Every generation of Indians has to tackle numerous social challenges. But some challenges continue through generations. There is a constant struggle between parents and children about the latter’s individuality and autonomy. Any attempt by the children to assert their free will ends with the classic line from the parents, ‘We know better than you.’ Anusha Rizvi explores such aspects of parental relationships in The Great Shamsuddin Family. But instead of overt dramatisations, Rizvi uses a small apartment, like a theatre stage, to ground the film and its characters, to tell a heartfelt, human story.

Director: Anusha Rizvi

Cast: Kritika Kamra, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Juhi Babbar, Sheeba Chaddha, Farida Jalal, and Dolly Ahluwalia

In The Great Shamsuddin Family, Bani (Kritika Kamra) faces a 12-hour deadline for an important job application. Being the ever-reliable, grounded daughter she is, she has to make room for every member of her family to come over to her house to deal with the problems they have gotten themselves into. The anticipation for the tension isn’t with thriller elements, but it is something as simple as a doorbell or a phone’s ringtone, which make the viewer wonder, what will Bani have to deal with now? Apart from setting the stage for endless surprises, Rizvi also takes the time to make each character memorable. Iram (Shreya Dhanwanthary) is duped by her “boyfriend” into stealing money from her mother. But instead of being designed as a gullible character, Rizvi writes Iram with a lot of charm, in order for the audience to empathise with her.

But it isn’t just Rizvi who makes the characters interesting. Each of the cast members comfortably uses the space allotted for them to give holistic performances. Kritika Kamra portrays the fatigue of the responsible daughter/responsible sibling by making use of silent moments, rather than dialogues. It is in those moments that Kritika uses only expressions to make the audience empathise with her. Shreya Dhanwanthary as Iram and Juhi Babbar as Humaira deftly balance the serious moments with the comedic ones. Sheeba Chaddha, Farida Jalal, and Dolly Ahluwalia represent the characteristic flaws properly. The cages that these characters put Bani, Iram, and Humaira, are reinforced with the assertiveness that Sheeba, Farida, and Dolly bring to their role. But the absurdity of those cages is also showcased when the older women are flexible for personal reasons.

Beneath the complex layers of conflicts between every character, there are real-life problems that are embedded. In The Great Shamsuddin Family, the characters have more than individual problems to worry about. They have to worry about society’s perception of them as women and as Muslims. At a key scene in the film, the leads continuously remind each other that, beyond dealing with an interfaith marriage, they also have to deal with mobs that can pose real threats to their lives. Rizvi doesn’t dedicate entire scenes to making examples of those problems. Instead, she weaves them into scenes to create a tapestry that captures the full picture that the problem poses. In a small runtime, Rizvi makes sure that every line that society draws for women and Muslims are given individual importance without compromise.

Beyond the plot and its characters, the team behind the screen also helps in making this a holistic watch. Simran Hora uses music as a catalyst to add weight to the dramatic moments. Remy Debashis Dalai creates a soft, calming image to ease the viewer into the chaos that the family poses. Apart from satisfying wide shots, he uses closeups that maintains the softness, but still conveys the weight of the scene. The Great Shamsuddin Family also has some incomplete additions, like Purab Kohli’s insufferable character, Amitav, who ties into the main plot on a technicality. However, with the positive aspects masking these minor issues to a satisfying extent, the film makes up for a great watch.