‘Double XL’ Review: Sonakshi Sinha, Huma Qureshi-Starrer is Good, Only on Paper

'Double XL' starring Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi releases in theatres on 4 November.

Film poster of Double XL.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

When an off-handed comment about another film similar to your film’s subject is your most clever offering, there’s something wrong. 

Double XL, directed by Satram Ramani and written by Mudassar Aziz, looks like a great concept on paper – two overweight women struggle to achieve their dreams as a body-shaming world continues to see their weight before all else. Once both their dreams hit a roadblock, their paths meet in a washroom (the one location pop culture believes all female friendships are formed at). 

Huma Qureshi plays Rajshri Trivedi, a woman from Meerut who wants to become a sports presenter even as her mother brings her one match after another. Sonakshi Sinha is Saira Khanna, a fashion designer who is on the cusp of having her own label (if all goes well) and is dating the most stereotypical Delhi gym-bro possible. 

On their dream-achieving quest they meet Srikanth (Mahat Raghavendra), the weed-loving, dorky cameraman for Saira’s lookbook shot and later Zoravar (Zaheer Iqbal), the line producer. 

The conversation that Double XL is having about fatphobia and body shaming seems decent at first but soon devolves into winding cliches.

It’s impressive that the film addresses the leads’ relationship with food over the years and internalised body shaming but both these conversations are filled with punchlines and don’t get enough space to develop.

Sonakshi and Huma in a still from Double XL.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)

That’s the film’s major flaw – in an attempt to make a film that isn’t taking itself too seriously, the makers seemed to forget that the topic they’re tackling is, in fact, very serious and deserves a depth that is missing. 

Both Sonakshi and Huma give convincing performances with the latter being almost impossible to look away from when she’s on screen. Their chemistry together is palpable and it truly seems like they’re both comfortable with each other, which works for the film. 

What ruins this easygoing camaraderie is Bollywood’s need to give women love interests.

Sonakshi Sinha in a still from Double XL.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)

And while Mahat as Srikanth is endearing (despite the character being chock full of tropes and a saviour complex), Zoravar is downright disturbing. One of his “quirks” is him constantly hitting on Saira and at one point insinuates that she’s trapped with him in the room because she ‘can’t run away’ (yes, it’s a sexual assault ‘joke’).

The film still continues to pose him as an ideal love interest for Saira and none of the other characters seem to have any problem with his behaviour. His borderline stalker behaviour continues to get worse so if you’re hoping for any form of redemption, there is none. 

A still from Double XL.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)

There was scope for many more conversations to be had – how body shaming affects one’s psyche, how body shaming can often be part of generational abuse, the concept of emotional eating, how several medical professionals treat overweight people; the list is endless. 

Funnily enough, Double XL doesn’t see its leads beyond the plot either. When Saira comes up with an idea for her clothing line, everyone around her looks at her like she’s made some groundbreaking discovery (is the film based before the existence of Savage X Fenty or does Rihanna not exist in the ‘Double XL universe’?)

The background music by Sohail Sen is designed for gags. While there is a distinct tonal shift between comic scenes and ones of emotional weight, the two tones don’t mesh together well enough. 

When the film introduces Rajshri and Saira, it’s also introducing a certain potential that it doesn’t live up to.