I guess it’s the cumulative effect of the feel-good Christmas spate of releases that come out every December. The OTT platform Netflix takes the initiative of coming up with two such films that despite their comfortably sentimental storylines and treatment emerge finally as bland fare to watch even at home. There are no sparks or fireworks, and the brightness is dimmed too.
Dilwali Diwali
This is a relatable plot that could have gone places (not necessarily lengthwise) with some ingeniously conceived ideas. Ansh Sikka (Mihir Ahuja) announces on the eve of Diwali that he is coming home for the occasion—he works in Norway. Yes, the family—father (Manoj Pahwa), mother (Neelu Kohli) and sister (Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni) are happy about this, but they are unsettled as well. And why is that?
Because Ansh has brought them a flat on the 27th floor of a high-rise, compared to the middle-class colony in which they live. But unknown to him, the trio have never been comfortable in the high-end skyscraper, in a setup where no one knows anyone else. They have their intimate circle of friends in their old home, for which the father also has a sentimental achievement that goes down generations.
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On the eve of Ansh’s arrival, they all shift to the high-rise apartment for the phase Ansh will be staying. The son, unaware of their feelings (he thinks that he is doing all this for their comfort), plans a Diwali party for their friends. But there is a small hitch: he is also planning to sell off their old house as he thinks it is no longer lived in. The estate agent tells him it is still occupied. What happens next?
Can the parents really not enjoy the modern amenities like access cards, swimming pool and more? Is their middle-class origin coming in the way? Why does Ansh want to sell off their old home? Can his folks finally adjust?
It is the bane of a lot of young writers and directors today that they opt for climaxes that they feel are novel or fresh and do not see if they are even slightly logical, given the base that they have themselves constructed. At 61 minutes, the story is so tame and ultimately lame that it adds to the recent disappointments that have come from this platform and from OTT movies itself.
Of course, the actors cannot be blamed. Manoj Pahwa shows his usual bonhomie. Neelu Kohli is on-spot and Mihir Ahuja is excellent. Two other actors who make a sharp impression are Nimisha Sirohi as the lactose-intolerant neighbor Anita and Swapnil Shrirao as the watchman. But it is Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni as the sister who makes a lasting impression with her natural performance and free-flowing expressions.
The direction is as lackluster as the script and the over-crisp length does not change anything.
Rating: **
Netflix presents Terribly Tiny Tales’ Dilwali Diwali Produced by: Anuj Gosalia, Sharanya Rajgopal & Vijay Subramaniam Directed by: Ritesh Menon Written by: Ritu Mago Music: Advait Nemlekar Starring: Mihir Ahuja, Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni, Manoj Pahwa, Neelu Kohli, Nimisha Sirohi, Swapnil Shrirao, Ashok Kumar Majee, Manmeet Singh Swahney & others
Meethe Mein Kya Hai
Jai (Ritwik Bhowmik), who is 35, is a widower, having lost his wife Tara (Kanikka Kapur) in a car mishap. He has never really got over the tragedy and plans to sell his Delhi home and move to Georgia. He has no intention to participate in a family gathering in Lucknow for Diwali. But his plans undergo a change when his sister, Sana (Dalai) cajoles him to rethink because she has married Karam (Vikram Bakshi), a Sikh divorcee with a daughter, and is petrified of announcing this alone to her parents and the family.
His parents, especially his mother (Ayesha Reza Mishra), are shocked and appalled at this news, though Nani (Rohini Hattangady) is more liberal and pragmatic. A ‘staying’ guest in the family is young Meera (Shivika Rishi), daughter of a family friend. She is a perky music-loving teenager who is intelligent and sensitive beyond her years, and she silently but perceptively assesses every member of the family. She bonds with Jai and even develops a crush on him.
The Diwali reunion snowballs into a flurry of activity, incidents both funny and dramatic, and ends on a rather predictable note. There are fleeting similarities to Daadi Ki Shaadi and The Great Shamsuddin Family but the climax, yet again, does not come across as convincing in the way it is depicted. Of course, I loved the way Jai and Meera thresh out her crush on him.
Ritwik Bhowmik is good, but the show is stolen above all by Shivika Rishi as Meera: she is astounding! Ayuushman Ghai as Sid and Dalai as Sana are superb. Stalwart oldies Rohini Hattangadi and Ayesha Reza Misra remain expectedly outstanding and Gaurav K. Sharma, Abhay Kaul and Tarana Raja shine as well. R.C. Pathak makes a special mark as Shantaram.
Debut-making writer and director Radhika Bansal does a passable job. But in the end, despite relishing the warmth of the film, we wonder why Jai could not be convinced earlier to move on.
Rating: ***
Netflix presents Utthan Capital’s Meethe Mein Kya Hai Produced by: Ajit Mohan Written & directed by: Radhika Bansal Music: Amit Trivedi Starring: Ritwik Bhowmik, Shivika Rishi, Kanikka Kapur, Rohini Hattangadi, Ayesha Reza Mishra, Ayuushman Ghai, Dalai, Gaurav K. Sharma, Abhay Kaul, R.C. Pathak, Kiara Chauhan & others
