Review of Kapoor & Sons (2016) by Dave M — 03 Apr 2016

Family relations can be complex, challenging and sometimes... overwhelming. Where there is family, there is history. Where there is history, there are both good memories and bad. Where there are good memories, there is shared joy, but where there are bad memories, there can be grudges. Family is also supposed to mean love and togetherness, but sometimes, either or both may be lacking. Unresolved issues, long-standing resentments and unspoken pain can be part of the family dynamic, along with competing priorities, misunderstandings, sibling rivalries, strained marriages and even loneliness. You'll find all this and more in the Indian 2016 comedy-drama "Kapoor and Sons: Since 1921" (NR, 2:12).

Amarjeet "Dadu" Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor, playing three decades older than his actual age, with the help of Oscar-winning make-up artist Greg Cannom) lives in the only home he has ever known - a bungalow in the small, hilly and relatively wealthy southeastern India town of Coonoor. Also in the house is his son, Harsh (Rajat Kapoor) and daughter-in-law Sunita (Ratna Pathak). Harsh and Sunita have two grown sons who both live outside of India. Rahul (Fawad Afzal Khan) lives in London and is a writer who has had a successful book, but is having trouble finishing his follow-up - and has a deadline hanging over his head. His brother Arjun (Sidharth Malhotra) is an aspiring novelist, but is working as a New Jersey bartender.

When Dadu has a heart attack, his grandsons fly home to be with him and the rest of the family. Dadu recovers and he's soon back to his old uninhibited self, full of personality and generally only thinking about three things - young women, his own death, and family. Dadu's family decides to plan a surprise party for his upcoming 90th birthday and while they're doing so, Rahul and Arjun each end up meeting and spending time with a beautiful, lively, strong and independent young girl named Tia (Alia Bhatt), but neither brother is aware of the other's relationship with Tia and she doesn't know that they are bothers.

But that's only the beginning of this family's problems, more of which reveal themselves at Dadu's party. Dadu's other son and his family also come to visit and pay their respects to Dadu. Dadu wants the family together so they can all take a family photo before he dies. As the family members gather for that photo the cracks between them widen and more secrets are revealed, jeopardizing whether Dadu's photo will even be taken - and whether some members of the Kapoor family will ever speak to each other again.

"Kapoor and Sons" is a funny, dramatic and touching character-driven story. Dadu is quite a character and both his words and his deeds are a consistent source of amusement. Tai is adorable, sweet, fun, funny and sympathetic in equal parts. The numerous conflicts among the younger two generations of the Kapoor family intersect in surprisingly affecting ways and have significant lessons to teach about communication, honesty, forgiveness, tolerance, the value of familial bonds and, most of all, love.

I can't remember the last time I saw conflicts that were set up better throughout the story, woven together so skillfully, produce such drama when they all come together or teach the audience so much about so many truths concerning life and family. When this house of cards collapsed, it left me breathless - and very impressed. This movie is a bit too long and some moments were a little too predictable and/or melodramatic, but this is still a well-acted, powerful and entertaining film whose plot, message and lessons transcend any single generation or culture. "A-".