Kapoor & Sons movie review: Family drama genre finds new benchmark

Director: Shakun Batra

Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Rajat Kapoor, Ratna Pathak, Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan and Alia Bhatt

'Ek hafte se marne ki practice kar rahe hai'. Yes, that's what Daddu (Rishi Kapoor) is trying to do. He is the centrepiece of this family puzzle which will only get solved on its own but not before they all face the moment of truth. Daddu has a wish -- he wants to take a family portrait of the entire Kapoor family before he dies, but this is a complex family story. So will Daddu get to fulfill his wish? It's for you to find out.

Of course, the story revolves around the Kapoor family as the title suggests. Director Shakun Batra gives a detailed description of the Kapoors that you instantly connect with and tag along on their family journey. All of them, the parents, (Ratna Pathak and Rajat Kapoor) the two sons, Rahul and Arjun (Fawad and Sidharth) are piecing together the puzzles of their life amid all the chaos.

The winners here are the writers (Shakun and Ayesha) who have craftily leash the high-octane emotions from spilling over and making a mess. The background score by Sameer Uddin brings its own weight to the scenes.

The lyrics of the song Saathi Re by Manoj Muntashir has a lot of soul and encompasses in a few stanzas the very essence of the film.

As for the performances, lets begin with Rishi Kapoor -- his sense of humour will make you roll on the floor. The scenes with his two grandsons, Rahul and Arjun beautifully synchronise the thoughts of the old and the young.

Alia Bhatt (Tia) is a delight to watch. She is spontaneous! Sidharth has proved he is only getting better with every film. In this one, he is far more convincing in scenes where his character needs to emotionally express himself. Fawad Khan's roller coaster ride with his mother (Supriya) is one of the highlights of the film. Rajat Kapoor is the more matured one in the family when it comes to handling personal turmoil and his restrained act is commendable.

But all credit goes to director Shakun, who holds together the cast like a perfect photo in an album. His sensibilities in this family drama will certainly set a new benchmark.