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Name: Gulmohar
Director: Rahul Chittella
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Sharmila Tagore, Amol Palekar, Suraj Sharma, Kaveri Seth, Rishibala Nawal, Utsavi Jha
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Plot:
The story begins with Arun Batra (Manoj Bajpayee) and his family enjoying the last family get-together in their 31 year old family home, Gulmohar. While they are all seen together, there is tension brewing between different members of the family. The tension only intensifies when Kusum Batra (Sharmila Tagore) makes two big announcements towards the end of the party that leave everyone in the family very shocked and perplexed. Over the course of the next few days, as they prepare themselves to move to another place, they discover how rapidly they are drifting apart as a family. To add to the already complex family dynamics are a few hidden secrets, which when discovered, make the family all the more miserable and helpless. Each character has a personal crisis and a family crisis to deal with and that forms the crux of the show.
What Works:
Gulmohar‘s relatability factor is its biggest strength. The show consists of extremely flawed yet relatable characters who go through the kind of problems that most people face in their daily lives. There are very common family dynamics that have been touched upon, like the ones of the father and the son, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, and the husband and the wife among other dynamics, which not only help grab immediate attention but also keep viewers totally invested in the subject matter.
An aspirational son wanting to make it big without the support of his wealthy father, a middle-aged woman unaware of what she wants in life and what her preferences are, a husband hiding sensitive career information from his wife, a mother hiding life-changing information from her son or a father unable to converse with his son because of very different approaches towards life, are some of the themes touched upon through the show, which most people would resonate with.
The cinematography is first rate and the performances are layered and nuanced. The direction by Rahul Chittella is very effective.
What Doesn’t:
There is a certain synchrony in Gulmohar’s conflict which make it less effective. The characters deal with their issues at the same time and find a resolution together as well, and that’s where the show starts to feel slightly inorganic. With around a dozen different characters dealing with the intricacies of relationships and life, it doesn’t feel digestible for each one of them to reach a consensus around the exact same time.
The pacing of the show works in bits where a certain slowness is required. But then there also are instances where the tempo is slightly slower than what it could have been, to keep the viewers more invested.
Performances
Manoj Bajpayee and Sharmila Tagore give knockout performances. Their confrontation scenes following the big reveal make for some of the movie’s best moments. Suraj Sharma as Aditya, the son of Arun Batra, delivers a very refined performance and shows vulnerability very effectively. Amol Palekar plays his grey character with great conviction. Rishibala Nawal, who essays the role of Arun’s wife Indu, plays her part with great sincerity. Her scenes with Manoj Bajpayee are the ones to watch out for. Kaveri Seth as Aditya’s wife Divya plays her role with great precision. Utsavi Jha as Amrita Batra plays her part with utmost diligence. As a character trying to figure herself out, she does a fine job. Every other supporting character in the show, leaves their mark.
Verdict
On the whole, Gulmohar is a satisfying watch that can be watched along with families. The show is primarily for those who enjoy art-house films and parallel cinema. It requires a certain degree of patience to feel the right essence. It is a tidy film that doesn’t beat around the bush and stays true to what it has promised. Compelling acts by the actors par excellence, to a certain degree, elevate the screenplay of the film.
Gulmohar can be watched digitally on its respective digital platform.
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