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Part Bollywood musical, part martial arts action flick, part comedy of manners, Nida Manzoor's Polite Society (2023) combines Bollywood’s "masala" appeal with a Hollywood-style plot. In the film, British-Indian martial arts enthusiast Ria (Priya Kansara, in her feature film acting debut) tries to stop her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) from marrying the wealthy, seemingly ideal Salim Shah, dropping out of art school, and moving to Singapore. And that takes not only a lot of Bollywood-style singing and dancing, but some fast-paced kung-fu fighting, particularly against her nemesis, Salim’s bossy mother Rahella, played by Nimra Bucha (Ms. Marvel), complete with a sinister smile and a villainous glare.
"I've been describing it with great difficulty because it's a genre-bending, mad movie," writer and director Nida Manzoor told Collider about the film. "But I would say it's an action-comedy about two sisters, and it's really their love story, and it's they're kind of breaking up and coming together, with a bit of heist thrown in, with a bit of kung fu in there. It's a big blend, but ultimately it's a film about sisterhood, I'd say."
What is Polite Society About?
Read on to find out where you can watch Polite Society right now. But first, here's the official synopsis:
A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, POLITE SOCIETY follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.
When Did Polite Society Release in Movie Theaters?
Polite Society had its world premiere on January 21 at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was released in theaters by Focus Features on April 28, 2023. With its glittering costumes, kick-ass stunts, and Indian wedding festivities, Polite Society was perfect for viewing on the big screen.
Watch the Polite Society Trailer
You can check out the trailer for Polite Society, which was released right before the film's premiere at Sundance, in the player above. With its martial arts action sequences alternating with Bollywood-style musical numbers, the trailer of this action-comedy gives you a perfect taste of the film's plot: how familial affection and some badass fighting skills can come in handy when your sister is marrying into a very wrong family. At least, that's what Ria thinks she's doing but what her sister thinks is something we'll have to find out.
If the action impresses you, here's a fun fact: Priya Kansara reportedly did a lot of her stunts herself.
"I will say that Priya is the next Tom Cruise," Nida Manzoor told Collider. "She did so many of her own stunts. And on set sometimes, last five minutes of the day, we're all like, “We gotta get the shot, we gotta get the shot.” She's just like, “Teamwork makes the dream work,” and then gets in the wire and does a backflip and I was just like, “What is she– did she do it?” And we're all like kind of in a shock, and she's just incredible. I’ve got to say that, to put that out there."
Is Polite Society Streaming Online Yet?
Polite Society was made available to stream on Peacock on June 16. You can access the film by subscribing to the streamer for $9.99 a month.
When Will Polite Society Release on DVD and Blu-ray?
Again, we’re still waiting to see when the movie might be released on DVD and Blu-Ray, but we’ll probably hear more after the theatrical release. Stay tuned for further updates!
More Romantic Comedies Like Polite Society That You Can Watch Right Now
Bend it Like Beckham (1992)
It's been over 20 years since the hit movie Bend it Like Beckham, the story of a British-Indian girl (Parminder Nagra) chasing her dreams of being a soccer star like her idol David Beckham, was released. She gets her chance by secretly joining a local girls' soccer team, coached by dreamy Joe (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Despite the disapproval of her parents. Critics and audiences alike loved the movie, but though Nagra went on to a recurring role on the smash TV show ER, she wasn't exactly launched into the Hollywood A-List. No, it was the supporting actress playing Jess's equally soccer-crazy friend Jules who became an international movie star: Keira Knightley.
Bride and Prejudice (2004)
This Bollywood-influenced take on Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (The Pink Panther 2) in the Elizabeth Bennett role and British actor Martin Henderson as Darcy. Gurinder Chadha's Bride and Prejudice, filled to the brim with the singing and dancing Bollywood is famous for, has characters traveling from India to London to Los Angeles all the while trying hard not to fall in love before finally giving in. Though criticized for its lack of subtlety and nuance in adapting Austen's novel, the movie is an energetic and entertaining romp for anyone who loves musicals. This began Rai's career in Hollywood, which led to roles in movies like The Last Legion (2007) and Isn't It Romantic (2019).
Mr. Malcolm's List (2022)
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In 19th century England, Selina (Frieda Pinto) is convinced by her friend Julia (Zawe Ashton) to publicly break the titular Mr. Malcolm's (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) heart. Julie is motivated by outrage after Mr. Malcom rejected her for failing to meet all his goals for a wife, but her plan quickly falls apart when Selina and Mr. Malcolm actually fall for each other. Based on Suzanne Allain's novel of the same name, this Regency-era confection clearly owes a debt to Bridgerton for its racially diverse cast and candy-colored costuming. But Mr. Malcolm's List is more conventional for its genre; there are no real villains, and most of the drama comes from misunderstandings or quickly-rectified mistakes.