Polite Society is an Indian subcontinent masala movie from Britain. Consequently, this potpourri tries to mix the two contrasting film-making styles of Britain and India, in a way.
Indian subcontinent masala movie genre has been popularly termed as the Bollywood films in most of the Western media. They are known for their songs, dance, drama, actions, etc.
In Polite Society film - the title appears on screen in English, Urdu, and Hindi languages.
About its Bollywood links, allow us to quote Oscar Wilde, who famously said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Maybe, it marks its growing popularity worldwide.
Synopsis (Summary) of this 2023 British movie
A merry mash-up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, this film follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan (Priya Kansara), who believes she must save her older sister Lena Khan (Ritu Arya) from her impending marriage. After enlisting her friends’ help, she attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.
Spoiler-free review of the Polite Society (2023) movie
The backdrop of its story
In the last couple of centuries, many ‘Desi’ people have left the Indian subcontinent, to settle down in distant foreign lands, including Britain. However, the thing is that even after permanently settling down in an overseas nation, the ‘Desi’ people cannot break away from their social and cultural roots. Also, this Polite Society is a gentle reminder of the stated truth.
Bollywood is the common term used for masala movies about people belonging to the Indian subcontinent. By the word subcontinent, we mean the films and people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. So, the Polite Society film is a tale about two young Muslim sisters living in Britain.
A tale of two sisters – Ria and Lena
Both the sisters – Ria Khan and Lena Khan trace their ancestral roots to Pakistan in the subcontinent. Moreover, this drama is about the cultural and societal practice of arranged marriage among migrant families (Non-Resident Pakistani/Indian) tracing their roots to the Indian subcontinent. Consequently, in the film, its two modern-age lead characters, Ria sincerely believes that she must not allow her older sister Lena from her proposed marriage arranged by their conservative family. This sisterhood tale is lively and warm.
While their sibling bond is strong, Ria can smell some kind of nefarious agenda afloat. So, Ria is determined to do almost anything to break up Lena’s impending engagement and marriage ceremonies. So, with the active help of her best friend from school, Ria’s not-so-secret agenda and conspiracy plans are set afloat to stop her sister’s marriage plans. Above all, Ria is not averse to using her martial arts training to good use in action scenes.
Script, characters, content & general feelings
As a result, its masala script treats us with quite a few hilarious comedic situations in the film. The addition of British humour to the typical Desi masala movie ingredients leads to lots of chaos and confusion in it. Also, it adds Kung Fu and other martial art forms from Eastern Asian nations to the dramatic and spicy contents of this coming-of-age story.
Actresses & Conclusion
The two protagonists played by actresses Priya Kansara (Ria Khan) and Ritu Arya (Lena Khan) shine bright. Also, the antagonist played by Nimra Bucha (Raheela) is compelling.
We liked this typical family melodrama from the Indian subcontinent with a British twist.
Key details about this 2023 British movie
| Genre | Action, Comedy |
| Original language | English (UK) |
| Released in | April-May, 2023 |
| Age restrictions | UA (13+) |
| Duration | 1 hour 43 minutes |
| Writer & Director | Nida Manzoor |
| Cast | Priya Kansara (Ria Khan), Ritu Arya (Lena Khan), Nimra Bucha (Raheela), Shobu Kapoor (Fatima), Renu Brindle (Mrs Nawaz), Akshay Khanna (Salim), etc. |
| Awards | Florida Film Festival – 2023 Winner Audience Award – Best International Feature – Nida Manzoor Palm Springs International Film Festival – 2023 Winner Directors to Watch – Nida Manzoor The Guardian’s Best Films – 2023 Winner The Best Film June – Nida Manzoor (director) |
| Taglines | Big trouble. Little sister. |
| Distributor | Focus Features |
Poster of the Polite Society (2023) movie
FM rating of the Polite Society (2023) movie
| FM’s rating | 3.45/5 |
| FM’s short comment | Two protagonists – the young actresses Priya Kansara (Ria Khan) and Ritu Arya (Lena Khan) along with the main antagonist – the senior actress Nimra Bucha (Raheela) dominate with their performances in a typical masala movie with an Indian sub-continental palate mixed with the British sense of humour. |
Trailer of this 2023 British movie
In conclusion, if you like this movie about sisterhood from Britain, then go ahead and check out the FM article about the Bad Sisters series, too.
Featured Image and Poster of the Polite Society (2023) film | Focus Features.