Perfect Family Series Review: A perceptive exploration of dysfunctionality and generational trauma

Perfect Family Series Review:

The core narrative idea of a "dysfunctional family" has long been a staple of Hindi cinema. From old Karan Johar dramas to Mira Nair classics to films such as Kapoor and Sons, the industry has churned out many films with this narrative element. Speaking of which, what sets the series Perfect Family apart from the rest? For starters, the way it explores generational trauma with the angle of family therapy is very unique, at least for Indian cinema. Without reverting to preachiness or soapy sentimentality, it makes for insightful conversations about what it means to live in a joint family set-up in India. The plot follows the Karkarias, who have long been living a farcical life under the facade of being a family. Despite their co-dependence, the Karkarias are fundamentally estranged and do not know each other's struggles and coping mechanisms.

The family head, Somnath Karkaria (Manoj Pahwa) keeps humiliating his son Vishnu’s (Gulshan Devaiah) lack of bravery to hide his own fears and insecurities behind him. Vishnu chants a mantra to repress his feelings and occasionally masturbates to relieve his stress. Vishnu's wife Neeti (Girija Oak) physically hurts herself at every perceived act of injustice against her to make herself numb to everything that goes on in her life. Somnath’s wife Kamla Karkaria (Seema Pahwa) takes some of her frustration out on her daughter-in-law and shows a dangerous sense of submission to patriarchal values. And Somnath and Kamala’s daughter Pooja (Kaveri Seth) invests her money and time in her family business to shy away from confronting the fact that her marriage is a lie. Each of them is a broken individual, carrying trauma and the baggage of having to live the perfect life to keep their family's reputation intact.

Creator: Palak Bhambri

Director: Sachin Pathak

Cast: Manoj Pahwa, Seema Pahwa, Girija Oak, Gulshan Devaiah

Streamer: YouTube

The Karkarias have a strong reason to seek therapy, which makes it more than just a mere plot device to drive the narrative forward. When young Daani (Hirva Trivedi) develops severe anxiety, she finds it hard to get along with her classmates, and the school recommends therapy for her family, recognising that her issues stem from her family’s behaviour and emotional state. While their therapist Megha (Neha Dhupia) knows that there is something wrong with the Karkarias’ treatment of each other, the family members themselves are not cognisant of this even as the signs are blatantly obvious. Perfect Family also uses flashbacks to explore a chapter from each of the Karkarias’ past lives to show what makes them who they are in their present. Often, the flashbacks come suddenly in the middle of a therapy session they have with Megha, forcing us to vicariously confront the protagonists’ problems.

While Perfect Family does offer a refreshingly nuanced look at a dysfunctional family, it is particularly notable that the series never promises therapy as the be-all and end-all solution. It conveys narratively, visually, and verbally that therapy is only a part of the journey towards gradual healing and not the ultimate cure for all our problems. At the end of the show, the Karkarias are only halfway through the journey. This means that Perfect Family is devoid of the kind of pleasures that fictional narratives often tend to offer. The series is more concerned with exploring its ‘subjects’ from an existential point of view, and it does not really complete the characters’ arcs and journeys, which is both its inherent strength and a drawback.

Often, the pacing also dips considerably, and the narrative also has the odd slip-up. For example, the therapist tells Vishnu that masturbation is “a common stress relief practice” and that there is no shame in it, only to immediately ask an explanation from him for it. While it does this only to delve deeper into Vishnu’s psyche, and successfully so, one wishes that the therapist had phrased her question about masturbation differently from a straightforward question, especially because a more subtle implication could have sufficed. The present version unintentionally comes across as the makers themselves not being comfortable with exploring the idea of masturbation.

Despite these minor quibbles, the show works wonderfully as an intimate exploration of a broken family and thrives on the strong ensemble cast. Each of the actors delivers superlative performances, and more than mere characters, they serve as living embodiments of different ideas, including generational trauma. Manoj and Seema deliver an acting masterclass as a couple who are both victims and unintended propagators of patriarchy. Girija Oak's character sometimes hinges on the theatrical, but the actor does a superb job of laying bare Neeti's injustices and aspirations. Gulshan Devaiah shows commendable restraint before his character breaks down in tears. Meanwhile, Neha Dhupia brings a perceptive touch to the role of the therapist, and even the child actors fit their characters like a glove.

The locations, especially the Karkarias’ residence, have a lived-in feel to them, and the lines make you want to eavesdrop on the conversations. All in all, while Perfect Family may not be easy to sit through due to the lack of narrative pleasures, its presentation of harsh truths and use of therapy as a narrative device shows why the title in itself is an oxymoron. And while not all families are perfect, this one is particularly hard to forget.