‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari’ Movie Review: Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor’s Romcom Is Too Predictable for Its Own Good! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari Movie Review: Shashank Khaitan’s Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari marks Dharma Productions’ return to the romcom space. Pairing Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor for the second time (after Bawaal), the film follows two jilted lovers who plot to sabotage their exes’ wedding in a bid to win them back. ‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari’: Ahead of Varun Dhawan-Janhvi Kapoor’s Film, 5 Best Romcoms From Dharma Productions and Where To Watch Them Online.

The premise borrows liberally from American romcoms like My Best Friend’s Wedding, Addicted to Love and I Want You Back. But then again, does it really matter where you find your inspiration if the end result is entertaining and enjoyable? Well… that’s debatable.

'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari' Movie Review - The Plot

Sunny Sanskari (Varun Dhawan) belongs to a wealthy jewellery family that has the audacity to call themselves middle-class. The line is repeated twice in the film, much to the agony of my own middle-class heart. But hey, this is a Dharma movie, and perhaps in their world that is middle class - never mind that they also produced Dhadak 2 and Homebound earlier this year.

Sunny is in love with Ananya (Sanya Malhotra) and even proposes to her Baahubali-style. But Ananya, who views their relationship as a situationship, rejects him and accepts the proposal of Vikram (Rohit Saraf), the son of an uber-rich family.

Watch the Trailer of 'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari':

Determined to win her back, Sunny enlists the help of Tulsi Kumari (Janhvi Kapoor), a nerdy schoolteacher who was dumped by her ex, who is Vikram, not only for being 'middle class' but also because she came from a broken family. The two join forces to sabotage the destination wedding of their former lovers - posing as a lovey-dovey couple to spark jealousy, hoping to reignite old flames. But as you’d expect, Sunny soon develops feelings for Tulsi, and that puts him in quite a fix.

'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari' Movie Review -  A Fairly Entertaining First Half

If you still don’t know who Sunny will end up with, perhaps you haven’t looked at the title hard enough. Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is predictable right from the trailer. And when the ending is a foregone conclusion - no matter how many convoluted, paper-thin twists the makers try to toss in - you at least hope the journey will be fun.

To its credit, the film tries. Varun Dhawan brings his trademark brand of comedy - somewhere between Salman Khan’s swagger and Govinda’s buffoonery - and he fares decently. His spoof of Shah Rukh Khan’s “sattar minute” speech to pep up Tulsi is genuinely funny, and he has a knack for making his character’s flamboyance feel cheeky rather than grating. One witty moment even has him ribbing his struggling co-star about her "realistic" performance being straight out of Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon. Touché.

Maniesh Paul shows up as Kuku, the wedding organiser trying to charm the groom’s cousin while constantly clashing with Sunny’s bestie, Bantoo (Abhinav Sharma). Paul is hilarious whenever he appears in the first half, though his character also conveniently engineers the film’s main plot contrivance.

The film wears its Dharma roots on its sleeve. From Sunny and Tulsi attempting to recreate "Suraj Hua Maddham", to a random dumb charades scene, to a Holi number that’s a wannabe "Balam Pichkari", Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari often feels like it’s chasing the glory days of the banner’s romcom era. To top it off, Karan Johar himself makes a cameo as a special guest at the wedding.

Khaitan ensures the film looks big, bright and colourful, with the lavish destination wedding and its umpteen functions designed to display Dharma’s flair for grand visuals. The sets brim with extras and glitter without feeling messy. Unfortunately, no amount of gloss can distract from the illogic of Sunny and Tulsi’s ongoing presence at the wedding.

One can’t help wondering why neither the bride’s nor the groom’s family questions this suddenly reunited pair lingering at the venue - clearly with ulterior motives - and still allowing them to participate in every function. Equally hard to buy is Tulsi’s abrupt switcheroo from a nerdy, self-conscious teacher to a glamorous diva who’s suddenly confident about her body and poise. This transformation may have suited Janhvi Kapoor better as a performer - she’s noticeably more comfortable in her diva phase - but it renders her earlier characterisation shaky. I also couldn’t ignore how, whenever the scenes demanded heavier emotions from her, the camera conveniently cut to wide shots or reaction shots instead.

'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari' Movie Review - A Very Shaky Second Half

The interval point hits as Sunny realises he’s now more in love with Tulsi than Ananya. The second half explores this conflict but sadly meanders in circles, dragging out the inevitable while adding song after song. The only track that truly pops is the recreated "Bijuria" that comes in the first half. The rest are forgettable.

Meanwhile, the humour takes a back seat as the film shifts into sermonising mode, with Sunny dishing out sanskaar-laced speeches - many about empowering women, though the irony of that is hard to miss. The camaraderie the film tries to build among Sunny, Tulsi, Ananya and Vikram feels forced and unconvincing, as Ananya and Vikram remain sketchily written, more plot devices than fleshed-out characters. The whole love quadrangle begins to lose a soul, wait, there was none to begin with. It's the steam that was being lost here. The screenplay by Khaitan lacks any surprises here, and when it tries to add some in the third act, it is easy to look right through them towards a very expected conclusion. ‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari’: Rohit Saraf, Sanya Malhotra Share How They Joined Shashank Khaitan’s Romantic Comedy Film.

There’s also a subplot about Vikram’s elder brother’s wife being denied the chance to pursue a fashion course in Paris - a storyline that feels lifted straight out of Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahanii. Or maybe that’s just another homage; at this point, it’s hard to tell.

'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is a film that wants to revel in the nostalgia of classic romcoms while flaunting Dharma’s glossy, big-fat-wedding aesthetic. Varun Dhawan’s spirited comic timing and a few humorous beats keep it from being a total bore, but predictable storytelling, inconsistent characterisation, and a sluggish second half weigh it down.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2025 08:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).