
Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi movie review: A slice-of-life tale that is relatable, well performed
Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi
Director: Seema Pahwa
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Supriya Pathak, Manoj Pahwa, Ninad Kamat, Vinay Pathak, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Vikrant Massey, Konkona Sen Sharma
In a scene from Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi (RPKT), the family members are discussing if they should keep the prayer meet of the departed soul on the first day of the year or not, because after all who’d like to start the year on a sad note. But the makers clearly didn’t have any such apprehensions while releasing the film on the first day of 2021, that too in theatres.
With a stellar lineup of brillant actors, RPKT is a great watch. There’s Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Pahwa, Vinay Pathak, Supriya Pathak, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Konkona Sen Sharma and a host of supporting actors. And making her directorial debut is actor Seema Pahwa, who has also written the story.
RPKT is a subtle satire at all those middle-class families where the death of head of the family leads to a change in dynamics between its members. Secrets are unearthed and things that were never spoken of are finally said. The story starts with Ram Prasad’s (Shah) death and how his entire family of four sons (Gajraj, Manoj, Pankaj, Nishant) and two daughters, along with their spouses and kids--gather at their ancestral home in Lucknow for 13 days to perform rituals. During this period, they indulge in discussions, harmless jibes, casual conversations, arguments and some epiphanies. There are revelations that their dead father has left a bank loan for them to repay, besides the dilemma about who is going to take care of their ‘amma’ (Supriya Pathak) now that she’s left alone after her husband’s death.

While Pahwa’s attempt at direction is laudable, it’s the writing that falters at many places. Several jokes fall flat but there are instances where subtle humour makes you giggle, however short-lived that giggle maybe. RPKT is a film that you’ll find relatable. It gets you emotional without getting too intense.
You would also love the well etched-out characters and the way each one of them gets to shine in their given screen time. While the sons look more natural in their scenes together, the daughters-in-law enjoying their kitchen politics trigger some light-hearted laughs. The camaraderie among the four brothers is delectable as they sit on the rooftop, drinking all night and opening up like never before.
A special mention to Supriya, who, without too many dialogues, packs a strong performance with just her expressions. The beauty of the scenes is how they’ve been conceptualized. For instance, each time a new guest, relative or a neighbour arrives to offer condolences, amma narrates the tragic tale of the night of her husband’s death, like a broken record, saying the same words and maintaining the same flow. Even her expressions don’t change.

The story moves at a decent pace, though, at close to two hours, it seems slightly stretched especially in the second half.
I won’t call RPKT a highly entertaining film, but it’s a slice-of-life family drama full of warmth that you can enjoy once for its tale of ‘comedy in tragedy’.
Follow @htshowbiz for more

Pooja Bhatt, on the cusp of an acting comeback, reveals why she took a step back
- Actor Pooja Bhatt has said that she took a step back from acting because she had no desire to play 'arm candy' to heroes.

Elnaaz Norouzi: I don’t care about whether my projects release on OTT or cinemas

Tabu: I am sure we will return to a place where we can go and work fearlessly

Arjun promises to support Janhvi's always; Anshula says 'sisters before misters'
- Arjun Kapoor and Anshula Kapoor have shared special birthday posts for their half-sister, Janhvi Kapoor. Read their messages here.

Kareena recaps first year on Instagram in nostalgic post, but fans want baby pic
- Fans clamoured for any new detail about Kareena Kapoor's new baby, after she posted a year-in-recap post on Instagram.

Janhvi Kapoor reveals the most important life lesson mom Sridevi imbibed in her
- Actor Janhvi Kapoor, who turned 24 on Saturday, has spoken about the most valuable life lessons she learned from her parents, Boney Kapoor and Sridevi.

Ranveer Singh wishes Rohan Shrestha happy birthday with unseen throwback pic
- Ranveer Singh took to Instagram and shared an old picture featuring Rohan Shrestha on the photographer's birthday. The photo was taken when they were 14.

Gul Panag hailed for refusing to answer question about Kangana: 'Take my smile'
- "I will not make the statement you want me to, take my smile instead," said Gul Panag, refusing to comment on statements made by several celebrities about the farmers' protest, in a video being widely shared online.

Kangana admits she's having 'bad day of cramps' after lashing out at Taapsee
- Actor Kangana Ranaut has said that she hasn't taken a single holiday in 2021, and has worked through her periods.

Swara, Richa stand in support of Taapsee and Anurag after I-T raids
- Actors Swara Bhasker, Richa Chadha, Tisca Chopra, Satyadeep Misra, Rajshri Deshpande and others took to social media to voice their support for Taapsee Pannu and Anurag Kashyap.

When Janhvi had revealed how mom Sridevi never wanted her to be in the movies
- Janhvi Kapoor had once revealed how her mother did not want her to join films. Sridevi felt her older daughter would not be able to survive in the industry.

See Ranbir Kapoor's transformation into an old man in these BTS photos
- New behind-the-scenes photos from the sets of an advertisment capture Ranbir Kapoor's transformation into an old man.

Rhea's lawyer says they'll have 'last laugh', calls charge sheet 'damp squib'
- Actor Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer Satish Maneshinde has called the 12000-page charge sheet filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau in the Sushant Singh Rajput's death case a 'damp squib'.

Gauahar Khan shares video of her father, a day after his death
- Gauahar Khan has shared a video of her father, recalling the 'most favourite memory' of her life. The actor's father died on Friday.

Nafisa Ali digs out stunning throwback pics from when she was 20, see here
- Actor and politician Nafisa Ali has shared some glorious pictures from her youth. Needless to say, she looks beautiful in them. Check them out here.