'Kaushaljis Vs Kaushal' review—Ashutosh Rana-Sheeba Chadha can't save dated drama
What's the story
Seemaa Desai's Kaushaljis Vs Kaushal, streaming on JioHotstar, stars a strong ensemble featuring Ashutosh Rana, Sheeba Chadha, Pavail Gulatie, and Brijendra Kala.
A family film that explores the ever-relevant topic of the generational gap, it seeks to combine humor and drama to tug at your heartstrings.
Despite Rana and Chadha's best efforts, however, the film struggles, and its weak writing lets it down.
Story
A son tries to stop his parents from getting divorced
The film follows Yug (Gulatie), who works in Noida, and his parents Sahil (Rana) and Sangeeta (Chadha), who live in Kannauj.
Yug always stays at a distance from his family, mostly because he is deeply annoyed by his parents' constant fights.
However, when Sahil and Sangeeta decide to get a divorce, Yug takes it upon himself to save their relationship.
#1
It is forever on a shaky ground
Kaushaljis Vs Kaushal is not sure about its direction and there are so many paths it wants to walk on at the same time.
It touches upon several aspects, but only scratches their surface and never looks at anything deeply.
It's overstuffed, excessively slow, and there is not enough meat here to justify the long runtime (the movie runs for over two hours).
#2
More on the above aspect
The movie wants to highlight Yug's challenges as a young professional.
He is working at a big firm but is still dependent on his father financially and in one scene, the chaos at home reaches such a crescendo that he is unable to work.
Kaushaljis Vs Kaushal could have fleshed out these parts better, but it's content with being mediocre.
#3
Needed more powerful confrontational scenes
There is one powerful, strong scene in the first half, carried superbly by Rana and Chadha, where we see the two at loggerheads.
Their issues are largely believable, their bickering looks organic and real, and the actors' dramatics keep you engaged.
This is what the film needed more of, and you can't shake the feeling that something about the story is constantly amiss.
#4
Predictable, dated, and nothing you haven't seen before
The movie believes it's being creative and ingenious, but it only bores you with its predictable storyline, half-baked characters, and meandering plot.
Kala is completely wasted and we only see him a few times, and a sensitive matter like divorce is played off for laughs in a few scenes.
Moreover, it's getting tiring to see Grusha Kapoor being typecasted in similar small-town roles.
#5
Rana and Chadha are cast perfectly
The watchable aspects of the movie come largely due to Rana and Chadha, who give the movie their all, despite a screenplay that fails them.
This is Rana's third release in February after Loveyapa and Chhaava, and he has a blast with his role, showcasing his incredible range.
I hated his character in several scenes, so he has done his job well!
#6
Some of its themes stand out
The film may not completely get everything right, but it has some warm, unhurried moments when one can see its intentions.
For instance, from the first scene, you can sense Sahil and Sangeeta's loneliness, even though they may not always say it out loud.
Similarly, the movie effectively underlines how Yug is deeply ashamed of the fact that he belongs to a small town.
Verdict
Can watch for Chadha-Rana, skip otherwise; 2/5 stars
Kaushaljis Vs Kaushal deals with interesting ideas and has a strong cast but these factors aren't always enough to save a middling movie.
The writing needed more work and the presence of cardboard characters means that we are never drawn into this fictional world.
The movie is awkwardly designed and apart from the performances, there's nothing much to keep you hooked here.
2/5 stars.