Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi: Watch it or Skip it?

Seema Pahwa’s directorial debut ‘Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi’ had a theatrical release on 1 January 2021. Let’s get into the details and explore whether it is a ‘watch it’ or ‘skip it’ kind of film. Handling the director’s hat for the first, veteran actress Seema Pahwa has given her creative side a new direction. From being appreciated for her humor, surrounding roles in films, she had taken up the opportunity to show us another side of her inventiveness. Comprising of a talented and renowned ensemble cast, ‘Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi’ is a narration of an Indian household and the film that are distant from their roots and blood relations. A sensitive topic like this has been narrated with a sarcastic and humorous element in its entire stretch.

Promotional poster of the film

The film follows the story of Ram Prasad’s entire family, who comes to grieve over his loss after his sudden death from cardiac arrest. The film holds a special appearance of Naseeruddin Shah as Ram Prasad. Supriya Pathak plays the role of his wife, who has become forlorn by the death of her husband. The couple used to stay alone in their home in Lucknow, even after being the parents of six kids(4 sons and 2 daughters) as their kids chose to lead their own lives in a separate manner, far away from their parents. All come back to their ancestral home to witness the funeral of their father, along with their wives and kids.

As per the Indian rituals, a prayer meeting is held after a 13 day period of a person’s death. The children are meant to stay with each other for a prolonged time after they chose to remain distant, busy with their own lives. Then begins a series of family politics that is quite clearly observed in various Indian households that have an extended family staying under one roof. Through the conversations that the siblings and their families encounter, we get to know about the fractured relationship and equation they share with each other. Except for being there for each other or bearing emotional support to their mother, the family holds all sorts of conversations between them. While the older men manage to make the terrace their reunion spot, the women leave no stone unturned to make the kitchen their go-to gossip location in the house.

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A still from the film

Amma, Ramprasad’s wife, feels that her children have no feeling of loss towards the death of their father. Instead, it appears to be a family that is likely to mark a celebration or some wedding that is about to take place. We see opinion clashes, bitching, and events that are surrounding guilty encounters. The tragic comedy makes us question the real reason and way of ‘mourning.’ Is lighting a diya and carrying out praying sessions enough to remember a departed soul? How does it affect us emotionally?

Supriya Pathak as Amma

Soon often when we witness someone’s death, the only way to initiate a conversation with the family of the deceased is by asking them, “ye kaise ho gya?” which is mocked at by the younger generations in the house. The competition of who reached first and fainting at the look of the deceased remains. However, the process of mourning through generations has remained to be identical, and when something different takes place, we feel betrayed. This is an important element, the plot carries forward with the main question that troubles the sons, “amma kiske saath rahengi?” clearly hinting at their unwillingness to take their mother with them.

Exploring mourning, death, family politics, and competition within a group of blood-related people, ‘Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi’ offers different perspectives to the various topics, that are not much talked about but have surrounding us throughout. Written and directed by Seema Pahwa, the film is a must-watch that takes you to the deeper meaning of life, family, and loss, with a touch of humor, that makes the journey worth it. Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi has, however, received positive critical acclaim and is recommended to viewers who are looking for a light-hearted family drama.

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