The Great Indian Family REVIEW: Vicky Kaushal starrer is a sweet entertainer backed with a ‘non-preachy’ social message

Film:
Th Great Indian Family REVIEW

Runtime: 1 hour 52 mins

Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya

Star cast: Vicky Kaushal, Manushi Chhillar, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Bhuvan Arora, Shristi Dixit

Platform: Theatre

The Great Indian Family review

The Great Indian Family starring Vicky Kaushal and Manushi Chhillar is a sweet entertaining drama. When the movie started playing, I was instantly reminded of movies like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bareilly Ki Barfi and many more small-town stories. You automatically connect to such stories which are connected to the ground roots. They are more relatable and more authentic. Well, TGIF is also one of those movies that connects with you instantly.

In India, we constantly judge a person through their caste and religion. Given that our country is diverse and many different kinds of people live in it, there’s a divide between Hindus and Muslims. The Great Indian Family movie touches upon this topic but with care, emotions and a little bit of humour. Yes, one might also feel that this topic is something that has been shown to death but I liked how the director Vijay Krishna Acharya kept it light and emotional. The Hindu-Muslim topic is not rubbed on your face but it slowly develops as the movie progresses. 

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Vijay Krishna Acharya who has previously helmed Dhoom 3, Tashan and Thugs Of Hindostan picked a very genre this time. It’s something that I wasn’t expecting Vijay to pick and surprisingly, he did deliver an engaging entertainer. Once you see the movie, TGIF is so different from what Vijay has directed in the past. And it is kind of refreshing to see him trying a new vision for himself.

Story:

A religious Hindu man named Ved Vyas has always been hesitant to become a pandit since childhood. Despite being born into a Pandit family, he stays away from it. But one-day spirituality hits him on a different level and becomes Bhajan Kumar. However, Bhajan Kumar gets a huge shock and goes through a crisis when he comes to know that he is actually a Muslim by birth. But is this the truth? Will Bhajan Kumar prove his identity?

What’s best about TGIF

The theme/setting: I don’t know why but I really love watching small-town stories. Maybe because I have never been to such cities or places and that’s why I feel very connected. Whatever might be the reason, it is very heartwarming. I had a similar feeling with TGIF. The way Vijay narrated the movie with simplicity, it felt warm and homely.

Social message: There’s a scene in the movie where Bhajan Kumar dresses up like a Muslim person wearing a green kurta and pyjama with taqiyah and kohl eyes. (Yes, I know. Typical) In the next scene, he asks his Muslim friends how to eat like one and how to behave like one. When his Muslim friends started eating and behaving, he thought they were teasing him or making fun of him. He realises there’s nothing really different from one another except the language and the prayers. It is a very simple scene and yet looks so impactful.

Given that the movie is also on the lines of the Hindu-Muslim, the director Vijay tries to convey a social message without being dramatic and preachy.

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What didn’t work for TGIF

Dramatic: The first half of the movie was quite entertaining and engaging; however, the second half seems a bit dramatic. Considering that it is on the lines of Hindu-Muslim, I feel it was quite dramatic after the interval.

Star performance

Vicky Kaushal is a great performer, be it comedy or serious roles, he excels in all roles. This is not coming out love but Vicky is genuinely a good actor. And he proved to be the same in this movie as well. I feel Vicky has a great ability to express his emotions through his eyes. You can automatically feel happiness and sadness and that’s why I really adore him as an actor. I thoroughly enjoyed him as Bhajan Kumar.

Manushi Chhillar plays his love interest in the movie and contributes nothing significant to the story. After making a debut in Samrat Prithviraj, I thought she had the potential to become a good actor. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same in her second movie. No offence but her character was not needed in the story and it seemed like she was in the movie just to add the glamour quotient.

Kumud Mishra is phenomenal as Vicky’s father. I have always loved his performance and he did a terrific job with his role in TGIF.

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Manoj Pahwa also delivers a stellar performance, especially during the emotional argument scene with Vicky. He was just phenomenal. On the other hand, Bhuvan Arora, Alka Amin, Yashpal Sharma and Sadiya Siddiqui have given great support to this movie. All of them have done a good job with their parts. Shristi Dixit makes her Bollywood debut with TGIF and she has also done a decent job. Also, I envy her for sharing screen space with Vicky. Lucky, Shristi.

Conclusion

Concluding my review, The Great Indian Family movie is a light-hearted drama that is worth watching and will leave you with a smile. It is a Vicky Kaushal and Kumud Mishra movie as they both stole all the limelight. They both shone in the entire film with their terrific performances.

Watch The Great Indian Family trailer after the review

Also read: Sukhee Review: The Shilpa Shetty Kundra starrer has decent performances, but lacks the spark