‘The Great Weddings of Munnes’ Review – Comedic Circus

An Indian marriage ceremony can be a cyclonic roller-coaster ride that very few dare to ride again, but the protagonist of 2022 Indian series ‘The Great Weddings of Munnes’ has a bunch of ‘almost marriage’ attempts that take viewers on a pretty funny journey.

Spread over 10 episodes, “The Great Weddings of Munnes” stars Abhishek Banerjee as the titular character, a middle-class man who finally meets the girl of his dreams, only to have his hopes shattered soon after. The beautiful Mahi (played by Barkha Singh) agrees to marry Munnes, but an astrologer interrupts their ceremony midway, claiming that misfortune will soon befall the couple. The astrologer suggests that Munnes must marry and divorce another woman to lead a happy marital life with Mahi. Well, at least it’s not a tree or an animal. But human beings are always more challenging. A desperate Munnes goes bride-hunting with a motley crew of family members and even gets hitched to a witch!

Buoyed by an ensemble cast, Abhishek Banerjee romps this comedic drama, which has a generous dose of quintessential Indian humor, sprinkled with witty sarcasm throughout. Paresh Ganatra and Sunita Rajwar are effortlessly hilarious in their roles as Muness’ uncle and aunt. It was great to see Pankaj Dheer onscreen after a long time, he plays Mahi’s strict but supportive grandfather. Chetan Sharma was the only character to represent the younger generation in the cast – he plays an annoying cousin who constantly records everything on his phone.

The story is obviously grossly exaggerated and pretty predictable in parts, especially the episode leading to a horror-comedy break in the series where Munnes meets a ghost bride. Some of the stuff is blatantly racist, like a sub-plot about Munnes and gang pretending to be African royals and painting their faces with what looks like shoe polish. But it’s a gag, some will see the humor, some will take offense. Depending on the kind of mood you are in, you’d either love this show or be bored soon. I think it’s a great weekend pick to watch with the family and have a laugh.

It’s a 7 on 10 from me. Stream it on Voot.