
Khandaani Shafakhana
- Director
- Shilpi Dasgupta
- Studio
- T-SeriesSundial Productions
- Release Date
- 1 August 2019
- Running Time
- 136 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
- Budget
- ₹24.00 Cr
- Box Office
- ₹3.98 Cr
Review
Sonakshi Sinha's venture into sex-positive cinema with "Khandaani Shafakhana" arrives with admirable intentions but stumbles in execution, attempting to blend social commentary with light-hearted comedy without finding a cohesive tonal balance. The premise—a woman inheriting a fertility clinic and challenging societal taboos around reproductive health—offers genuine thematic richness that could resonate with audiences seeking progressive narratives. However, the film relies too heavily on surface-level humor and convenient plot devices, particularly the brother's impersonation subplot, which dilutes the film's core message about breaking stigma. Sinha's earnest performance carries stretches of the narrative, but the screenplay struggles to elevate beyond predictable situational comedy, missing opportunities to deepen its exploration of a conservative society's attitudes toward women in healthcare.
The supporting cast and direction fail to anchor what could have been a sharper satirical commentary on Indian attitudes toward sexual health and female entrepreneurship. Rather than leveraging the inherent tension between Baby's circumstances and societal expectations, the film opts for safer, crowd-pleasing moments that undermine its own boldness. The institutional framework—the six-month deadline, the uncle's antagonism—creates artificial urgency rather than organic character conflict. While the film deserves credit for broaching conversations that mainstream Bollywood typically
Storyline
Babita "Baby" Bedi, a middle class Punjabi girl, is working as a medical representative and the only earner in the house. She gets constantly shouted at by her boss and is unhappy with her job. Her uncle, who had lent them money earlier, has his eyes fixed upon Baby's house, which is the only remainder of her dead father.
One day she inherits her uncle, Mamaji's wealth after he is killed by a man. His will states that Baby is the sole heir of his property and that she has to run a fertility clinic for six months in order to sell it or else she will lose everything. She will have to face many obstacles of this society that is conservative towards women.
In order to deal with her old job, she sends Bhooshit, her brother, in place of her, claiming 6 months' sick leave. How she manages to run the clinic for the six months she has to forms the crux of the story.



