Potluck Review Episode 1: An entertaining relatable family drama

Show Name: Potluck

Show Cast: Kitu Gidwani, Shikha Talsania, Ira Dubey, Jatin Sial, Cyrus Sahukar, Harman Singha, Saloni Khanna and Sidharth Karnick

Show Director: Rajshree Ojha

Show Platform: SonyLiv

We know you know what Potluck means but we'd take a little bit of your time to explain it well so that you pick your devices up and watch this dramedy on this festive day. With Potluck, what comes to mind is a host of different flavourful dishes coming from different households to be relished together, and similarly, in a way, a family also is a lot like Potluck where each member brings his own flavour. Exploring this premise, director Rajshree Ojha takes us into the world of the Shastri family who is trying to find happiness in being together again. Focusing on nuclear families trying to connect at least once a week, Potluck showcases how parents, after a certain point, wish to be closer to their kids, even if they have their own little worlds.

With a stellar cast featuring Kitu Gidwani, Shikha Talsania, Ira Dubey, Jatin Sial, Cyrus Sahukar, Harman Singha, Saloni Khanna, and Sidharth Karnick, the show begins and introduces you to a group of adults trying to find 'Khushi' whilst being irked by each others' small things. Senior Shastris are played by talented actors Jatin Sial and Kitu Gidwani. Their bickering as a senior couple who pick on each other on little issues is sure to leave you smiling. Their small world comprises 2 married sons who live with their wives and a daughter who has returned to live with them. 

The daughter of the Shastri family is Prerna (Shikha Talsania). Her bickering with her mother over being occupied with work and not helping at home may leave all working daughters with a relatable feeling. Not just this, her sweet relationship with her father, Senior Shastri is how every father-daughter relationship is, a little sweet and sour. The first episode shows us how the family gets together to meet Dhruv (Harman) and Nidhi (Saloni) at their new house. Dhruv and Nidhi are a modern-day couple who seem to be making their own rules and are ambitious. 

Amid all this, we get to meet Akansha (Ira Dubey) and Vikrant (Cyrus Sahukar) who are struggling to take care of their 3 kids in a small house with just 1 bathroom and a nanny whose fixation with the Telugu language begins to rub on their daughter. Akansha, who is a mom of 3, is shown to be torn between her work and motherhood. Ira as Akansha will make you feel sad for her but the support she gets from her husband Vikrant aka Sahukar leaves you with a sweet feeling. 

What will happen when these 3 worlds come together, and at one table? Well, as the show progresses, we get the idea that it's going to be a lot of chaos, conflicts, struggles, the familiar family bickering, siblings picking on each other that will take the center spot. From arguing about a TV size to a mother-in-law suggesting her working daughter-in-law to take a break from work to raise 3 kids, the episode takes us inside the everyday struggle a family faces when they come together, especially when there's no way to escape! Each of these elements surely will remind you of a Sooraj Barjatya film but with a modern twist. The writing is good and after watching the first episode, it makes you want to go on and see how the lives of the Shastri family will go on as they are faced with their own struggles. 

For us, from the first episode, Potluck seems like the old familiar story with a couple of modern-day issues thrown in to make the audience feel relatable but is a mildly entertaining slice of life drama.

Note: This review is based on the first episode of the series.

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