Rishi Kapoor’s swansong is a bittersweet slice of life

Rishi Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Juhi Chawla, Suhail Nayyar, Satish Kaushik, Isha Talwar

IHitesh Bhatia

t is for the first time in the history of Indian cinema that two actors — the late Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal — have played one character in a film. But what makes Sharmaji Namkeen even more special is that it is the last time we get to see Kapoor on screen. Thankfully, the film serves a perfect tribute to his tough yet jovial persona.

Directed by Hitesh Bhatia, Sharmaji Namkeen doesn’t have any over-the-top dialogues or lessons in morality to preach. It’s a sweet and innocent slice of life tale told in a simple manner. And while Sharmaji’s character switches between Kapoor and Rawal, it never appears abrupt.

The story revolves around the retired manager of a home appliances company, Brij Gopal Sharma (Kapoor and Rawal) who just can’t sit idle at home. While he contemplates taking up zumba classes, becoming a property agent, giving tuitions or opening a chaat papdi stall, his sons Rinku (Suhail Nayyar) and Vincy (Taaruk Raina) don’t really buy into his ideas. Not one to give up, he plans to take his passion for cooking to the next level when his friend Chaddha (Satish Kaushik) tricks him into cooking at a ladies’ kitty party, and soon, it becomes a regular affair. In the process, his circle of friends gets a makeover. In Veena (Juhi Chawla), he finds a friend and a confidante. But what happens when Sharmaji’s sons, neighbours and relatives get to know about his secret job?

The film beautifully captures the dilemma retirees face without evoking pity, coming a long way from Bollywood’s previous attempts. While in Baghban (2003), a retired father (Amitabh Bachchan) expected his four sons to take care of their parents, in Sharmaji Namkeen, the retired man wants to start his second innings independently without any approval from his sons. Bhatia ensures this balance by creating several lighter moments with hilarious punchlines which both Kapoor and Rawal ace.

The two veterans deliver a seamless performance staying true to this one common character they portray. While Kapoor added soul to Sharmaji’s character, Rawal did an excellent job by maintaining the continuity of the character and picking up its traits so effortlessly.

However, the chemistry that Sharmaji shares with his sons needed a lot more depth and better writing. We are never told if they were emotionally attached to their father or not, what was the equation they had with their late mother and if that anyhow affected their bond with their father. However, both Nayyar and Raina do justice to their parts.

The scenes featuring Kapoor and Chawla are endearing and take you back to Bol Radha Bol (1992) days when the two were a hit on-screen pair. While there are romantic undercurrents, I really wish makers had developed that track, too.

Watch it with your families for a good laugh, some emotional moments and witness the magic of the late actor one last time.