An intricately detailed and keenly observed family drama, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi is a piercing, true-to-life portrait of relationships and the times we live in.
When Ramprasad’s (Naseeruddin Shah) sudden death one night brings his family together to observe a 13-day mourning, inconvenient, unpalatable truths and cracks in relationships, long untended, surface. Cracks turned to gaping chasms, that had remained veneered by superficiality.
While a wife is trying to cope with the emotional trauma of her husband’s death, she must also come to terms with the glaring reality of the situation and a life that lies ahead.
Deceptively Simple, Remarkably Poignant
A satire on death, and life, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi has a deceptively simple premise. But don’t let that mislead or eclipse your judgment about the film. Director Seema Bhargava’s (Badki from the iconic TV series Hum Log (1984)) directorial prowess elevates the film beyond the script and its genre. Her unhurried, nuanced storytelling effortlessly draws you into its world. [Related: 23 Must Watch Bollywood Movies From Women Filmmakers]
Every character is meticulously etched and aids the screenplay while getting their time and space to shine. Acting heavyweights like Supriya Pathak, Vinay Pathak, Manoj Pahwa, Ninad Kamat, Konkana Sen, Vikrant Massey, Parambrata Chatterjee bring out the conflicts and the dilemmas of their characters with a sensitivity that comes from true insight and experience.
For a story set in a small town steeped in patriarchal moorings, it’s heartening to see women, subtly and at times pronouncedly, stand up to patriarchy in their own ways.
A rich, intricately detailed and keenly observed family drama, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi is a piercing, true-to-life portrait of relationships and the times we live in.
Handled with remarkable grace, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi is the best film I’ve seen so far this year.
Rating: 4/5
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