Shaadi Ke Side Effects

Divyendu Sharma's *Shaadi Ke Side Effects* attempts to capture the messy reality of modern marriage and parenthood, a theme that deserves more nuanced handling than this film manages. The premise itself is promising—a young couple navigating the seismic shift from carefree partnership to reluctant parenthood—but the execution oscillates between genuine observation and broad, almost sitcom-like comedy. Emraan Hashmi carries the film with a surprisingly vulnerable performance, especially in moments where Sid's anxiety about fatherhood breaks through the humor. The sequence where he stuffs a balloon under his shirt and rehearses parenting scenarios with friends is undeniably funny, yet it also underscores a frustrating tendency to trivialize genuine emotional turmoil. Sharma's direction shows flashes of warmth and understanding, particularly in quieter domestic scenes, but he seems uncertain whether he's making a comedy, a drama, or a cautionary tale, and that ambiguity dilutes the film's impact.

Where the narrative genuinely falters is in its second half, when Sid's marital complications become increasingly implausible and the introduction of new characters feels like padding rather than organic story progression. The accidental abandonment of the baby is played for laughs initially, but it raises uncomfortable questions about Sid's character that the film never quite reconciles—is he endearing or dangerous? Similarly, Sharma's treatment of Trisha's complete absorption into mo