Sharmila Tagore, Manoj Bajpayee, and Simran Bagga stand out in the ensemble family drama Gulmohar

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Sharmila Tagore, Amol Palekar, Simran Bagga, Suraj Sharma 

Families bound together by a home can fall apart when they find separate abodes- that’s the running theme of the sensitive, nuanced family drama, Gulmohar. The film not only marks Sharmila Tagore’s OTT debut but also her acting appearance after Break ke Baad in 2010.  

A story of frayed relationships between three generations of the affluent Batras of Delhi, the film deals with familial equations sensitively, but takes its time to do so. This naturalistic story is elevated by its stellar performances of veteran actors Sharmila Tagore, Manoj Bajpayee, Amol Palekar, and Simran. 

The Batras are a joint family living in Gulmohar Villa, a sprawling bungalow, where Kusum (Sharmila Tagore) stays with her son Arun (Manoj Bajpayee) and his wife Indu (Simran). His son Aditya (Suraj Sharma) has a strained relationship with his father over his professional ambitions even as his wife Divya (Kaveri Seth) balances her home life with a busy corporate job. Arun’s daughter, Amrita (Utsavi Jha) is a singer with her own personal mess to clear. A staff of a watchman and his helper (Chandan Roy and Jatin Goswami), a diligent maid (Santhy Balachandran) add to the hustle and bustle of a vibrant household.      

Typical to Indian family gatherings, it begins with a lilting ballad sung by a guest at a party. As the villa, which has been their home for 34 years, is now being sold, the family will move out to a plush flat in Gurugram. Here, the grandmother announces her decision to retire in Pondicherry. And their son Adi will also live on his own. Fractious interpersonal equations and the baggage of the past makes the family’s present uncomfortable, even if their love for each other makes up for this. As hectic packing and shifting chores take over the household, questions of their mutual bond arise in everyone’s mind. And a life altering truth emerges that stuns this family and makes them question their reasons for staying together. 

Director Rahul V Chittela, who has co-written this film with Arpita Mukherjee, has drawn out nuances of complex relationships with finesse. Each character has its own demons to contend with and each relationship is marked by underlying tension, a realistic scenario. He has excelled in showing the hectic pressures that a daughter-in-law manages every day in a busy household by creating a character in Indu, played by Simran brilliantly. The maid accompanying her has her own attachments to this family, a convincing performance by Santhy Balanchandran.     

Manoj Bajpayee and Sharmila Tagore deliver personalised, gentle characters that have some of the best moments together. But in setting up these complexities of multiple characters, the pace of Gulmohar lags. 

As the story progresses, the overall narrative becomes convoluted, adding bulk to a layered story. Towards the end, riding on the story of the wizened grandmother and her loyal, kind hearted son, Gulmohar brings together varied subplots to a fair conclusion.

A lot of what’s happening in this film is easy to relate with. Be it financial difficulties of moving out of home and renting out on your own; the inability to accept people from different cultures and caste; or the inherent class divide that can’t be crossed over just by affection; Gulmohar is pure slice of life drama. By empowering its female characters to make unusual choices, the film is also progressive.  

Constant comparisons that sons face from their fathers, or the fact that ideological differences have crept into conversations at Indian homes, are deft touches to this family portrait. It also has two soft melodies that grow on the listener much after the film ends. Amongst it’s cast,  Manoj Bajpayee stands out in being able to deliver a leading man who is vulnerable yet morally upright in trying circumstances. If the plot were to deliver a few high points or sucker punches, Gulmohar would have made for an ideal Holi season watch. Right now, it’s a languid view, one that re-focuses attention on the value of family in our lives. 

The director also draws the best out of the younger actors, notably Kaveri Seth, Utsavi Jha, and Santhy Balachandran, who brilliantly etches out a self-effacing housemaid who has a moving story of her own that is inextricably intertwined with that of the family she serves. Also, Suraj Sharma delivers a flawless turn in the film.

The impact of the ensemble cast is appreciably enhanced by Jatin Goswami, Chandan Roy (as two migrants to the city who work in the Batra household) and Anurag Arora as a key member of the extended family. Chittella, Mira Nair's producing partner on The Reluctant Fundamentalist and A Suitable Boy, clearly has a way with actors.

Rating: 3.5/5 

(The article was updated to correct a grammatical error)