It’s 2018 and it’s about time we have a halfway decent movie about women, featuring women with real issues, and hockey. This week’s mega-hyped affair starring Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania is just that and more.

If you found the presence of a broody bearded Shah Rukh Khan distracting while you actually wanted to watch good women play some decent hockey, in order to win India some bling, then Veere Di Wedding is your best bet.

Four friends, who couldn’t be more different than each other, make peace with the demons in their past and come together for a game of hockey. Director Shashanka Ghosh takes this simple plot line and turns it into a thoroughly enjoyable movie, peppered with witty dialogue, catchy songs and well-choreographed dance sequences.

The scriptwriters trust the audience to grasp the subtle nuances in the fast-moving storyline, so much so that despite being a film about hockey, the film features almost no hockey at all.

With a generous dose of fresh-off-the-runway fashion, perfect make-up, and hair that’s never out of place, the movie is finally the answer to the question Chak De India left us with: Can we get a hockey movie with more songs and better uniforms?

As far as performances go, it’s Kareena Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor who steal the show. Little known fact: Kareena and Sonam actually trained in a hockey camp for four months before starting to shoot for the movie. This adds a nuance to their performance as hockey players who are forced to face issues like arranged marriage, loud West Delhi families and the fact that reality might not be what Sex and the City promised us.

Rating: 4/5