Family Aaj Kal ( Season 1 )
Introduction
One of the most important byproducts of love is acceptance. But the dynamics back home are different given that along with the couple, even families are engaged in a relationship. With that, I finished watching the new Hindi show, the first season of Family Aaj Kal which is now streaming on SonyLiv. The show did have a relatively low key release but its light-hearted trailer did promise for an interesting family dynamics following their knowledge of their daughter falling in love with a cab driver. Yes, the premise is a little uncommon and far-fetched but it definitely did manage to catch my attention. But more importantly, I was also looking forward to watching one of the last works of Nitesh Pandey, an actor who was blessed with an impeccable sense of comedy but is now sadly not with us. So then does Family Aaj Kal manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
The first season of Family Aaj Kal follows the story of Meher who must convince her family that Gaurav is the love of her life. The twist – Gaurav is a cab driver much to the dismay of Meher’s family. The story here is nothing earth-shattering or novel, something that you may not have watched already. But, there is a sense of sweetness in the drama which coupled with some moments of comedy, does make for a rather pleasant watch. What also works in favour of the show is the length. At a screenplay standing at just 5 episodes of roughly 20 odd minutes each, the pace of the show is definitely maintained while focusing on a family trying to cope with a situation. My only issue with the show was that because it was heavily focused on just one event and the situations arising from the same, it did tend to get a little monotonous given the limitations of the setup.
The drama does open with the introduction of all the principal characters including the protagonist Meher who wishes to reveal her ‘secret’ to her family who are more involved in their own personal lives. The setting seemed to be of the era when the world was slowly finding its feet post the pandemic that explains the character of Meher working from home while staying with her family. During the chao, you do get a little glimpse of Gaurav who is Meher’s beloved, a charming personality buried under the garb of his profession as perceived by many folks. The revelation soon takes place only for the family to go into a frenzy who decide to ‘research’ on cabbies based on their lifestyles and their earnings.
The proceedings are fairly interesting while also serving a few laugh out loud moments that ensure that you have a smile on your face for most parts of the narrative. The demerit for me was the limitations that the situation brought with it, wherein there was only so much you could explore with the writing, even while maintaining the tone of the drama. So, the drama does get a little repetitive and a tad monotonous in its second act when the story itself is revolving around the parents trying to cope with the new-found love of their daughter. However, the events still are watchable and occassionally throw in a few punches to garner your attention every now and then.
The drama works the best in its flashback section wherein you do get acquainted with the journey of Meher and Gaurav, and the manner in which destiny played a part in both souls meeting. That entire sequence felt quite organic and it did break the monotone of the drama to an extent that it made me invest in the characters a little more. The events leading to the final act are decent although a notch below the flashback sequence but it definitely does make a case for a pleasant watch. The events unfold on predictable lines but there is a sweetness to it with the parents finally coming to terms with their daughter’s relationship. After all, what is love but acceptance! Overall, the screenplay is decently well penned and makes for a pleasant watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are decently well written and go well with the vibe of the drama. The BGM is adequate and does what was expected of it. The cinematography is good but in a show like this, there was an opportunity to make the city a character by capturing some frames along the way which would have been synonymous to the vibe that Meher and Gaurav share with each other. The editing is decent but a few screenplsy lags ought to have been ironed off. Director Parikshit Joshi does a good job here while allowing the viewers to invest in the characters and the dynamics that they share. The second act needed a little more urgency while being less repetitive and that is a small learning that can be taken away here which otherwise was quite a pleasant outing by the director.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here by the cast. Anwita Sundaram and Krish Rao have their moments to shine during the little debate which was pivotal in the overall scheme of things. Mansoor Akhtar as Bauji is first rate here. Aakarshan Singh as Sahir impresses even though I did feel that his character was a little one-dimensional. Prakhar Singh as Gaurav is outstanding to the core with his mannerisms and also his one-liners that will invariably put a smile om your face. He does come across as a pleasant personality onscreen which was an important virtue in allowing the viewers to invest in his dynamics with Meher. Sonali Sachdev as Faiza is absolutely top notch and she does a wonderful job here as the doting mother who is unwilling to budge. Nitesh Pandey as Shekhar in probably his final work is amazing with his impeccable sense of comic timing that was the highlight of his character. His ability to find traces of humour in the most unexpected place was quite a sight to witness. Apoorva Arora as Meher is quietly charming with a lovely presence onscreen. The drama does unfold mostly through her gaze and so it was important for her to hold fort. And she does that quite capably so. She has a certain assertiveness to her character that is quite eye-catching in an act that definitely leaves a mark.
Conclusion
The first season of Family Aaj Kal is a harmless Rom-Com of pleasant proportions that makes for a decent watch overall. Available on SonyLiv.