At 32, Kanika Kapoor has never had an orgasm. This is the central problem that the character, played by a brilliant Bhumi Pednekar, sets out to solve in Karan Boolani’s feature film debut Thank You For Coming. But the film, which premiered as an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, is more than a sex-positive comedy.
Produced by Rhea Kapoor and co-written by screenwriter Radhika Anand and comedian Prashasti Singh, Thank You For Coming is a bright and original take on embedded patriarchal norms. The film is not exactly a rarity for contemporary Hindi cinema, but it’s still amongst a handful of takes on contemporary womanhood in India. The premise of sex and female pleasure is a wonderful anchor to the story, sure, but it is ultimately a window into the life of single Indian women living in the city, where judgement and expectation run rampant, and choices are so often made for the sake of others.
What is Thank You For Coming about?
Kanika is born to a single mother, a gynecologist who had a child out of wedlock and is subjected to criticism at every turn. Her mother (Natasha Rastogi) seems pretty unbothered by society’s glare, but Kanika wants to take every precaution to avoid a similar fate. So from a young age, she’s a serial dater, looking for the validation of men and hoping to eventually find someone she wants to marry, all set to energetic and suggestive background music. Through three significant but ended relationships, she remains unsatisfied (literally). Soon comes her thirtieth birthday when she tearfully admits to her horrified best friends Pallavi (Dolly Singh) and Tina (Shibani Bedi) that she’s never had an orgasm.
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