Happy Family, Conditions Apply series Review: A simple Family drama with plenty of humour

Unlike nuclear families, joint families are expected to have a set of restrictions and rules. Maintaining a safe boundary and handling the oddities of family members would probably be the thumb rule in such an arrangement. 

Dholakias is a rare Gujarati family, that follows none of these rules and yet lives happily. With four generations staying under one roof, every single member has a peculiar behaviour, which interferes with the decision every other person makes in the house. 

Director: Jamnadas Majethia
Cast: Ratna Pathak Shah, Raj Babbar, Atul Kulkarni, Ayesha Jhulka

Happy Family, Conditions Apply starts with a shot of Hemlata (Ratna Patak Shah) and Mansukhlal (Raj Babbar) in bed, when the former hears the noise of a bird. She wakes up the entire house by screaming, “If you want to sleep peacefully then wake up and shoo this bird.” They all come together and find an owl in the living room. And even at that juncture, Hemlata’s daughter-in-law Pallavi (Ayesha Jhulka) pulls all of them together for a selfie. This introductory scene is enough to show how weird yet perfect they are. 

The Dholakias are never serious about anything. As mentioned earlier, they all have peculiar traits. For example, Pallavi is a selfie addict, and her husband Ramesh (Atul Kulkarni) is a pharmacist who cannot help but bring up the chemical names of medicines in any given situation. Similarly, Pallavi’s son Sanjay (Raunaq Kamdar) has changed his name to Sanjouy and keeps correcting his family’s pronunciation even in the most serious of times. His wife Tisca’s worst pet peeve is bad grammar, and she has to correct them irrespective of what conversation they’re having. These tropes follow throughout the series, and their quirkiness pops up when we least expect it and end up making us laugh aloud. 

The series revolves around basic conflicts that the family faces, and how they solve every challenge together. As it shows the thoughts and actions of four generations under one roof, it has both progressive and regressive ideologies conveyed at the same time. For instance, Hemalata keeps expressing her regressive thoughts. Although she is progressive enough to drink Champagne almost all the time, she is regressive when it comes to her granddaughter-in-law taking up a job in another state. Hemlata’s granddaughter Ayushi (Sanah Kapur) keeps correcting her grandmother, thereby also setting an example about how far we have come as a society. These scenes are constructed in a way that highlights the importance of youngsters patiently correcting the older generation and making them accustomed to the changing times. 

For a series about family sentiments and values, the story thankfully touches upon a number of topics including inclusivity and gender equality. All of the conflicts in the tale are handled with humour, without being preachy or dramatic. Conveying messages in an entertaining way is definitely one of the biggest plus points of Happy Family. 

Watching Atul Kulkarni play an innocent Ramesh, and Ratna Patak Shah acing the role of a sassy Gujarati grandmother, are the best takeaways from the series for me. While all the cast members have delivered competitively good performances, Ratna’s demeanour as a 60+-year-old is unmatchable. It makes me wonder whether there’s any role that the actor will not be able to pull off. Similarly, while many of us are used to seeing Atul as a villain, Ramesh is a refreshing character that we will remember for a long time. 

The last scene in the series shows the youngest in the family, Aryan asking the maid Kanakkavalli, “What is going to happen next?” Although the story is very simple, the writing of unpredictable dialogues and reactions makes it intriguing enough. The series does not aim to present something new. But it humbly aims to present the knowns in an entertaining fashion. The series ends with a cliffhanger, a suspense that will not make us impatient, but gives enough fuel for the next season. Happy Family, Conditions Apply is a series that will make you laugh and forget your worries. It will make you want to call up your uncle or hug your sibling, and feel thankful for your family.