Sardar Ka Grandson review: Arjun Kapoor’s mushy romcom also deals with important themes in its background

2.5/5

Kaashvie Nair’s Sardar Ka Grandson combines all the elements that make a mushy Bollywood romcom drama film - there are strong familial bonds, a quirky (and typically North Indian) joint family, a last wish that needs to be fulfilled and a romance that still lingers years after its inception.

The plot of this film follows Amreek (Arjun Kapoor), a carefree man, who lives with his fiance Radha (Rakul Preet Singh) in the United States. Amreek is the epitome of untimely boyhood - he has little regard for others, struggles to apologize to his significant other over issues that are clearly stemming from him, and cannot bring himself to reconcile even when he is in agony. His separation from Radha prompts him to visit his family in Amritsar on his father’s invitation, who claims that Sardar (Neena Gupta), the matriarch of the Singh family and Amreek’s grandmother is unwell.

Sardar is unlike most grandmothers - she revels in a drink of imported whiskey, promises everyone a share in her will to bribe them, and only asks her dog for forgiveness. Her experience of having lost the love of her life, her husband Gursher Singh (John Abraham) during the post partition violence in Lahore still plagues her. Unable to fill the void in her heart and recognising that her days are numbered, she asks only one thing of her grandson - she wants to go back to Lahore and visit the house she called her own with her husband.

The pivotal turning point of the plot is when Amreek starts shedding his old skin of being irresponsible and devoid of warmth by embarking on a journey to make Sardar happy. However, things go in typical Amreek fashion - he disappoints Sardar when he is unable to get her visa approved and breaks her heart by disappearing. Little does she know, Amreek has started aiming for the clouds by employing the technique of structural relocation to move Sardar’s house from Lahore to Amritsar. The rest of the film follows Amreek’s scuffles with government officials and locals in Lahore.

Though Sardar Ka Grandson is not the most finely tuned in terms of its narrative, with many scenes seeming to be quite groundless, the film is not empty in its effort of evoking emotion and entertaining audiences. Plenty of light-hearted moments are thrown in the mix of the heartache of a dying woman who is barely holding on (though in her own Sardar fashion) to relive her memories of her husband. One aspect of this film shines brightly -  though Sardar Ka Grandson is a little bit of a romcom and a little bit of a comedy, it is also a coming-of-age tale for Amreek.

Kapoor’s performance as Amreek lacks flavour, for the audience will find it difficult to discern the crux of his emotions on multiple occasions. Singh’s role as Radha is not as extensive, but she is able to move the plot forward efficiently. Gupta is the one who stands out in the cast. She imbibes the eccentricities of Sardar to perfection, playing the role of a woman who is much older than her. She does not shy away from overexpressing her sullenness and stretching her comedic moments, but it works in her favour and her performance reads as natural as any Punjabi grandmother.

Flashbacks of Abraham’s relationship with Aditi Rao Hydari, who plays a young Sardar, are lively and delightfully penned down. Before you know it, you’ll find your heart breaking at the death of Abraham’s character. The film also delves into important issues of the displacement and loneliness experienced by the Indian diaspora. Sardar Ka Grandson is in no manner the most eloquent representation of all it wishes to tackle, but the film will entertain the audience and provide comic relief in the time of a pandemic irrespective.