Kapoor & Sons Review

Shakun Batra is one director that we’ve had our eyes on, to deliver good films ever since he debuted with the sublime and atypical story of love (not a love story) like Ekk Main Aur Ek Tu. Now he’s back with another quirky looking film Kapoor & Sons and has assembled quite a cast. It doesn’t look like a typical Dharma Productions film and we hope Shakun has stuck to his guns and has delivered another quirky entertainer. Does it pay heed to our expectations?

Story: Two brothers (Sidharth and Fawad) come back to their ancestral home after a gap of many years when their 90 year old hilarious grandfather (Rishi) gets sick. They discover their parents’ (Ratna Pathak Shah and Rajat Kapoor) marriage being in crumbles and they are almost about to divorce each other. Things are complicated as it is, when Tia (Alia) comes into their lives and creates a tussle between the two brothers. Do all the issues get sorted out eventually? Does the bumbling grandfather survive this ordeal? Watch the movie to find out.

Screenplay and Direction: Director Shakun Batra’s Wes Anderson influence was clearly visible in his first film and here too, Kapoor & Sons feels like a spiritual sequel to The Royal Tenenbaums. Not that it is a bad thing. Kapoor & Sons simmers with hope, desperation and some funny moments in the first half and the second half does take a dramatic turn. But it never becomes too much to handle. In fact, you egg them on to have the conflict. The mood stays light throughout. The melancholy stays under the surface and by the end of the movie Shakun Batra delivers a quirky entertainer which teaches the viewer about family, just as the trailers promised. Another job well done by Shakun Batra.

The cinematography of Kapoor & Sons is pretty, as Coonoor lends a beautiful landscape to the movie. The film has been shot in a very realistic manner without any over-the-top shots and frames. The costume design although fancy is very relatable. The editing could have been tighter but that might have made the film less Wes Andersoneque. The music of Kapoor & Sons suits the nature of the film. Kar Gayi Chull is a breakaway hit and you can’t help but hum it. Bolna is also a very beautiful track.

Acting: Fawad Khan shines in a role that could have been played in a clichéd manner. He brings in a sense of sophistication to the movie as the writer Bhai. His expressions are on point almost always. Sidharth Malhotra is also in very fine form and has the better written part, but he still manages to portray all the gamets of emotions beautifully. Alia Bhatt does well too. She doesn’t have a lot to do in this movie, but her talent is on full display. She could have been looked upon just as the comic stereotype but she makes it worthwhile. Ratna Pathak Shah and Rajat Kapoor do a jolly good job of being parents who don’t really have jolly lives. Their experience shows. Rishi Kapoor, however, owns the film in whatever scene he’s in. His makeup also plays a part in making his character a lot more believable.

Conclusion: Kapoor & Sons is a bittersweet quirky film which entertains from the first frame to last and takes the viewer of a familial tour-de-force. There are funny moments, relatable moments, moments of anger and sadness. Kapoor & Sons ends up becoming the most atypical and yet a quintessential Dharma Productions movie. It just works. The casting plays a huge part in making the movie work. If you have been looking forward to a good film, watch Kapoor & Sons. It will work as a welcome break from the high voltage T20 World Cup action.

Reasons to watch Kapoor & Sons:

• Fawad Khan leads the cast brilliantly
• Sidharth Malhotra emotes well, has grown as an actor
• The production design and costume design
• The pacing of the movie suits the aim of the director
• The dialogues are relatable and so are the moments
• The background score is an underrated gem
• The music works too

• It might feel slow to people who expect high voltage drama and action on screen

Rating: