Kapoor and Sons changes the jaded frontage of dramedy!
It is good to see we are gradually rolling in an era where dramedy is no longer constrained to standing stiff characters, simulated backdrops and shoddy repetitive emphasizing music that we see on Television every day. The change is here, and we have stepped into it in an endearing mannerism.
DIRECTION OF KAPOOR AND SONS
Shakun Batra’s latest Kapoor and Sons walks in with a certain unprocessed aura that is suggestive of a relatable context as you skim through its plot. When you show trivial things, like where the key to the house is placed, it propagates a natural comportment at things that exist the way they do in real life. It is realistically close to how we live. That factor is well milked by Shakun in her direction.
HUMOUR AND PLOT
Comedy is squeezed in galore as there isn’t a moment you stop smiling till things begin to go south for the family. A little instigation and the whole framework uproots into chaos flinging people into the depths of psychosis they aren’t aware of but are living amidst. We have on the platter a dysfunctional family that has a lot of things already screwed-up, as we take a peek into their lives with the arrival of two sons on account of a certain heart-attack mockery that goes awry.
EXTRAORDINARY CHARACTERS
Rajat Kapoor, is at his usual best, as he plays a crunched dad who is terribly close to a failing marriage with Ratna Pathak, the typical Indian mom who has her hands full with chores, and a brain full of complaints. She is a brilliant actress who aces everything she does to perfection. So she manages on with her worrying Mom acts with her ‘perfect’ son Rahul in the vantage played extraordinarily by Fawad Khan. Fawad was the perfect cast, an exceptional choice that we have, who fills in the shoes of Rahul Kapoor in Kapoor and Sons. He brings home the right warmth of brotherly love for his sibling Arjun, and projects a perfection that is rare to find, also in a way reflective of good people in our society. He accepts a challenging role and sees it to fruition without leaving his charismatic zone for a second. He is fluent, candid and understanding. A spectacular blend!
DOWNSIDES OF KAPOOR AND SONS
To have a glimpse into the tawdry side of the flick we have many elements that unfortunately take it downhill too. Sadly the awkward makeup lingering on Rishi Kapoor’s face can’t be ignored. What was terribly sorry to watch was the inexperience Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt manifest as they end up decimating drama with their unemotional acts. Sidharth’s incapability to react aptly to a sad story playing in front of his eyes, fill you up with indifference. Same goes true for Alia who was a charmer when it came to delivering brilliant comic lines, but time came to show her real acting prowess, where it all mattered, she went down the dodgy lane. Her cuteness obscures the veracity that was the need of the hour.
HOTPOTCH SUB-PLOTS
Also, we cannot completely ignore the script of Kapoor and Sons. We could have lived without including too many hotchpotch side stories to it. The one with the plagiarism of the novel and the revelation was the worst story to have been included as things seemed to be terribly out of place. The latter being the part where we see acting go on dwindling lanes. The Anu aunty plot was well put and executed magnificently. Two brothers single girl seemed straight from “Dan in Real Life” (That guitar scene couldn’t help but remind me of that flick). The reefer bit complacency came straight from the movie “This is Where I Leave You” and would make you question the originality of it. Also, humour hits a rock-bottom there!
Amidst all the confusion and vexation, grandpa with a dying wish to frame a perfect family picture gets lost as a side-plot conundrum. The poetry in it hasn’t been well milked.
The drama of Kapoor and Sons eventually goes from sentient to cheesy as we make a time leap, something which breaks the gloomy flow which I was averse against. Unfortunately the LGBT issue is still frowned upon in Indian mindsets as I heard laughter around me in the theater when serious notes concluded which was kind of sad.
THE FINAL VERDICT
Overall Kapoor and Sons was really great to come out from a soapy cocoon, and discover Fawad the true gem he is, see comedy for the way it should be, and explore natural instinctive acting style that Indian Cinema has been lacking hitherto in a dramedy. An enjoyable hoot made even better with characters like Boobly, Kishore and Wasim who made humour all the way better!
Totally worth your time!
Kapoor and Sons
Pros
- Changing dramedy facet
- Great direction
- Fawad Khan is extraordinary
- Melodrama where it skimmed comedy was well executed
Cons
- Too many sub-plots gnaw at focus
- Parts taken from Hollywood questions its originality
- Drama where it mattered the most goes in a time leap
