POPCORN REVIEWSS

Written by Palak Bhambri and Adhiraj Sharma, the first season of Perfect Family subvert the genre of a family drama with a prominent flavour of therapy, something that immediately adds weightage to the drama. The gaze often oscillates in binary – one that unfolds through the society wherein the family paints a happy picture to the world, and the other being an intimate, layered and a textured gaze of a teenager that tells us a completely different picture of the family. And like most of us who have an underlying layer of trauma brewing somewhere, the first reaction of the family members remains that of denial – almost equating ‘therapy’ to ‘madness’, and the doctor to ‘Paagalon Ka Doctor’ (doctor for mental patients).

One of the strongest aspects of the drama remains its characterization, almost allowing the writing to dabble in different combinations during the therapy sequences – in isolation, the males together, the females together, and all family members together. It is interesting on how the trauma finds its origin from Somnath – the tipsy patriarch of the family who may not be the most affable character, but the writing treats him with sensitivity. For instance in a sequence, you see him groping his wife in public whilst being drunk. In another, you see him imposing his worldview on his daughter and wife – much like the kingpin of patriarchy in the household. Or even scoffing at a ‘Muslim’ teacher in his granddaughter’s school. You also see him imposing his masculinity on his son – forcing him to swim as a child, or be the ‘man’ of the house when he is all grown up. But most of his traits trace their roots to his own past, wherein he did get a similar treatment of isolation from his family, and masculinity from his uncle – thereby shaping his worldview in a certain level.

The same applies to Kamla, an ordinary housewife who has adopted the prevalence of patriarchy in her household – always willing to support her husband even when he isn’t right. There is a streak of sensitivity in her character, particularly when she recalls having icecream with her hubby before the kids were born, a distant memory that she labels as perfect. And yet invariably, the kind of compromises that she has made – makes her want to impose the same on the other women of her household too. In her eyes, it seems like a caring – even while coaxing her daughter to get married and be settled in life, or venting her anger at her daughter-in-law for wanting a separate home for her husband and children.

Both Pooja and Neeti are both similar characters with very different personalities in the mix. The latter remains like a ticking time-bomb, often finding solace with pain – something that she often imposes in the form of cuts on her thighs or her fingers. You can sense that Neeti was a very different person before marriage and children – she was jovial and very much in love with her then boyfriend and now husband, except that everything would change post marriage. Her identity remains a question – silently aspiring to apply for a writing job, quietly suffering from her childhood trauma of her father leaving her mother, whilst all responsibility would fall on her tender shoulders – only to be repeatedly reminded of classism by her mother, citing on how she would always leave a home ‘broken’ due to the class differences. Ironically, she isn’t happy with her husband too, and also imposing similar bursts of control on her daughter.

Pooja on the other hand, is a character that always has a mind of her own – whilst having to give in at times, for the ‘happiness’ of her parents. You see her entrepreneurial skills at play in a scene when she chooses to impress her dad’s client by willing to adapt to shifting times. Or even opting for a snack stall outside her sweet shop. Or willingly repaying her dad’s loan with her money. But the constant pressures of patriarchy christen her character, imposed by both her parents – her dad howls at the idea of handing his business to her ‘more’ capable hands Her mother emotionally blackmailing her into marrying a guy that she finds ‘boring’, whilst paying no attention to the one that she has fallen for – to the extent that there is an entire thread of them finding ways to patch them up together before divorce. And yet, you feel that there is a searing layer of trauma – something that she has accumulated over the years, somewhere buried deep within her, that is often tapped into during the ongoing family sessions.

Vishnu remains an interesting character in the mix too, a character that may well be relevant to many males from dysfunctional families. On the professional front, you see him pushing for a promotion – except that he is always insulted by his boss, so much so that he willingly releases his stress by locking himself in a toilet and jerking it off to boss-secretary p*rn. Stress plays an invisible but important character in his life – he is a practicing Buddhist who begins chanting to relieve it. You even notice the patriarchal undertones of his character – wanting to be the sole person who would arrange money for a new home for his immediate family, often snapping at his wife who wishes to work and contribute towards the funds. There is also a whiff of an affair at work, finding solace in a person who is far from his home – almost a form of escapism from his own reality. And yet, there is a hint of empathy even while being at the receiving end of the wrath of masculinity imposed by his father – something that prominently remains a dark chapter of his childhood.

The proceedings are layered, with the trajectory of the drama starting on the surface with the most frivolous fights, while delving deeper into the psyche of every character. I did have a few staging issues in a few sequences – a father-daughter dance competition at school, or even a photography competition, or a specific birthday party sequence that would invariably add flabby minutes to the narrative. But in hindsight, I felt that these sequences are as important given the dual gaze that the writing wishes to employ – almost painting a rosy picture to the world, while keeping the darkness buried within the realms of the home. And that remained a consistent trait in the narrative – something that would often act as a reminder on how all of us are riddled with trauma while having an urge to paint our happy side to the world. The screenplay is poignant, impactful and beautifully christened with emotions that absolutely hits home!