Home Shanti review: Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak's family entertainer is a breath of fresh air

3.5/5

Story:

Home Shanti is a tale of a middle-class family on their journey of building a new permanent house.

Verdict:

The Joshis are like any other middle-class family in this country. The show begins on a soothing note where Manoj Pahwa as a poet, Umesh Joshi 'Sujan', begins introducing every member of his house in a poem. Along with the intro, the montage displays picturesque locations of Dehradun along with the main cast. He also informs the viewers about their upcoming journey of building their own permanent residence.

From the beginning to end, the makers' approach to realism makes each of the episodes genuine and connected to the audience. Some of the sequences seem to have directly taken from our day-to-day life as a scene displays how Sarla Joshi (Supriya Pathak), warns her son to not eat meat as it's the day for a bhumi pooja, while in another shot Umesh Joshi can be seen listening to a cricket match during an important pooja ritual. These are the things that are truly relatable to most of us and our middle-class households.

Manoj is the most adorable character in the show. The natural approach to his character makes you believe that he is indeed Umesh Joshi, the middle-aged father-husband of a middle-class home.

A true movie buff would know that Supriya Pathak is one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema. Meanwhile, she proves that she is an amazing performer as in Home Shanti, her Sarla Joshi who is a school vice principal, wouldn't even make you remember for a second that she was Dhankhor, a lethal gangster, from Ram Leela.

Apart from the experienced actors, the makers have cast Chakori Dwivedi (playing Jigyasa), and Poojan Chhabra (as Naman) as siblings, who are relatable enough to any of us who have siblings. The new actress adds the charm with her rude, controlling elder sibling character, while the Kota Factory actor shines as the dumb, younger brother.

The Akanksha Dua directorial showcases the story of a family, who are finally shifting to their own house from a government quarter. Their struggle from finding a good architect to building the house to finalising the interiors of their new abode is a chaotic but delightful journey. From Jigyasa desiring her own separate bathroom to the parents wanting to have their own study, the fun spat within the family adds to the humour of the show.

Meanwhile, the special appearances of some of the famous web actors make the show special. Such as Nidhi Bisht (who is also serving as writer and producer) and Biswapati Sarkar as government officers, while Sameer Saxena can be seen as a famous poet.

Home Shanti is a breath of fresh air among all the serious crime, thriller shows available on OTT platforms. A few months ago, Gullak 3 was the only series that bagged such an important place in audiences' hearts.

Verdict:

The 6 episode limited web series on Disney+ Hotstar is a must watch with your siblings or your whole family