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Double XL (2022) Movie Review: A Journey of Self-Discovery and a Story of Acceptance

“Double XL,” released in 2022, is a relatable and light-hearted story that unfurls how the real and reel lives assess people on the basis of their physical outlook. The importance of female friendship, humane assets, the journey of self-discovery, an empathetic attitude, and mastering the mysteries of the unfair world is narrated endearingly, injecting an ample dose of body positivity by the director, Satram Ramani.

This is not just the reel life of Saira Khanna and Rajshri Trivedi but the real-life story of many residing within the double XL sizes and double-dashing dreams, yet disconnected from the mainstream and drifted apart to their own body-sized hemispheres of life. Rajshri Trivedi (Huma Qureshi) and Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha) go through similar phases owing to their double size physical appearance. Rajshri Trivedi, a healthy girl hailing from Meerut, aspires to be a sports presenter. Her family, especially her mother, is in pursuit of a suitable boy for her.

Although she tries to get shortlisted for the channel interview, they hire people based on their physical appearance and body weight. The ambitious designer Saira Khanna faces rejection on the work front and in her relationships just because of her body weight. The two double-troubled women happen to come across each other in Delhi and realize the fact that they can be of mutual help in some ways.

Saira desperately needs a director for a fashion shoot in London for which Rajshri is qualified. Seeing the reels made by Rajshri, Saira feels she is capable of her requirements. Rajshri wants to escape from the matrimony queries and findings, so she joins Saira for her London mission. Along the way, they befriend two interesting boys who understand and stand by them despite the societal concerns about body mass and external outlook. Rajshri is attracted to a budding cinematographer, Shrikant (Mahat Raghavendra).

Shrikant remains a source of inspiration and encouragement for her to follow and achieve her dream despite all the disturbing thoughts on body weight. When she is on the verge of giving up her dream, Zorawar Rahmani ( played by Zaheer Ikbal), nicknamed Zo/Za/Zu, a line producer, also helps them materialize their dreams. Rajshri gets a chance to interview Kapildev and gets her dream job as a sports presenter. Saira also becomes successful by starting her own brand that fits all size people.

Body shaming has become a part and parcel of real as well as digital life. Society is driven by the external ‘zero size’ appearance, flaunting thin body shapes in fashion shows, movies, and gatherings. People are profoundly shamed on the grounds of their skin color, body mass index, height, and dress code. “Double XL” manifests body shaming on many occasions, highlighting the undue significance society has attributed to body weight.

The movie’s opening scene shows Rajshri lying in bed, dreaming of a fancy fete. She is asked by the cricket star Shikhar Dhawan to dance with him.  Her dream is interrupted by the crackling voice of her mother demanding her to wake up. Her mother somehow wants to fix her marriage and suggests she do some cardio to impress the guy and his parents. Rajshri is pretty sure that marriage is not her primary aim, and she is not ready at this juncture.

She proves the suitable matches brought by her mother are the most unsuitable ones for her. The movie shows her interaction with her prospective bridegroom over a cup of tea and a piece of Kachori. The guy, Tito, feels she is extra healthy and can’t be a better match for him. Rajshri clarifies that she is overweight and he is underweight.

When she expresses her yearning to become a sports presenter, Tito enlightens her by saying that she must lose weight because the rest of the world is an idiot like him. Rajshri does not come under the standard body image society has attributed to the female personas in order to be assessed by the male gaze. Rajshri’s dignity is humiliated by his comment. It does not demotivate her from chasing her long-cherished desire to become a sports presenter.

Saira Khanna from Delhi, born in London, is an aspiring fashion designer. Her passion for fashion makes her argue and fight with people even on the subtle mistakes in the size of clothes. Her lip ring and green streaks never give her a chance to escape from the eyes, visually gazing at her non-zero-sized image. She even teaches the storekeeper about the size and variety of clothes. Things take a different turn when Saira gets to know that a company is interested in investing in her journey to begin her own fashion brand.

Saira shares this with her flirty boyfriend, who considers her as a means of money and sex. She is a piece of an oversized mattress in the view of Viren’s friends. Moreover, Viren is in a relationship with another lady while courting Saira.  She catches him red-handedly. A dejected Saira takes time to come out of the worthless relationship. In the heat of the moment, she accepts the company’s offer and befriends Rajshri. Their passion and bigger dreams in the bigger bodies slowly and steadily establish an impeccable bond with each other. Both of them have emerged triumphant in the way they wanted to become, not by mending them to the demands of society.

Rajshri is not chosen as a sportscaster just because of her body size; many are selected for open auditions because of their thin appearance. Even if they are not talented, their external appearance is capable of masking them. The definition of beauty carries a toll on the lives of many who don’t even know the reason behind their obese or skinny appearance.  Life takes a different turn for Rajshri and Saira in London. Rajshri gets a chance to meet and interview Kapil Dev. He appreciates her talent.

The definition of standard and quality is determined by the hotness and skin fit image established by some standards guys. In childhood also, these people face the same issue of identity crisis. The vicious cycle of body shaming weighs down some people. In the film, Saira says, “I am fat, and I still look hotter than you girls, and I can be a designer, sports presenter, Doctor, CEO, Lawyer, or Actor. I will be whole over. I want to be and still be obese because you don’t feed me”.

Saira is more confident than others as she is least bothered by her body and societal concerns. Through Saira’s words, Rajshri also tries to be confident. They both order food items and say that ‘food is their best friend ‘. In an instant, Saira says that she streaked her hair, pierced her ears, nose, and lips, and got a big tattoo to cover her obesity, but the world only found her obesity. These dialogues from the film exhibit how body weight is given undue prominence to dishearten individuals in society.

Rajshri and Saira talk to the models while sitting in front of a school and see a lot of teachers who are the real role models. But no one makes them models as they don’t meet the so-called body expectations. They try to console each other by saying how food has evolved to be their best friend over time and how they try not to get in tune with society’s perception of body images and Barbie doll figures.

Toys and playthings tend to infuse the feeling of gender and other racial prejudices existing in society. It’s hard to get rid of the societal thinking, but one should strive for it. Unnecessary comparisons often lead to confrontations, and it can even cause anxiety and mental depression. Saira designs clothes for every body type, especially for people criticized for their body size. Her designs become popular, and every body type gets a chance to showcase their talent. The ideal consumer in society is a thin one, and this creates tension in plus-size women.  Saira, too, faces the same problem at the outset in the shop as she does not get the dress size matching her.

Saira designs amazing dresses for plus-sized women. Atul Chabra sees Rajshri’s video about interviewing Kapildev, and she bags her dream job as a sports presenter. She tells her mother she has won the bet when she returns home. She mentions that her mother tries to hide her obesity, seeing that as a weakness. Ultimately, the movie portrays a fashion show with Saira’s plus-sized models, including Rajshri. Saira makes a speech in that launch about her life with the double trouble of double size in appearance. She has been fashionable since her days as a kid. As Saira grew older, she learned that she had to change herself for fashion’s sake. The doll she played with was slim, and the cartoon princess she followed was also slim. She starts believing that to look gorgeous or be successful, one has to fit in a size.

These words of Saira ascertain how toys and cartoons influence children and society. For girl children, parents only brought them dolls, especially Barbies. Since its invention in 1959, the Barbie doll has been setting impracticable beauty standards, persuading many young girls worldwide to believe that being 5’9”, weighing about 50 kilos, having  F-cup breasts, and sticking thin limbs is the way to go. It’s time to redefine the concept of beauty and Barbie doll appearance.

The film talks in detail about the double-sized body and its challenges. Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi face body shaming not only in reel lives but also in real lives.  Body shaming is a constant evil in all domains across the globe.  Movies cater to an audience whose mindset is already imprinted with the idea that ‘slim and tall’ is the perfect body type.

The film acknowledges the importance of health in day-to-day life, and mental peace should not be overlooked. “Double XL” will make one analyze the importance and consideration the present generation bestows upon body weight and physical appearance. Rajshri Trivedi and Saira Khanna undergo a sea of change into ‘something rich and strange’ towards the film’s end. Satram Ramani has succeeded in deciphering the diverse shades of human relations through the subject of body weight. The movie shares a boundless message with an outstanding climax. “Double XL” is fundamentally a story of acceptance.

One must be accepting of one’s family members with the character and outlook they possess. The family members need not aspire for ‘zero size’ or ‘Miss India’ to feel proud of them. A person has to be accepted and acknowledged by the way they are in society. Gender, race, caste, creed, or body size should not clip one’s wings from soaring high in the sky of cherished desires.

Read More: Everything Coming to Netflix in March 2024

Double xl (2022) movie links: imdb , rotten tomatoes , wikipedia , letterboxd the cast of double xl (2022) movie cast: huma qureshi, sonakshi sinha, zaheer iqbal, mahat raghavendra, shikhar dhawan, alka kaushal, sachin shroff double xl (2022) movie genre: comedy/drama, runtime: 2h 8m, where to watch double xl.

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Common Sense Media Review

Indian comedy-drama promotes body positivity amid fatphobia.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Double XL is an Indian comedy-drama with strong messages about body positivity, challenging prejudice toward fat people so often seen in society. The two leads are Rajshri (Huma Qureshi) and Saira (Sonakshi Sinha) who learn to celebrate their "fatness." Both are shown to be…

Why Age 13+?

Frequent fatphobic language. Curse words like "screw" and "bloody hell." Slut-sh

A character is portrayed as a typical "stoner." They are seen smoking cannabis i

Visuals of eating disorders and binge eating. Reference to the death of a parent

Characters flirt and fall in love. References to arranged marriage. In one scene

Brand placements for British Airways, Big Moe's Diner, and the hotel chain Shang

Any Positive Content?

Embrace and be proud of how you look, no matter your size. Talent is more import

Rajshri Trivedi is an aspiring sports presenter from a small town who wants to m

Fat women are the central characters and there are plenty of important messages

Frequent fatphobic language. Curse words like "screw" and "bloody hell." Slut-shaming comments. Subtitles mis-translate Hindi words for "fat/fatness" to "obese/obesity." This makes some dialogue confusing and fatphobic for non-Hindi speakers.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A character is portrayed as a typical "stoner." They are seen smoking cannabis in many scenes. The song "Taali Taali" glorifies drinking. The hook line translates to "don't stop the flow of booze" as characters drink shots, dance in a bar, and then walk on the streets in a drunken state. In another scene, all characters are seen drinking at a dinner party and the "stoner" smokes cannabis from a hookah.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Visuals of eating disorders and binge eating. Reference to the death of a parent.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Characters flirt and fall in love. References to arranged marriage. In one scene, a character wearing only a blanket hides on a balcony and another character yanks the blanket off, but no nudity is seen. A packet of condoms is delivered to a character's house.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Brand placements for British Airways, Big Moe's Diner, and the hotel chain Shangri-La.

Positive Messages

Embrace and be proud of how you look, no matter your size. Talent is more important than looks.

Positive Role Models

Rajshri Trivedi is an aspiring sports presenter from a small town who wants to make it big but faces challenges at every step. She stands up to the unrelenting fat-shaming by her family and prospective employers, and ultimately finds a way to land her dream gig with help from her friends. She manages to have empathy for her biggest critic, her own mother, and helps her understand that the way their bodies look should have no bearing on the love they share. Saira Khanna is a designer who wants to make clothes for all bodies. She befriends Rajshri at her lowest moment and helps build up her self-confidence. Shrikanth and Zorawar, who are romantically interested in Rajshri and Saira respectively, never mention their weight. To them, these are talented, extraordinary women and their fatness doesn't even warrant a comment.

Diverse Representations

Fat women are the central characters and there are plenty of important messages around body positivity. Shrikanth's character plays into some South Indian stereotypes but his beautiful songs that feature a combination of Tamil and Hindi make up for it. The cast and crew are majority Indian, although much of the film takes place in London.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Double XL is an Indian comedy-drama with strong messages about body positivity, challenging prejudice toward fat people so often seen in society. The two leads are Rajshri ( Huma Qureshi ) and Saira ( Sonakshi Sinha ) who learn to celebrate their "fatness." Both are shown to be successful career women but face instances of fatphobia including a fraught mother-daughter dynamic, which accurately reflects the reality of Indian society where a woman's weight determines her prospects in life. There are visuals of eating disorders and binge eating, which may be triggering to some. A character frequently smokes cannabis and later opens up about struggling with a parent's death. There is also drinking with some drunkenness depicted. As the story plays out, Rajshri and Saira resolve their traumas and embrace themselves with the help of two love interests who see beyond their body size and treat them with the respect and kindness they deserve. The film is Hindi with English subtitles, though the translation of some of these subtitles are confusing and fatphobic. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

DOUBLE XL tells the tale of two women as they try to mend their relationship with food and their bodies. While Rajshri ( Huma Qureshi ) struggles to battle misogyny and avoid an arranged marriage, Saira ( Sonakshi Sinha ) keeps getting hurt in romantic relationships with men who don't respect her. Both of them lose career opportunities because of fatphobia, but when they band together, their support leads each other to success.

Is It Any Good?

The Indian comedy-drama sets out to change the world, but forgets to populate its story with enough novelty to keep the audience engaged. The pace of Double XL wavers frequently, Zaheer Iqbal as Zorawar is hammy and irritating, and Qureshi as Rajshri is burdened with carrying the entire movie on her shoulders. The subtitles are also a hack job, mis-translating important conversations by using "overweight/obese/obesity" when the Hindi words actually meant "fat/fatness." This really takes away from the movie for non-Hindi speakers. What's more, for a movie that spends a considerable portion of its time prepping the launch of a fashion line, the clothes are atrocious. This frumpiness takes away from the satisfaction and euphoria the audience could have felt at the climax. Spending 128 minutes pontificating about fatphobia while making all their fat characters wear ugly clothes defeats the purpose. Though the movie is certainly enjoyable in parts, fat women deserve better representation.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what Double XL had to say about our bodies. What do you understand the term " body positivity " to mean? Why is it important to be kind to ourselves with regard to how we look? How does fatphobia affect fat people's mental health and confidence?

The film touches upon eating disorders. How can one recognize disordered eating? Where can you seek help if you or someone you know is struggling?

How did some of the characters display teamwork , perseverance , compassion , empathy , and courage ? Why are these such important life skills to have?

How was drinking and drug use depicted in the film? Were they glamorized? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 4, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : December 28, 2022
• Cast : Huma Qureshi , Sonakshi Sinha , Zaheer Iqbal
• Director : Satramm Ramani
• Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian directors, Female actors, Indian/South Asian actors, Female writers, Indian/South Asian writers
• Studio : AA Films
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : Friendship , Music and Sing-Along
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 128 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : October 17, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Related topics.

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• Music and Sing-Along

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Where to Watch

Watch Double XL with a subscription on Netflix.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Satram Ramani

Sonakshi Sinha

Saira Khanna

Huma Qureshi

Rajshri Trivedi

Zaheer Iqbal

Kay Eluvian

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Double XL Review: Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha's film is a radiant social drama that shines throughout

Double xl is a roller coaster ride of aspirations, desires, and two underdogs — who are simply adorable.

Director : Satramm Ramani

Cast : Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha, Zaheer Iqbal, Mahat Raghavendra and others

Where : In theatres near you

Rating : 4 stars

Director Satramm Ramani, who earlier dealt with the subject of safe sex in Helmet, now brings yet another thought-provoking film which is far better than his directorial debut. The credit must go to the top-notch writing, which is engaging and entertaining. The film highlights the issue of body shaming through two plus-size women.

Rajshri Trivedi (Huma Qureshi) lives in Meerut and aspires to become a sports presenter in a leading channel based in Delhi but her nagging mother is behind her to tie the knot with possibly the most idiotic guy. Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha), a modern Delhi girl dreams to have her own design label. What happens when these two meet and elope to London? — they explode.

Satramm kept the tone of the film light. His treatment of it is quirky but smartly embeds the emotional quotient every now and then. It is a feel-good film and has a message of its own. There are three highlights in the film that are noteworthy — the interval point, a cameo of an actor, (who never gets the girl in Hindi movies) in the second half and the climax. Body positivity and self-love are what the film aims to narrate but in a humorous way. It’s not preachy at all.

Satramm has improved a lot as a filmmaker after Helmet. The sincerity with which he has told this story is appreciative. Earlier, he assisted the director in producer Ashwin Varde’s Notebook, who has also co-backed this first-ever production venture along with Vipul Amrutlal Shah under their banner. Huma, who shines in her tailor-made role, has also turned producer with Double XL. She, who has been under the spotlight for her weight more than her acting since the beginning of her career, unfortunately, has come out as a true champion.

Sonakshi too, who has been on the radar of the fashion police despite being launched alongside Salman Khan has surely made her space in the industry, and Double XL is nothing but yet another example of her acting prowess. Zaheer Iqbal, who debuted in Notebook and looked pale, surprises you with his brilliant comic timing as Zoravar Rehmani aka Zo-Za-Zu. Tamil-speaking actor Mahat Raghavendra is like a sunshine to the film. It couldn’t be better than anything to have a solid Hindi debut like this.

Overall, Double XL is a roller coaster ride of aspirations, desires, and two underdogs — who are simply adorable. Besides having the most cliche romantic tracks in the film, it says a lot of underlying emotions — women empowerment, their independence, and most importantly their ability to fulfil their life goals. Experience this light-hearted social drama that is fancy and fascinating yet has its heart in the right place.

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Double XL | Song - Taali Taali

Double XL | Song - Ki Jaana

Double XL | Song - Tumse Mila Doon

Double XL - Dialogue Promo

Users' Reviews

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blisson antony 160 days ago

watched on Netflix. i loved it. plumpy girls are so beautiful. its a good hearted film. also loved the Tali tali song ...

MANISHA SIRWANI 446 days ago

Double XL , a light hearted Simple Movie which trying to spread the word about &quot;self love&quot; / &quot;be yourself&quot; through the perspectives of Two Plus Size Women. Trailer clearly shows that they are going to London to prove themselves &amp; as it's a Hindi Movie we know the climax is going to be a Happy Ending. However with such good Subject, Actors in lead &amp; Supporting, film is unable to make that connect . The Writing &amp; Dialogues are bit old fashioned. Zorawar Rahmani's Character who keeps insisting to address himself as Zo,Za Zoo, becomes annoying after a point. Huma Qureshi as always wins heart &amp; Mahat Sir is the surprising package of the Movie. I specially love when he addresses Huma Qureshi as &quot;Director Sir.&quot; Music is underrated, i personally liked it. <br/>When we Talk about Self Love, Dear Zindagi is the first movie which will come to our mind. Bollywood will really have to Work hard to match that Standard.

User 563 days ago

Bp 607 days ago

Total waste of time. I don't know what the movie maker was trying to convey with that lip piercing. As it is, Sonakshi is a sub standard actress. The piercing kills the character completely.

ScrinkZ 611 days ago

Good acting, but why is your film industry having a Muslim family roles as they are going against there believes, oh a non Muslim gifting a wine bottle and drinking together. Start showing a non Muslim having circumcised when there child os born too then haha not trying to insult but respect other religions and earn respect.

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Double XL Movie Review: Another social comedy that misses the bus

Rating: ( 2 / 5).

Political correctness can crop up in the weirdest of places. In the 2017 Telugu hit Arjun Reddy , the lunkhead hero disparagingly labels a college junior ‘fat chick’. When the film was remade in Hindi, the phrasing was changed to ‘healthy chick’. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and lead star Shahid Kapoor probably figured that saying ‘fat chick’ in a contemporary mainstream Hindi film would be going too far. So they toned it down in a sensitive story about shooting up drugs after slapping your girlfriend.

Satram Ramani’s new film, Double XL , does not bother with such politesse. “I’m overweight,” retorts Rajshri (Huma Qureshi), sharply upbraiding a prospective groom who tries trading in euphemisms. An aspiring sports presenter from Meerut, Rajshri has her ears perked for cruelty—whether in the casual dismissal of a stranger or the extended scoldings of her mum, who blames her daughter for not slimming up to look marriageable enough. “Tees lag gaya hai tumko (you’re pushing thirty),” she sobs, as though describing the onset of a disease.

Starring: Sonakshi Sinha, Huma Qureshi, Zaheer Iqbal, Mahat Raghevendra, Alka Kaushal, Shubha Khote

Director: Satram Ramani

With her mother’s (begrudging) permission, Rajshri arrives in Delhi, hoping to land a presenter’s post at a big sports channel. She clearly deserves the gig — “It’s not what’s Joe Root… It’s who…,” she corrects a fellow hopeful — but is rejected for being the wrong body type. There she meets Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha), also in the midst of a heartbreak and beset by body image issues. The girls decide to team up – flying to London to shoot Saira's fashion label travelogue, which Rajshri, a social media expert on the side, agrees to direct.

Even as a ‘concept’ film — a term almost equally adored by studio execs as ‘quirky’ or ‘small-town’ — Double XL has a lot going for it. It follows on the heels of films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Bala, which made frank discussions about unrealistic beauty standards commonplace, even entertaining. Furthermore, it stars Huma and Sonakshi, popular female stars who have spoken about facing rejection and body shaming in the past. In fact, an early teaser of Double XL had the actresses laughing about “losing all the weight” they’ve put on for it—a bit of witty self-awareness I expected to find more of in the actual film.

Sadly, that never happens. Instead, they’re saddled with didactic lakeside conversations that mechanically spell out the film’s message—lacking the kind of necessary comic zing that actually wins over audiences. “Ab waqt hai, batane ka (It’s time now to tell),” Rajshri announces at one point, which sounds like the mantra of Bollywood screenwriters these days. Satram, perhaps losing faith in his protagonists, shifts much of the drollery to the film’s two annoying male leads. Notebook’s Zaheer Iqbal hogs up screen time pulling Salman impressions from the '90s. And Mahat Raghevendra’s stoner DOP is all the anti-drug endorsement you’ll ever need. “I want to be like PC Sreeram,” he says, barely bothering to cap his lenses in harsh daylight.

As a belated Jimmy Sheirgill appearance lifts spirits in the second half (the one trick writer-producer Mudassar Aziz always seems to get right), you realize Double XL is a film with no style or personality of its own. It’s a bit one-size-fits-all.

Double XL (2022)

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Home » Review » Double XL review: Sonakshi Sinha-Huma Qureshi's film fits but isn’t queen size »

Double XL review: Sonakshi Sinha-Huma Qureshi's film fits but isn’t queen size

Zaheer Iqbal and Mahat Raghavendra are almost extras brought in for dance numbers.

• Shaheen Irani

Last Updated: 04.40 PM, Nov 04, 2022

Saira is a fashion designer who is trying to promote her brand across London. Rajshree, on the other hand, wants to be a cricket presenter. They both are stopped from pursuing their dreams because of their size. Will these double XL women be able to break through and break free?

Double XL is a glam film that has an artistic message. The movie, featuring Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi in the lead roles (thank God for female leads), is just like your school exam papers. The start has to be impressive and capture your interest right till the middle.

By the end of the answer, you can either stick to the textbook or write it in your own words. The makers have chosen to somewhat take the mid-path there. They knew what would work and gave the audiences that and might have probably known where the critics would not appreciate the film immensely.

Double XL commences and with that, Shikhar Dhawan’s cameo. He enters the frame almost instantly, like a hero but unfortunately, makes for a forgettable moment by the end of the film. He and Huma Qureshi are barely able to create a spark despite the romantic setup.

Kanwaljeet Singh and Shobha Khote as Rajshree (Huma)'s father and grandmother are a delight. They are the naughty elements of the film, one that you want to go back to from time-to-time. However, the movie is barely about them.

The dialogues work for the film. However, it is only to an extent and mainly, only in the beginning of the movie. Let’s just say that it works till Zaheer Iqbal as Zo enters the frame. He tries to make an impression but barely does. His dialogues are nothing but creepy.

Sonakshi Sinha's Saira is way too much. Dolly Singh as her friend Meera, is cute.

Saira's lip ring doesn't work. This is just one of the things that's wrong with her character. While her hair colour is still manageable, the colour combination of her clothes does not scream fashion designer one bit. There’s actually a lot going on there. Here, we have a fashion designer without a fashion sense, at least for the most parts. If the makers tried to send a message across, that wasn’t clear. If he wanted to show Saira as a strong woman who is unaffected, why was she dressed like nobody was looking? Need we remind you, she’s a fashion designer!

Sachin Shroff makes an appearance and is a good surprise. He plays Saira's brother in the film. In the two frames that he appears, this actor is good.

Saira's break up scene is par-perfect. She doesn't nail it but it isn't bad either. The scene in itself is memorable, not because Sonakshi is a part of it.

Rajshree is leading a troublesome life. She is with toxic parents who know nothing but to get her married because ‘she’s 30 and fat.’ Her outburst and standing up to her family for once in a long time should be impactful. Instead, unfortunately, it leaves you laughing.

The film doesn’t go anywhere but towards misery for the few minutes since and the music makes things worse. This is till Saira and Rajshree's meeting, which is hilarious. Like they say, misery attracts misery. So here, we have two women who are miserable and still, have each other’s backs. Well, for the most part Saira has Rajshree’s back but potato pohtato.

Mahat Raghavendra as Sreekanth Sreevarthan is just fair. He doesn't exactly fit the plot and that's putting it mildly. This actor seems to have entered the film just because Double XL wanted to fit in the modern times and show that Bollywood has accepted the South Indian actors. For the same reason, probably, there’s a Tamil song in a Hindi film, out of the blue.

Kapil Dev makes a cameo appearance in the film and it is dramatized, to say the least. The moment post that is feel-good. However, that is thanks to the music.

There is too much focus on the song Taali. It is almost a distraction from the story. Actually, every song from there just seems to fit in to be a distraction from the actual plot.

Jimmy Sheirgill as Atul Chhabra comes as a good surprise. He has very little part to play too and Jimmy is his usual self in the scenes – dejected from life but too proud to care.

The costumes in the film were expected to be the highlight since Saira is a designer. However, even that fails to capture your attention. This is till the double XL models show up. While a few are impressive, the others are tacky.

The idea is what makes Double XL so good. Sonakshi nails that scene where she comes up with the idea. However, everything apart from that is a filler you didn't need.

Saira and Zo's love story is cute but creepy at the same time. It is also very expected and dare we say, probably Sonakshi and Zaheer’s way of making things official.

The camera angles in this movie rarely work. However, thankfully, it doesn't affect the narrative to a great extent.

If you are going for Double XL to watch any of the actors act, please stop yourself. If you want entertainment and some film to pass your time, do give this one a try.

While Double XL is not a dream film for a critic, it is enough entertainment for a layman. So, if you want to get entertained without using your brains or analysing scenes, please try Double XL.

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Double XL Movie Review | Sonakshi Sinha & Huma Qureshi | Film Companion

Being a plus size throughout my life When I first heard about Double XL starring Sonakshi Sinha & Huma Qureshi, I thought now some filmmaker is telling our story. But it is the biggest mistake. To know more about the Double XL movie, watch the full review by Aritra Gyan on Film Companion Local.

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Double XL Review: Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha Shine In Poignant Film About Body Image

Nov 2, 2022

When Double XL was announced, one didn’t really know what to expect. In fact, we had expected it to be another one of those slapstick comedies about two overweight women. But when the stars of the film, Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha, started talking about the motivation behind Double XL , the expectations were set high. And this is one film that surpasses all expectations. We watched Double XL at an advance screening in New Delhi and here’s what we thought of it.

The relatability of Double XL is high

It’s no secret that plus-sized women face a unique kind of pressure from society. They’re constantly given unsolicited advice on their bodies, and in India, they’re called “a little too healthy”. As if that’s an actual thing! The strange part is that the majority of women don’t fit the image of the “perfect woman”. They’re either too big or too skinny. So, why is it that clothes are not made for most women and instead want to fit just the ones who walk the ramp? Why is it that no one caters to the needs and wants of women who are bigger than the set template? That’s what the main focus of Double XL is. Of course, in an Indian context, there is also the added pressure of being “acceptable” for marriage.

Huma Qureshi plays Rajshree Trivedi, a 30-year-old unmarried woman from Meerut with big dreams. She dreams of being a sports presenter and shoots and directs her own videos for her social media channel. However, her mother is adamant about getting her married because of her age and, you guessed it, her weight. And this is where Double XL takes the first of its many surprising turns. When Rajshree and her mother butt heads over a job interview, her mother breaks down and tells her daughter about her struggles with body image issues after the age of 30. There’s no comedy here or crass jokes. This is a tearful, moving moment between mother and daughter that addresses the generational trauma that comes with body shaming. Not expected out of a commercial Bollywood film but a welcome addition to the narrative, no doubt!

A fun crew with distinct personalities

When Rajshree is rejected for her dream job because of her appearance, she makes it a point to prove the channel wrong. But not before, very realistically, bawling in the office bathroom. Here, she meets Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha), an aspiring designer with terrible luck in love and a sad past. Saira is on a mission to launch her brand with a fashion-travel vlog in London to impress potential investors. But for this, she needs a crew that will fit in her very, very low budget. Because of Rajshree’s directorial skills, no matter how amateur, Saira decides to take her to London with her where, incidentally, the Indian cricket team is on tour. For Rajshree, this becomes the perfect opportunity to confront the sports channel head about his discriminatory hiring practices.

Among the crew is cameraperson Srikanth, played by Tamil actor Mahat Raghavendra. Now, this is a really fun character who makes his mark among the viewers even with Mahat’s subtle portrayal. Srikanth is a wildlife documentary filmmaker who lights up a joint no matter where he is. The happy stoner vibes and apt representation of his Tamil roots, without any lame stereotypes aimed at him, make Srikanth truly a joy to watch. Even when the story becomes heavy with emotion, Mahat is poised on screen and never even close to being over the top.

Zaheer Iqbal plays the happy-go-lucky and sometimes annoying Zorawar Rehmani, Saira’s one and only producer in London. This is another point where Double XL offers an interesting twist. Even though the film has two women and two men in the lead, the chemistry between the two men is the most endearing till the very end. The characters of Srikanth and Zorawar are fun to watch together and show a pure, easy friendship between them. It is much later that the romance angle comes in but that doesn’t overshadow the bond between the bros.

Double XL is full of pros…with one small con

For the most part, Double XL is a fun, easy, empowering watch, especially for Indian women. The two women in the lead start the journey of growing out of their body image issues themselves. They motivate each other and play active roles in each other’s careers. However, if there is one con to this film, it is the male saviour trope. Yes, that is something that works in Bollywood and not many people would find it odd. But Double XL might have been even more empowering if the men had been encouraging spectators to Rajshree and Saira’s journey instead of being portrayed as the ones who make them realise how beautiful they are. It’s about time that the perceived superiority of the male gaze took a backseat.

Having said that, the actors do a great job of bringing a well-written story to life. Directed by Satramm Ramani, Double XL is thoughtfully executed and doesn’t submit to harmful stereotypes for the sake of box office numbers. Double XL won’t make you cry or laugh vociferously, but it will make you think and it will make you feel seen.

Double XL releases in theatres on November 4, 2022. Do yourselves a favour and watch this film with your family and friends.

Related: Not Fitting Into Clothes Or Spaces: 10 Unique Problems Curvy Women Face Almost Every Day

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Double XL Review: Full of Stereotypes

Between shrieky humour, overstated emotions and done-to-death bouts of London tourism, Double XL plods to kickstart the actual discussion, sighs Sukanya Verma.

Every now and then, comes a movie made by men about women that claims to care. But extending support without having real understanding of her issues only rings hollow.

Close on the heels of Jahaan Chaar Yaar , a silly escapade about four female friends trapped in exploitative marriages catching a break over an adventurous holiday, arrives Double XL where two women grappling with weight issues collaborate professionally and overcome stereotypical mindsets.

Except both their trauma and triumph are treated in such a trivial manner, they are unlikely to find a cheerleader.

Meerut's Rajshri Trivedi (Huma Qureshi) aspires to become a sports presenter, an ambition that constantly vexes her awfully screechy mother (Alka Kaushal), keen to marry her off to the next ball-bearing vendor in town. But she has the gentle approval of a father (Kanwaljit Singh), too consumed by newspapers to protest, and a playful, progressive grandmother (Shubha Khote).

Few miles away in Delhi, Saira Khanna's (Sonakshi Sinha) punkish fashion designer enjoys the unequivocal support of her indulgent big brother, a posh lifestyle across her chic studio apartment, shopping in the hip boutiques of Shahpur Jat and cozying up to a brawny dimwit only to discover he's cheating on her.

We are told Rajshri's mum faced a lot of body-shaming in her youth and got married late (at the age of 30) by society's standards as reasons why she's so hard on her daughter.

Seeing how lovely and affable her significant other -- an evergreen Kanwaljeet Singh -- is, her grumbling seems rather unfounded. If anything, Rajshri's mother should see the futility in her worries.

Instead, Double XL looks at this toxic maternal instinct nonsense as a cue for sentimental reunions.

Meanwhile, Saira is sulking over losing out on her cool UK-born status.

After her father passed away while she was still in school, her mom moved back to India and Saira has bitter memories of making Delhi her new home. The woman breaks into a phony British accent as soon as she's on phirang turf.

A weepie encounter in the washroom thrusts Rajshri and Saira into reboot mode.

Body-shaming can wait, as the duo embarks on an all-expenses paid trip to London, flanked by a weed-rolling cameraman (Mahat Raghavendra) and Zo Za Zoe babbling master-of-all-trades (Zaheer Iqbal) that marks misfits in all its hashtags and makes shooting a professional fashion reel easier than posting stories on Instagram.

Between shrieky humour, overstated emotions and done-to-death bouts of London tourism, Double XL plods to kickstart the actual discussion behind this exercise.

Obesity, especially triggered by health reasons or hormones, can be a harrowing time for the individual in its grip. But Rajshri and Saira are shown as unapologetic stress-eaters.

They binge on junk food, consciously pile on the kilos, carp about it too yet look perfectly comfortable in their flab and fashionable wardrobe.

Double XL completely sidesteps the health point of view.

There's credibility in Huma and Sonakshi's casting as someone familiar with the physical scrutiny first hand.

Both are perfectly confident and capable adults, but have to contend with Director Satram Ramani and Co-writer Mudassar Aziz's teenybopper treatment where a cricket nerd wears glasses and rattles off score statistics, a fashion rebel sports lip piercing, green highlights, tattoos.

Both, at all times, need romantic inspiration and heroic intervention from cricket legends in dreams and reality, wannabe Shah Rukhs, who've watched too much DDLJ and learned the problematic bits, gawky colleagues instructed to speak in an accent straight out of Chennai Express and fairy godmother-ish businessmen (a jet-lagged Jimmy Shergill) to get going.

As always, all roads of Bollywood's skin-deep activism lead to sobby, self-congratulatory speeches.

Fighting stereotypes with stereotypes? Why not just wait for the third season of Masaba Masaba instead?

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Double XL movie review: Another social comedy that misses the bus

Political correctness can crop up in the weirdest of places. In the 2017 Telugu hit Arjun Reddy, the lunkhead hero disparagingly labels a college junior ‘fat chick’. When the film was remade in Hindi as Kabir Singh, the phrasing was changed to ‘healthy chick’. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and lead star Shahid Kapoor probably figured that saying ‘fat chick’ in a contemporary mainstream Hindi film would be going too far. So they toned it down in a sensitive story about shooting up drugs after slapping your girlfriend.

Satram Ramani’s new film Double XL does not bother with such politesse. “I’m overweight,” retorts Rajshri (Huma Qureshi), sharply upbraiding a prospective groom who tries trading in euphemisms. An aspiring sports presenter from Meerut, Rajshri has her ears perked for cruelty—whether in the casual dismissal of a stranger or the extended scoldings of her mum, who blames her daughter for not slimming up to look marriageable enough. “Tees lag gaya hai tumko (you’re pushing thirty),” she sobs, as though describing the onset of a disease.

With her mother’s (begrudging) permission, Rajshri arrives in Delhi hoping to land a presenter’s post at a big sports channel. She clearly deserves the gig—“It’s not what’s Joe Root… It’s who…,” she corrects a fellow hopeful—but is rejected for being the wrong body type. There she meets Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha), also in the midst of a heartbreak and beset by body image issues. The girls decide to team up—flying to London to shoot Saira’s fashion label travelogue, which Rajshri, a social media expert on the side, agrees to direct.

Even as a ‘concept’ film—a term almost equally adored by studio execs as ‘quirky’ or ‘small-town’—Double XL has a lot going for it. It follows on the heels of films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Bala, which made frank discussions about unrealistic beauty standards commonplace, even entertaining. Furthermore, it stars Huma and Sonakshi, popular female stars who have spoken about facing rejection and body shaming in the past. In fact, an early teaser of Double XL had the actresses laughing about “losing all the weight” they’ve put on for it—a bit of witty self-awareness I expected to find more of in the actual film.

Sadly, that never happens. Instead, they’re saddled with didactic lakeside conversations that mechanically spell out the film’s message—lacking the kind of necessary comic zing that actually wins over audiences. “Ab waqt hai, batane ka (It’s time now to tell),” Rajshri announces at one point, which sounds like the mantra of Bollywood screenwriters these days. Satram, perhaps losing faith in his protagonists, shifts much of the drollery to the film’s two annoying male leads. Notebook’s Zaheer Iqbal hogs up screen time pulling Salman impressions from the ’90s. And Mahat Raghevendra’s stoner DOP is all the anti-drug endorsement you’ll ever need. “I want to be like PC Sreeram,” he says, barely bothering to cap his lenses in harsh daylight.

As a belated Jimmy Sheirgill appearance lifts spirits in the second-half (the one trick writer-producer Mudassar Aziz always seems to get right), you realise this is a film with no style or personality of its own. It’s a bit one-size-fits-all.

Double XL Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Huma Qureshi, Zaheer Iqbal, Mahat Raghavendra, Alka Kaushal, Shubha Khote Director: Satram Ramani Rating: 2/5

(This review originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com )

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‘Double XL’ review: A baggy self-empowerment yarn

Satramm ramani’s comedy stars sonakshi sinha and huma qureshi..

In the latest – but not the last – instance of a movie taking its title to heart, Double XL has broad humour, freighted emotions and immense bagginess. The loud enthusiasm of the actors is what lingers in a comedy that has something important to say but no interesting way of saying it.

Mudassar Aziz’s screenplay, directed by Satramm Ramani, revolves around two overweight women who become partners in a mission to shame the body-shamers. Rajshri (Huma Qureshi) and Saira (Sonakshi Sinha) challenge conventional notions of beauty, the bias towards thin women and hiring policies guided by appearance rather than competence. Never mind that the ultimate benchmark of success in Double XL is … a fashion show.

Rajshri’s girth has stalled her ambition of being a cricket commentator. Desperate to escape Meerut and her cacophonic mother, Rajshri teams up with Saira, a fashion designer who has recently learnt that love is fickle. United by similar experiences and a shared love for junk food, our heroines embark on a journey of self-discovery that fortunately takes them and all of us to London.

There, Saira and Rajshri meet Zorawar (Zaheer Iqbal) and Shrikant (Mahat Raghavendra) while shooting a promotional video for Saira’s label. Zorawar has a tendency of making do with whatever is at hand (a bit like this movie). Shrikant is fond of the gnomic thoughts that emanate from sweet-smelling cigarettes (a bit like this movie).

One of the high points in Double XL is when Rajshri’s mother (Alka Kaushal) shrieks at her: what was your dream, when did you have it and pray why? Despite confronting prejudices towards overweight women with a fair degree of honesty, the film is too fond of fairy tales to be revelatory.

Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha – both of whom gained weight for this film – take a valiant swing at indifferent dialogue, repetitive self-esteem tutorials, ghastly costumes and moments that frequently demand over-emoting. Mahat Raghvendra, whose Shrikant brings in a synthetic Tamil flavour, and Zaheer Iqbal, who exemplifies the film’s random quality, admirably bring up the rear. The actors are so busy having fun that they don’t even notice when Double XL wraps up its themes, says all it has to say, and then carries on and on.

• Double XL review
• Huma Qureshi
• Sonakshi Sinha