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This culturally rooted entertainer celebrates the madness of big Indian families while acknowledging their burdens. It might not push cinematic boundaries, but it delivers an honest, heartfelt portrait of love wrapped in clutter

Title: The Great Shamsuddin Family

Director: Anushka Rizvi

Cast: Kritika Kamra, Farida Jalal, Sheeba Chaddha, Dolly Ahluwalia, and others

Where: JioHotstar

Rating: 3 Stars

This is exactly the sort of film that makes you wonder why interior designers in India even bother selling the idea of “personal space.” Director Anusha Rizvi returns with a slice-of-life comedy drama that tastes sweet, sour, and occasionally over-spiced, much like the family it portrays. The premise is simple enough. Bani, played with steady grace by Kritika Kamra, has twelve hours to submit a crucial US job application. Naturally, this is the moment when her entire extended clan decides to treat her home as the arrival terminal of the Shamsuddin International Airport.

What follows is a dense medley of secrets, aspirations, sudden Umrah plans, misplaced sajjada (praying mats), cash deposits, and an unexpected marriage plan. The film revels in the noisy charm of a joint family where privacy is a myth. Yet beneath their interactions lies a thoughtfully woven undercurrent. The narrative softly touches upon the anxieties the Muslim community carries in everyday life, never sermonising, but never hiding either.

While the plotting sometimes feels like a stage play with meticulously timed entrances and exits, the execution remains breezy. The script mines humour from chaos, warmth from conflict, and tenderness from misunderstandings. The film’s strength is its ability to make the mess feel real and lived in, and the emotional payoff lands with sincerity.

Actors’ Performance

Kritika Kamra anchors the film with admirable subtlety. She plays Bani as a woman constantly ricocheting between duty and ambition, frustration and affection, and her performance gives the narrative its emotional heartbeat. Shreya Dhanwanthary’s Iram is spirited yet gullible, especially in the scenes involving her mehr money mission. Juhi Babbar complements her well as the efficient older cousin Humaira.

The veterans steal the screen with delightful ease. Dolly Ahluwalia, Farida Jalal, Natasha Rastogi and Sheeba Chaddha bring warmth, comic timing, and an unspoken history that makes their sisterhood instantly believable. Nishank Verma and Anushka Banerjee add to the familial mayhem, while Purab Kohli breezes in with just the right amount of charm. Every actor feels perfectly placed, and there is not a single dull performance in the ensemble.

Aesthetics

This is not a film that flaunts grandeur. The production values are modest and intentionally grounded. Much of the story unfolds inside Bani’s home, giving the film an intimate, theatre-like feel. The cluttered interiors and overlapping conversations all contribute to a lived-in authenticity. Rizvi’s eye for detail is evident in the way she frames domestic frenzy without losing the emotional threads.

The aesthetic strength lies in its realism. The weakness lies in visual monotony. Occasionally, one wishes the camera would escape the apartment to offer a breather. Still, the controlled environment heightens the sense of pressure on Bani and mirrors the claustrophobia of her situation.

FPJ Verdict

Overall, this culturally rooted entertainer celebrates the madness of big Indian families while acknowledging their burdens. It might not push cinematic boundaries, but it delivers an honest, heartfelt portrait of love wrapped in clutter. It is a perfect pick for viewers who enjoy stories of togetherness, generational tussles, and the bittersweet bonds that make families both impossible and indispensable.