Kapoor & Sons Movie Review: Subtle, Sweet And Sensitive

When the trailer of Kapoor & Sons hinted at a drama revolving around a dysfunctional family, I readily assumed that it would be something on the lines of Dil Dhadakne Do, with its First World problems (remember Ranveer Singh’s character sulking because he cannot have his private jet?), but fortunately, Kapoor & Sons proved to be a breath of fresh air in this regard.

The Kapoor family comprises estranged brothers Arjun (Sidharth Malhotra), a struggling writer making ends meet by bartending in New Jersey, Rahul (Fawad Khan), a best-selling novelist settled in London, their parents Harsh (Rajat Kapoor) and Sunita (Ratna Pathak Shah) and the roguish grandpa Daddu (Rishi Kapoor), who stay in idyllic Coonor.

When Daddu suffers a heart attack, his two estranged grandsons fly back to their Coonor house, clueless of the tension that is brewing in the house between Harsh and Sunita. If that was not all, the two brothers too have some unresolved issues, which is further complicated by the presence of Tia (Alia Bhatt), who is pally with both the brothers.

When old wounds and fresh slights collide, it leads to a rather explosive family reunion…

Sidharth and Fawad have both done an excellent job and their sibling rivalry and tension has been handled in a subtle and believable manner. Fawad is ostensibly the ‘perfect son’ while Arjun is always the runner-up and the problems that are caused by this are quite relatable to those who have faced similar situations (Thankfully, there are no heavy-duty dialogues that we usually expect in films about estranged brothers like Deewaar and Race). Fawad, who made many women go weak in their knees with his ‘prim prince’ role in Khoobsurat, will surely impress you once again. Sidharth too is quite likeable as the younger sibling, who is not taken much seriously by his family members.

Alia Bhatt has still retained the freshness of her debut film, but her ‘giggly girl’ character is quite repetitive and one wishes she starts exploring herself as an actress soon. Rajat Kapoor and Ratna Pathak Shah are effortlessly good, while Rishi Kapoor as the ‘old rogue’ grandpa is quite a delight to watch.

What works for Kapoor & Sons is the fact that the story treatment is quite realistic and the story flows smoothly without any hiccups (atleast in the first half). Shakun Batra deserves a pat on his back for weaving an emotional drama without resorting to any histrionics. Furthermore, the fact that most of the characters are flawed in some or the other way, makes them more likeable and real for us.

However, the second half of the film tends to drag a bit and is somewhat predictable at times. But because Batra has put his heart and soul in this movie, we shall forgive him his indulgences.

The music is quite decent, be it the foot-tapping Kar Gayi Chul or the melodiousBolna, Kapoor & Sons impresses you in that department too.

Kapoor & Sons is definitely a film to watch with your family this weekend…