Tuesday, 22 March 2016

Sau baatein karta ye buddhu sa mann hai :)

With this review, I hope to reverse the sequence reviews usually follow. So, here is my verdict about easily the best, most sensible, most beautifully put together family drama in recent times- it is a mast must watch. (four stars, okay?)

‘Kapoor and Sons’ impressed me, and no, it wasn’t solely because of a cute-and- droolworthy-as-ever Fawad Khan or an equally adorable Siddharth Malhotra. The movie made me laugh (a lot, lot, lot) and cry (just a little, but oh, it was for real!)

So, here is the movie summed up for you. You can read if you haven’t watched it yet, (no spoilers, I promise) so I can motivate you to spend your hard earned money without any regrets! J
And if you have watched it already, congratulations on a wise decision :P

1.      The plot
An atypical (or is it?) Indian family is brought together by the news of dear granddad’s heart attack. You have a father struggling to overcome financial concerns, a mother fed up of all the drama and two warring/loving brothers, Rahul and Arjun, in Fawad and Siddharth, respectively.  ( A Karan-Arjun equation, by all means, but the trailer told you so!) There is the extended family with chachu and chachi and two sweet sisters, too.
And yes, the quintessential pet dog completes the ‘happy’ family!
So when they all assemble under one roof in Coonoor, you have to expect more than just colourful fireworks. Explosions, perhaps?

2.      The characters
A granddad who practices dying and makes funny faces while calling the nurse names from his hospital bed; who watches porn and takes selfies using his iPad; who brings the family together and as a death wish, orders the whole bunch to pose for that perfect family portrait bearing the caption ‘Kapoor and Sons, since 1921.’
A father who provides, but has a lot to hide.
A mother who thinks, over thinks, reacts and over reacts; who makes mistakes, but who tries to hold the family together and breaks when it breaks apart.
Rahul, the elder brother, the perfect baccha, the successful novelist who hopes to replicate the impact of his previous master stroke. However, he isn’t the only one crafting stories. And his life story is a well kept secret.
Arjun, the younger brother, who tries to find himself, running away from his loved ones only to realize they are all he has, at the end. Tia, the love of his life, the effervescent sweetheart who is everyone’s sunshine despite battling her internal storms.
Watch the movie for the layers and nuances that the characters are enriched with. The world was never black and white. Grey is a common colour that runs through us all.

3.      The actors
Rajat Kapoor is a natural in the role of the exasperated father, while Ratna Pathak Shah dons the mother’s place perfectly. Rishi Kapoor keeps you entertained throughout with his antics as the silly, jovial grandpa and his comic timing is perfect, though a little crass at times! :P
Alia is her delightful pretty self. The girl next door thing suits her well, though I am getting a little bored of her doing similar roles. And the fact that she can muster up a Highway makes me expect a lot more.
Siddharth is charming. And you do end up feeling sorry for him while he is trying to make stuff work. A good performance. Aaaaannnnnd, the less I say about Fawad, the more you will enjoy the movie. We could very well be heading for a fifth super Khan in Bollywood- the guy steals the show even in a multi starrer. And I may be biased, but for me, he was the best thing about the 2.5 hours I spent in the cinema hall.   

4.      The music
The inimitable blend of catchy, peppy, upbeat, and soul stirring.  While Chull has already achieved cult status and a dedicated fan following, the  foot tapping Buddhu sa Mann won me over with its festive picturisation and cheerful vibe. Bolna can be heard in the backdrop of Arjun and Tia’s romance, but I would have preferred a more prominent place for the song. Towards the end, Saathi Rey gives you the feels and it is one of the tracks that grow on you, slowly and steadily.

5.      The setting
Beautiful cinematography with the locales of Coonoor displayed at their most brilliant.

6.      Best scene
The family breaks into a fight at a time when the plumber is at his wit’s end, fixing a leak and listening to their raised voices, and shattering glasses. Once he’s done and asked to quote his charges, he replies, “Ab is bure samay mein jo  sahi lage, de dijiye.”
And, at the very beginning of this fight (there are lots in the movie) Siddharth exclaims, “Kya baat hai, aaj sab mere bina hi shuru ho gaye?”
Epic dialogue delivery :P

7.      The impact
Do we ever know our families? Do we care enough to know about their jobs, their passion, their struggles, their loneliness, their wishes, their dreams, their hopes? Or are we so busy crafting a charade of perfection that we are swept away by the currents of our own deceptions?
The movie teaches you to never take your loved ones for granted, no matter what flaws they might suffer from. Because, in the end, as they always say, love conquers all.

Done reading? Now go, go, go, watch it J