Raksha Bandhan Trailer: It's an Akshay Kumar Show

After two flops, Akshay Kumar is hungry for success. And Raksha Bandhan might just give it to him, says Namrata Thakker.

After two back-to-back flops in Bachchhan Paandey and Samrat Prithviraj, Akshay Kumar is ready to entertain the audience with a family drama.

Raksha Bandhan, starring Akshay and Bhumi Pednekar, is basically about a loving brother who wants to see his four sisters married.

But he struggles as marriages in India are super-expensive; plus, there the little matter of dowry.

The almost three-minute-long trailer introduces us to Akshay and Bhumi’s characters, who are childhood sweethearts.

She can’t wait to marry him but Akshay makes it clear he will only wed after his sisters do.

From thereon, the trailer is all about the brother-sister bond and the hardships that Akshay faces as tries to fulfill his responsibilities.

Though his own love life is at stake, Akshay doesn't shy away from his brotherly duties.

Rona-dhona and drama are thrown in for good measure, but the trailer ends on a light note with a comic punch that’s relatable even today.

On the surface, Raksha Bandhan doesn’t seem to offer any novelty.

Back in the '90s, a lot of films revolved around a doting brother who would go to any length to keep his sisters happy.

However, the struggle a family goes through to get a girl married even today -- with dowry and 'expectations' playing a major role -- in our country remains relevant and relatable.

The urban audience may not find it appealing but the movie will definitely strike a chord with people in smaller towns.

The trailer belongs to Akshay, who appears in every frame.

The actor hasn’t tasted success recently but that might change soon as family entertainers high on emotional quotient usually manage to pull the audience into the theatres.

Add Akshay’s star power and comic timing and Director Aanand L Rai’s ability to connect with the middle-class through his storytelling prowess to the mix and Voila!, we have a movie that promises to be entertaining while providing huge dollops of drama and emotion. 

While the trailer revolves around Akshay, the rest of the cast do make a good first impression.

Apart from Akshay and Bhumi, we are introduced to the four sisters, played by Sadia Khateeb, Sahejmeen Kaur, Deepika Khanna and Smrithi Srikant. None of them, however, have much dialogue.

Written by Kanika Dhillon and Himanshu Sharma, Raksha Bandhan is set to release on Raksha Bandhan day, August 11.