To be really honest, I wasn’t at all flattered with the movie title. That and the trailer of this movie had me convinced that this one wasn’t going to be worth my time. Despite such misgivings, I still went for it and I don’t regret the decision. I don’t think you would either.
Kapoor & Sons, like the family it portrays is far from perfect. The movie could easily have been 20 minutes shorter, some scenes could definitely have been cut out or at least made more snappier. However, apart from that and the pitiably low quality of music this one has, there is little fault to find with this imperfect family.
The family’s characters have been etched out really well and despite this being a Karan Johar production, there is a significant amount of realism built into the visuals and the character portrayals. Some of the background chatter and one to one conversations may even have you reflecting if this is something you’d encounter in your own home. Of course, its all exaggerated to tell a story, but it doesn’t seem to be set in the make-believe world that Karan Johar movies normally are.
The writing of the movie is surprisingly quite good – that and the sincere performances are what keep you invested throughout. After a long while, Kapoor & Sons brings together a story and characters, where you actually feel the connect, wish the best for them and join in their tears when the mood gets gloomy. While the first half is predictable to a fault, it is no less enjoyable.The second half meanwhile, has quite a few tricks up its sleeve especially if you saw the trailer and made any inferences. The trailer, I might add, is a smart ploy. It gets you thinking about the movie’s story in one direction while it marches in the exact opposite one. The background score compliments the visuals especially towards the climax, and while you can poke holes into how the story progresses, you can’t help but be moved by it as well.
Kapoor & Sons’ well written scripted is lifted by its performances – veterans Rajat Kapoor and Ratna Pathak Shah deliver a wonderfully natural performance – they may well be their characters. Rishi Kapoor has a delightful, albeit one dimensional character and he brings much welcome laughter and mirth to the scenes. That said, while the prosthetics make him look the cute grandfather, there’s not much else to convince that he is that character, in terms of his performance. Amongst the newbies, it is Fawad Khan who is the real revelation with a wonderfully understated and nuanced performance – this guy will be one to watch out for. In an ensemble cast where all the characters have almost equal air time, he manages to stand out. As Tia, firebrand Alia while a refreshing presence on the screen, has little to do, but in one emotional moment, she asserts herself and proves just why she is not just the new kid on the block. Siddharth Malhotra, is perhaps the weakest link, who while he does justice to his character, struggles with the emotional bits, quite visibly.
I have to admit, I am one of those who really liked K3G as well, so maybe such drama gets to me. However, am pretty sure that even if K3G was not up your alley, this particular family will get your approval. Kapoor & Sons, while it deserved a better title, is not just about one big happy family – it delves much deeper into relationships, conversations and emotions and its director Shakun Batra deserves all the applause to knit such complexity together with panache and a generous dose of realism. Don’t get dissuaded by the title like I did, this one definitely deserves a closer look.
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