[Photo Source: Facebook/DharmaProductions]
There's a moment in Jane Austen's "Emma" when the eponymous heroine muses, "Nobody, who has not been in the interior of a family, can say what the difficulties of any individual of that family may be."
Director Shakun Batra could have easily been inspired by these very words for his latest venture, "Kapoor & Sons," a story that invites us to understand and identify with the complexities of family"the Kapoors, in this case"by beckoning us beyond their wholesome facade and into their home. Their interior, it turns out, is messy and bitter, almost everyone's closets bulging with skeletons. As each scene stretches the seams of the increasingly fraying family fabric, the result is a story that teeters into moments of contrived drama but maintains just enough restraint to draw us in and leave an emotional imprint.
It starts with great promise, the very first shots of a relatively modest home tucked between the simple town and the rustic tea plantations of hilly Coonoor earning narrative points by establishing that the story won't be overshadowed by its sets. It's a rare but very welcome occurrence in Dharma-produced films, where sprawling mansions and the generally excessive bling factor often hog the limelight, strip the film of any semblance to real life, and consequently compromise its soul.
Our attention here naturally hones in on the family at the heart of the plot. Harsh (Rajat Kapoor) and Sunita (Ratna Pathak-Shah) Kapoor are a middle-aged couple, straining under the weight of both monetary woes and a marriage that's long gone sour but must be kept up for appearances, not least for the sake of Amarjeet Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor), Harsh's father. Approaching 90 and all-too-aware of his own mortality, Amarjeet's remaining wish is for one happy family photograph, a desire he expresses to his two grandchildren, successful novelist Rahul (Fawad Khan) and struggling writer Arjun (Sidharth Malhotra), after suffering a heart attack that prompts them both to return home.
[Photo Source: Facebook/DharmaProductions]
But the brothers have their own demons to battle, such as career aspirations and sibling loyalty, Arjun's decades-long suppressed resentment about living perpetually in his responsible older brother's shadow as the "useless" son in his parents' eyes, and now the threat of losing his new love interest, sprightly neighbor Tia (Alia Bhatt) to Rahul as well. As the family reunion soon turns into a nightmarish sequence of screaming matches, betrayals, and jolting revelations, smiling for a camera is the last thing any Kapoor wants to do.
Boasting an ensemble cast who are as capable as they are easy on the eyes, "Kapoor & Sons" shines brightest when the actors appear in the frame together. That's not to say that the actors don't deliver in their own right. After a stiff-upper-lip Bollywood debut in "Khoobsurat" that seemed more about his inhibitions than his stoic character in that film, Khan is much more comfortable in his skin here, playing the reluctantly perfect older brother like a natural. While Malhotra still appears slightly unseasoned when portraying intensely dramatic scenes, he is both endearing and at ease in his scenes with Bhatt"who, unfortunately, is all of mediocre in a role that doesn't stretch her in the slightest. Rishi Kapoor's role amounts to little more than the trigger for the sons' initial return home, and his sense of humor"rooted in an enthusiasm for adult films and a somewhat disturbing interest in younger (much younger) women"often seems more suited for slapstick comedy than family drama, though he has some genuinely giggle-worthy moments as the irreverent, twinkly-eyed octogenarian. And while Pathak-Shah slips disappointingly into overacting at times, she's an ideal complement to Rajat Kapoor's less volatile demeanor. But in a classic case of synergy, the family is better together than the sum of their parts. Whether they're engaging in lighthearted conversations, awkward and tense silent treatment, or explosive brawls, their rapport appears effortless; there's a particularly endearing scene in which, gathered with extended family, the entire clan erupts into a clumsy but happy rendition of an old favorite song, a reminder that they can just as easily make each other smile as they can push each person's buttons, as though by years of habit.
And yet, even the cast's collective skill set seems tested by the incredibly crammed-up screenplay. Where "Kapoor & Sons" may have held back in stylistic excess, it overshoots, to its own detriment, in terms of its storytelling ambitions, apparently determined to stuff as many narrative beats as it possibly can into the last 20 minutes of the film. Between the grandparent/grandchild bonding during clandestine joint-smoking sessions, some frothy brotherly banter, and the lukewarm love story between Tia and Arjun, subplots that are much more intriguing, and deserved far more screen time, are compromised; a deeper exploration of the buildup behind Harsh and Sunita's tumultuous relationship, for instance, is abbreviated into a hastily inserted conversation well into the second act, potentially reducing the impact of its eventual outcome.
[Photo Source: Facebook/DharmaProductions]
A new discovery about another character is a golden opportunity to dig deeper into a subject matter often misinterpreted or approached by many mainstream directors with trepidation. Instead, Batra pushes it aside as quickly as he brings it up"either for lack of time, or for lack of motivation"or guts?"to explore it further. Perhaps going a step too far to prove its departure from the "same old" dysfunctional family film, Batra throws in one too many "twists" at the climax, weakening the plausibility he would have otherwise accomplished with fewer last-minute additions.
But for all its missed opportunities, "Kapoor & Son"'s ultimate, greatest strength lies in its relatability. Chances are that anyone who is part of any family will see glimpses of themselves in the Kapoor's, whether it be in Arjun's "younger sibling complex," Harsh's stress as the household head whose business is buckling, or Sunita's growing distrust and vexation towards her husband. Through them, we remember of the gamut of emotions we run with our own families; the blinding anger when they've wronged us, the exasperated resignation when they just don't get it, that inexplicable joy of laughing together when all is well, and the aching nostalgia for simpler, more innocent times. They remind us of coming full circle time and time again, of the forgiveness along with the fury, and the refusal to give up on each other, that make the ties between those of us bound by blood unique, precious, and priceless. I left with a fuzzy heart and a solid lump in my throat. After so many films in the last year that have left me stone-faced and numb, I'll gladly take a few extra feels.
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