'Sardar Ka Grandson' review: A Neena Gupta-show, plummets in execution
"Home is coming" instead of "homecoming" was the extract of Sardar Ka Grandson's trailer. After having watched the movie, in its entirety, I found the 139-minute-long version offers a little extra: Unripe seasoning of India-Pakistan solidarity, a charming Neena Gupta as the catalyst, and silly dialogues being the extra elements. While the heart was at the right place, execution falls flat. Here's our review.
Director Kaashvie Nair promises a good pace at the start, when Amreek (Arjun Kapoor), and his love life with Radha (Rakul Preet Singh), is explained at the very beginning. The stage is soon (after a song break) set for Amreek's return to India, courtesy his 90-year-old grandmother Sardar's (Gupta) poor health. Upon return, he agrees to fulfill Sardar's last wish of visiting Lahore.
Gupta as Sardar makes you soft with her sass, charm, and carefree attitude. Ironically, her attitude foils her chances to get permission to travel to Pakistan. Since she can't go, Amreek decides to bring the house to her. You think the greater part is over, but the movie is not even half done yet. Unnecessary conflict, childish preaching of bhaichara occupy the rest.
While Sardar's chirp, her family's silly dynamics over succeeding the family business amuse you, cliche overnight internet fame and a disgruntled Pakistan mayor (Kumud Mishra) disappoint. Aditi Rao Hydari as young Sardar and John Abraham (who is also the producer) as her husband Gursher Ji are endearing to look at. The scene where the house is finally being brought back is fulfilling too.
The supporting cast includes Kanwaljit Singh, Soni Razdan, and Divya Seth. Their roles are not meaty enough to be memorable. Apart from Abraham, Divya Khosla Kumar, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, and Nikkhil Advani have produced the movie. It is currently streaming on Netflix.
Before the release, Singh had said the film was about "people going to a different extent for family," an emotion that has a universal appeal. Well, the movie gets the feel correct, but some stricter editing and in-depth writing could have exponentially improved the final product. However, it certainly is not a lost cause. Enjoy this light one-watch sans scrutiny. Final rating: 2.5/5.
