'Kapoor & Sons', until come anything else which is a better thing put together, is the best Hindi film of 2016. Yes, because of its deep writing, but also because of its heartwarmingly charming premise which is more consuming and absorbing than any family film Bollywood has made up. Its emotionally constructed and charming drama which lifts off in style and formation.
Shakun Batra proves that he weaves out the best family dramas possible, even though it is his directorial debut. Starring Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Malhotra, Rishi Kapoor, Fawad Khan, Ratna Pathak Shah and Rajat Kapoor, it's about a dysfunctional family- with conflicting thoughts, cnflicting emotions, conflicting interests (and love interests), and turbulent souls. But at the end, they are a family- they are happy when they are together, and when they aren't, they are broken. It's a genuinely to-heart story which deserved such a dazzling, fair of colours filmmaking. I'm going with 4 stars of 5 for 'Kapoor & Sons- since 1921'. It's a lovely film which sucks into you in a fun rhythm.

Just a couple of hours more before arch rivals, India & Pakistan draw swords in Eden Gardens in the mother of all clashes. So before that high stakes match, I decided to check out "Kapoor & Sons" which coincidentally also focused on clashes but within the family. Actually whichever reviews that I had written for Bollywood movies this year, it's all been enactment of real life events, so I was looking forward to check out some light-hearted mirth for quite some time & this one seemed to fit the bill. So was it able to satiate my expectations???

Nestled in the lush green scenic beauty of Connoor was the house of Amarjeet Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor) & his family. He was a nonagenarian who was always upto some tricks to garner the attention of his son and daughter in law. Eventually, he suffers a heart attack and expresses his desire to see his estranged grandsons. Rahul (Fawad Khan) was the elder & was the personification of the perfect son with a successful career as a best selling author based in London. On the other hand, Arjun (Sidharth Malhotra) was struggling to make a name for himself to match his brother as he felt his parents harboured a soft corner for Rahul. Even their parents relationship was in rough waters as Harsh (Rajat Kapoor) & Sunita (Ratna Pathak) frequently fought over their finances and fidelity issues. Will this disharmonious family ever be able to resolve their arguments before it tears them apart???

The biggest positive of the movie is the realistic take on family problems without ever going over the top & we do actually feel for the characters. All credit for that goes to Shakun Batra, who did give us a rather distinct rom com in the form of "Ek Main Aur Ek Tu" a couple of years back. Over here, in the company of Ayesha Dhillon, he has weaved a script which is both hilarious & emotional at the same time. The manner in which the climax unfolds with numerous relationship issues does make us sit up for sure. With regard to the technical aspects, music has been done by a host of people with my favourite tracks being "Bolna" & "Buddhu Sa Mann". As for the visuals by Jeffrey Bierman & editing by Shivkumar Panicker, both of them have done a decent job.

Talking about performances, it's kinda difficult to rate them coz I felt all of them have done a wonderful job. Ratna Pathak was fantastic as she shows vulnerability & haughtiness with ease while Rajat Kapoor as always rocked. Fawad Khan is the one who actually got the meatiest role which had numerous layers to it and he has done a fine job along with Siddharth. Rishi Kapoor's prosthetics might not be exactly top notch but he brings the roof down with his hilarious one liners while Alia Bhatt did justice to her spunky role.

Verdict: With the T20 WC in full swing, the initial that the film might garner over the weekend will be affected for sure. However, at just 2 h it wont hurt to check this out as it would make you laugh & teary eyed over the course of the movie. In short, it is not thrilling as an Ind-Pak match but it does have its moments which deserves a one time watch!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

A totally compelling family drama!!

Whoever said old-school is passé probably didn’t watch Kapoor and Sons.
Much in the vein of 2001’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kapoor and Sons is a good old-fashioned tearjerker that plays to the gallery.
Where director Shakun Batra’s film stands out, however, is in its recognition of the need to draw a fine line between subtlety and saccharine vacuousness.
Well, for the most part, at least.
The film captures the ebbs and flows of modern Indian family life – in all its chaotic and tempestuous glory – with startling attention to detail.
Fawad Khan and Siddharth Malhotra play two brothers – one a well-established writer in London, the other a struggling wannabe author who works as a part-time bartender in New Jersey to eke out a living.
Both are summoned back to their home in the picturesque hill station of Coonoor where their grandfather (played by Rishi Kapoor) has recently suffered a heart attack.
Skeletons come tumbling out of never-before-discovered closets in the wake of the aforementioned family reunion, making this family question everything that it once stood for.
Where Kapoor and Sons really succeeds is in its rich character detailing – each of these people comes with his own baggage of lies, insecurities and desires.
It’s the perfect recipe for a feel-good familial drama, and Batra utilises this goldmine of emotions to create a well-textured tale of hope and redemption.
The performances are uniformly impressive, but it’s Rishi Kapoor’s heartwarming portrayal of an ageing family patriarch that stays with you long after the end credits have rolled.
Kapoor and Sons is certainly predictable, but it is also heartfelt, sensitive and deeply moving.
In short, it makes you believe in the power of family again.
Because sometimes, all you need in life is love.