Directed by the highly acclaimed Kenyan filmmaker, David ‘Tosh’ Gintoga, Netflix’s ‘Disconnect: The Wedding Planner’ is a romantic comedy film that revolves around Otis, who runs on a tight schedule to arrange a Yoruba-style destination wedding for an important investor. However, things go south when Otis loses $2 million to a vanished wedding planner, Events by Lizzy. He must now take complete charge and arrange the wedding himself with the help of his friends TK, Celine, Richard, Khalid, Judy, and Nandi.
Starring Pascal Tokodi, Catherine Kamau, Brenda Wajarimu, and more, the Nigerian film covers the common glitches that arise while making wedding arrangements and the stress and conflicts that come with it. Therefore, one might wonder whether the story of ‘Disconnect: The Wedding Planner’ is based on reality.
Disconnect The Wedding Planner: Fiction Inspired by Real-Life Scams
‘Disconnect: The Wedding Planner’ is not based on a true story. Developed by head writer Brian Ghettuba, the premise resembles that of an actual scam, with wedding planners taking huge amounts of upfront payments and disappearing. Several couples have lost vast portions of their life savings to such scammers. However, this narrative is not inspired by any real event. Having said that, the film deals with many themes, like facing one’s fears and fixing problems on the go.
We see several instances portraying the same, like when Otis fails to plan the wedding according to the Yoruba traditions, but he still manages to turn the wedding around in a short time with the help of his friends. In another similar instance, Otis takes on the role of a DJ himself when the latter doesn’t turn up at the last minute, even when TK is skeptical of Otis’ ability to deliver. Ultimately, Otis takes a chance at love despite his worst fears around heartbreak, which is not different from what many people do in reality.
Much like what the film’s director Gitonga mentioned in his interview with Business Daily (Africa), when things go wrong on set, one can either stop and solve the issue first or change course like an ant does when you put an obstacle in its way. The supporting characters have complicated love lives that add to the conflicts of the film, which are balanced out by the light-hearted humor of Otis and the mother of the bride, Rita. Like many romantic dramas that take place against the backdrop of a destination wedding, the Nigerian film also deals with the universal themes of infidelity and other relational issues.
‘The Romantics’ and ‘Bridesmaids’ are a few movies wherein we see the intense drama unfold amongst the wedding guests. The Netflix production also throws in your regular lothario who is, in fact, in love with one woman but too afraid to admit it, like in ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Pasts.’ All things said, ‘Disconnect: The Wedding Planner’ is not based on actual incidents but is driven by a fictional narrative that is peppered with several real-world experiences like wedding scams, infidelity, and the usual hiccups while planning a wedding.
Read More: Where Was Netflix’s Disconnect The Wedding Planner Filmed?
