Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi(2021)- Review
Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi is a drama-comedy directed by Seema Pahwa. It starts with Ramprasad’s (Naseeruddin Shah) demise and his family having to come and live under the same roof to perform all the Hindu rituals within the 13-day mandatory period that they need to stay for. Ramprasad & his wife (Supriya Pathak) have a big family with 6 children their spouses, their children, and a lot many close relatives. While the task of staying and showing their respect sounds simple enough the enormity of the family and the friction among some of the members, the task is going to be nowhere near easy. The movie tries to showcase the familial bonding that one share’s, even after having some dicey moments with their loved ones, and aims to do so with few comic scenes here and there.
In the modern hustle & bustle of urban life modern families often share a not so great relationship with their family. While this has come to be in recent times it is nothing as showcased in this new era of Indian entertainment, that blatantly try to make the characters and storylines ultra-modern with way too fictionalized & often pretentious content. The movie tries to break this norm and show the real picture of the Asian culture, or at the least Indian culture of modern times. The film's script is bold and tries to address the reality/change that has come about in people’s social life with elements of gossip, envy, selfishness, etc. While the script has successfully done its purpose, other aspects of the movie don't do a good job upholding the creativity of the script. The casting department should be acknowledged to bring a cohort of people who have at many times been seen in successful movies playing supporting actors portraying comic roles.
While this usually works out in a movie's advantage, the culmination of so many actors with ample comedic prowess ultimately makes a mess of it. Such movies, where humorous situations are created while acknowledging the dire situation that has come about, often have the drama circumventing around the comedy displayed. But here it is the opposite with comedy playing second fiddle to grim scenes. Not that such movies are not good, but with the actors cast everyone watching this film would expect to feature a good bit of comedy. While Supriya Pathak does a satisfactory job her efforts are overseen due to the unsatisfactory output of other cast members.
The only thing done well in the movie is the authenticity and meticulous choice of the set. It is not a film that will be on peoples mouth’s for long, if at all. All types of audiences will be disappointed no matter how low an expectation one keeps. It is not a must-watch and at best a movie that could be chosen when you are bored and limited for choices.
Acting- 6.5
Casting- 7
Cinematography- 8
Dialogue- 7
Directing- 8
Editing & Effects- 6
Sound & Music- 5
Story- 8.5
Storytelling- 4.5
Rating- 5.5
Available On: Netflix