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Sharmaji Namkeen Review: Rishi Kapoor's last film is strictly a heartwarming ode to his legacy
Sharmaji Namkeen Review: Hitesh Bhatia's slice-of-life film will delight you with Rishi Kapoor's charm, its comedy and the food.
Sharmaji Namkeen
Director: Hitesh Bhatia
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Juhi Chawla, Suhail Nayyar, Taaruk Raina
Release: Amazon Prime Video
Rating: 3/5
Over the course of his illustrious career, the late legend Rishi Kapoor has starred in a variety of films including the slice-of-life kind. In his last film, the late actor charted similar territory when he said yes to Hitesh Bhatia's family drama Sharmaji Namkeen. Set in Delhi's suburbs, Sharmaji (played by Rishi Kapoor and then Paresh Rawal) lives in a typical Delhi middle class home with his two sons. While the older son works at a corporate job, the younger son is in college and a hip-hop dancer.
Director Hitesh Bhatia wastes no time in setting up Sharmaji's world as he is forcefully retired from a company that he has spent almost all his life building. This two-year early retirement pinches Sharmaji who is in no mood to put a full stop to his busy life and spend his evenings with other retired people at the local park. From Zumba to watching saas-bahu shows, Sharmaji is bored to tears. It is only his morning routine of cooking breakfast and lunch for his sons that puts a smile on his face. In the film's first few minutes, we get to see that as Piyush Puty and Harendra Singh's cinematography makes our mouth water with the delicious food that Sharmaji cooks in his tiny kitchen. But apart from that, it is a rather bland day for the senior citizen.
As Sharmaji continues to dread retirement, it is Satish Kaushik, playing his neighbourhood friend Chaddha, who recommends several odd jobs to kill time. It is this recommendation that lands Sharmaji a cooking stint for a so-called Satsang where he is introduced to Juhi Chawla, Sheeba Chaddha and rest of the gang. Bhatia's characters are all loud and rather honest. Be it Sharmaji's older son Rinku, who is extremely conscious about his image in the society, or Juhi Chawla as Mrs. Manchanda and the kitty gang - everyone speaks what's on their mind.
Almost 30 minutes into the film, you definitely know where the story is heading, what conflicts may crop up and even how it will be resolved. This high predictability bogs down the larger anticipation of the film but Bhatia manages to keep it enjoyable nonetheless. The film's highlight includes its brash dialogues and the authentic delivery of these dialogues by the cast. Be it Suhail Nayyar as Rinku, Juhi Chawla, Satish Kaushik or Sheeba Chaddha, the film's cast delivers well.
As Sharmaji begins to work as a "specialist cook" at kitty parties and eventually becomes a member of the kitty, he leads a secret life that is not known to his sons. However, it all comes crashing down in the film's latter half as Bhatia begins to build the climax. As an audience, it is too easy to connect the dots and predict how Sharmaji Namkeen will come to an end. It is only the comic punches and funny moments that rescue the film.
Apart from the story and writing, Sharmaji Namkeen's biggest challenge is two actors playing one character. However, Bhatia keeps the transition between Kapoor and Rawal as tight as he can. Yes, it may seem a bit troublesome to connect in the beginning but the director makes sure to dedicate whole scenes to one actor and obviously doesn't change it midway. With the film being promoted rigorously, the team has also managed to train the audience's mind that you will see Kapoor and Rawal playing the same character. While the heartwarming scenes are majorly done by Rishi Kapoor, Paresh Rawal does a good job of filling in the actor's shoes. However, the late actor's charm is sorely missed.
Sharmaji Namkeen has multiple storylines credited to various characters like Sharmaji, his son Rinku, Juhi Chawla and even the kitty gang, but they all come and go. What sticks around and forms the climax is Rinku's property matter and embarrassment over his father's cooking work. As Sharmaji rescues his son from the clutches of the police due to his "connections", we are conveniently made to forget Sharmaji's love for cooking.
Hitesh Bhatia's slice-of-life film will delight you with Rishi Kapoor's charm, its comedy and the food. The team also pays the sweetest tribute to the late legend in a touching post-climax scene. However, on the whole, Sharmaji Namkeen is strictly a few laughs with its heart in the right place.
