Where to Watch 'Polite Society'

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Part Bollywood musical, part martial arts action flick, part comedy of manners, Nida Manzoor's Polite Society (2023) combines Bollywood’s "masala" appeal with a Hollywood-style plot. In the film, British-Indian martial arts enthusiast Ria (Priya Kansara, in her feature film acting debut) tries to stop her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) from marrying the wealthy, seemingly ideal Salim Shah, dropping out of art school, and moving to Singapore. And that takes not only a lot of Bollywood-style singing and dancing, but some fast-paced kung-fu fighting, particularly against her nemesis, Salim’s bossy mother Rahella, played by Nimra Bucha (Ms. Marvel), complete with a sinister smile and a villainous glare.

"I've been describing it with great difficulty because it's a genre-bending, mad movie," writer and director Nida Manzoor told Collider about the film. "But I would say it's an action-comedy about two sisters, and it's really their love story, and it's they're kind of breaking up and coming together, with a bit of heist thrown in, with a bit of kung fu in there. It's a big blend, but ultimately it's a film about sisterhood, I'd say."

What is Polite Society About?

Read on to find out where you can watch Polite Society right now. But first, here's the official synopsis:

A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, POLITE SOCIETY follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.

When Did Polite Society Release in Movie Theaters?

Polite Society had its world premiere on January 21 at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was released in theaters by Focus Features on April 28, 2023. With its glittering costumes, kick-ass stunts, and Indian wedding festivities, Polite Society was perfect for viewing on the big screen.

Watch the Polite Society Trailer

You can check out the trailer for Polite Society, which was released right before the film's premiere at Sundance, in the player above. With its martial arts action sequences alternating with Bollywood-style musical numbers, the trailer of this action-comedy gives you a perfect taste of the film's plot: how familial affection and some badass fighting skills can come in handy when your sister is marrying into a very wrong family. At least, that's what Ria thinks she's doing but what her sister thinks is something we'll have to find out.

If the action impresses you, here's a fun fact: Priya Kansara reportedly did a lot of her stunts herself.

"I will say that Priya is the next Tom Cruise," Nida Manzoor told Collider. "She did so many of her own stunts. And on set sometimes, last five minutes of the day, we're all like, “We gotta get the shot, we gotta get the shot.” She's just like, “Teamwork makes the dream work,” and then gets in the wire and does a backflip and I was just like, “What is she– did she do it?” And we're all like kind of in a shock, and she's just incredible. I’ve got to say that, to put that out there."

Is Polite Society Streaming Online Yet?

Polite Society was made available to stream on Peacock on June 16. You can access the film by subscribing to the streamer for $9.99 a month.

Watch on Peacock

When Will Polite Society Release on DVD and Blu-ray?

Again, we’re still waiting to see when the movie might be released on DVD and Blu-Ray, but we’ll probably hear more after the theatrical release. Stay tuned for further updates!

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