix thriller Thar. Perhaps the best known of the central cast to Western audiences, Kapoor has also appeared in the hit series 24, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, and the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. The wife of Kapoor’s character is played by Neetu Kapoor (no relation), a former child star who gained prominence as an adult in the 1970s, and is making somewhat of an acting comeback with this project.
Also starring Maniesh Paul, Prajakta Koli, Tisca Chopra and others, JugJugg Jeeyo is slated for a theatrical release in India on June 24. You can watch the trailer here and read the film’s official synopsis down below:
JugJugg Jeeyo is a story set in the heart of Patiala and much like the city, it’s full of love and laughter, colour and drama. It’s about family and its values, unresolved yearnings, and unexpected reconciliations.
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