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Hemangini Raina
Sangeeta Mediratta
COMPLIT-247-01
Kapoor & Sons (since 1921): the modern Indian family
Released in March 2016 and directed by Shakun Batra, Kapoor & Sons (since 1921) is a
key step in the evolution of the family genre in Indian cinema. The film is centered around three
generations of the Kapoor family: the unconventional grandfather, lovingly called Dadu; the
unhappily married middle aged-couple, Harsh and Sunita Kapoor; and the brothers, Rahul and
Arjun Kapoor. The Kapoors are portrayed as a dysfunctional, middle-class family: a new step in
the realm of family dramas, which have evolved throughout the 2000s. From Kabhi Khushi
Kabhi Gham (K3G) to Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK) to Kapoor & Sons, the depiction of the
Indian family has undergone a fascinating transformation. From the elite Raichand family in
K3G, to the undoubtedly middle-class Kapoor family: I will explore the dynamics of the modern
Indian family through the representation of women, homosexuality, familial relations and death,
and how these themes critique Indian familial norms.

After the resounding success of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) in 1995, which
was the first movie catering to the diasporic Indian community, filmmakers increasingly made
movies for NRI audiences. Thus, the 2000s saw a shift in the family drama genre, which began
catering to the Indian diaspora; for NRIs who lived in places such as USA, UK and the Middle
East, but were deeply nostalgic about their version of Indian-ness. This led to movies such as
K3G, which portrayed the divide between the NRI elite, upper-class Raichand family and the
local, working-class families living in Chandni Chowk.

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Throughout the 90s and the 00s, the patriarchal agenda was furthered with misguided but
benevolent fathers, reinforcing marriage as the foundational institution of society (Malhotra &
Alagh 28). Benevolent patriarchy, where a strong patriarchal figure opposes a relationship
between their child and their chosen partner, framed the narrative in K3G and DDLJ-- often for
reasons that lack moral authority (29). This is exemplified in K3G, where the patriarch (played
by Amitabh Bachchan) delivers a monologue that disparages his sons choice in marrying a
working-class girl, and banishes him from the house.
Patriarchy influences how women negotiate their personal and professional lives.
However, in family dramas of the 2000s, women are able to navigate this terrain effortlessly as
they are almost always upper class, educated or possessing the virtues necessary for upward
mobility (29). In K3G, the mother is often seen praying, tending to her sons or looking after her
husband: she does not have an identity beyond her family and related duties. Similarly, in DDLJ,
the mother delivers a monologue about her sacrifices; as a sister, a wife and as a mother. As
Malhotra and Alagh succinctly put it: there is no exploration of her desires as an individual
with ambitions in the public domain.
However, in Kapoor & Sons, we see an evolving patriarchy. Even though the film is
titled after a man and his sons, we see an increasingly progressive depiction of family dynamics.
The patriarch, Dadu, is a carefree nonagenarian who watches porn and smokes weed with his
grandsons. He celebrates the life that he led with his deceased wife, where they were seen as
unconventional and rebellious. This departure from patriarchal norms is fascinating, as the
daughter-in-law, Sunita, sets the rules in the house and acts as the moral compass for the family.
Even though Sunita fits into the archetype of the housewife; she is seen as a resourceful woman
who used the savings from her household budget to create a fixed deposit for her future catering

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business. The audience sees her as a three-dimensional person; someone who has dreams and
aspirations that are not limited to running a household.
Sunitas character development throughout Kapoor & Sons is brilliant-- she does not
conform to the pious, deity-esque stereotype of mothers, as has been the convention throughout
Indian cinematic history. She is depicted as a flawed individual, which the audience first
experiences at Dadus birthday party. Upon encountering Anu at the party, who is suspected of
having extra-marital relations with her husband, we see Sunita clearly becoming agitated. In fact,
we see her sons instinctively keeping Anu away from their mother, as they know that she is
unwelcome. After Anu brings homemade cookies as a gift, and her husband is unsympathetic to
her concerns, Sunita proceeds to empty the cookie jar in front of the people gathered at the party.
This scene is pivotal in our understanding of the modern Indian woman-- she can be jealous,
irrational and unreasonable, all the while maintaining respect as an individual.
This act is a physical manifestation of her insecurities, a state which we rarely see
mothers in, and Sunita is not vilified for it. Instead, we see her frustration building up throughout
the scene, and are able to empathize with her. By emptying the cookie jar in front of all the
guests, we see that she is demanding attention from her husband, and from wider society to
recognize her plight. This is a clear departure from films such as DDLJ and K3G, where mothers
and wives were portrayed as human representations of deities, and were defined by the
patriarchy. We can appreciate the progression of Indian cinema in terms of how women are
depicted: women are now multi-faceted characters, who have complex internal and external
motivations.

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Kabhi Khushie Kabhi Gham highlights an important site of negotiation between films and
audiences in the diaspora. K3Gs erasure of class through the insertion of lower-class space,
Chandni Chowk, into a commodified sphere of ethnic commodification is a crucial act of
reconfiguration (Punathambekar 156). Changes in colors, background music, dialect and
mannerisms, use ethnic clothes and street performers mark the differences between the upperclass residence of the Raichand family and Chandni Chowk, the lower-class neighborhood.
As Punathambekar notes, for viewers in the diaspora, these encodings function not so
much as systemic erasures of class differences, but as referents of tradition whose consumption
is critical to sustaining and performing ethnicity (157). In addition to helping diasporic audiences
relate to an idealized version of India, the obvious class separation allows viewers to easily
categorize characters based on physical markers, which serve as motifs of their class. This
oversimplification is best exemplified during the song, Shava Shava, where the upper-class
Raichand family is celebrating an anniversary at their residence, surrounded by opulence and
people wearing muted colors and western clothes. On the other hand, the Chandni Chowk
residents are celebrating in a more Indian way; through wearing bright, ethnic clothes and
dancing to louder, traditional music. This distinction was the norm in family films during the
00s, however, the depiction of classes in India has evolved throughout the decade.
Kapoor & Sons paints a different picture: they show the realities of the Indian middle
class. Harsh and Sunita Kapoors introduction is through an argument about electricity bills,
accounting and leaky taps: [last months electricity bill] was 6478 rupees! Thats just in one
month, not the whole year! and the taps been leaking for three days. Well call the plumber
when the house is turned into a swimming pool. Shakun Batra, the director, purposefully chose
to introduce Harsh and Sunita Kapoor using a mundane, everyday argument as it enables the

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audience to relate to their problems. The detailed accounts of numbers, such as 6478 rupees
and three days exemplify the high priority given to these issues: their financial condition is a
point of contention in the family. This is a stark contrast from K3G, where the Raichand family
own a large mansion, and are never seen arguing about finances. Through a sarcastic back-andforth about bills, Batra establishes the financial struggles of the Kapoor family, while
commenting on the reality of the Indian middle class.
In addition to class commentary, Batra also uses everyday problems and parallels to
portray the Kapoor family, who represent the typical middle-class household. This is beautifully
illustrated in the scene where the plumber is attempting to fix the leaks in the bathroom, while
the family starts to argue. The argument builds slowly, initially about paying for Dadus surgery
but leads to lies being revealed, such as Harsh prematurely breaking Sunitas fixed deposit to pay
a loan installment, Sunita leaving the house for two months as well as voicing her concern about
Anu. The conflict within the family is paralleled with the houses plumbing, as the plumber
increasingly discovers new leaks and is unable to fix them by himself, causing him to become a
part of the chaos in the house. This is the first time that the audience learns about several of the
issues within the family, and recognizes the dynamics of an argument in the household. We are
able to gain a nuanced, gritty perspective on the family, rather than the airbrushed, elite family as
seen in K3G. Moreover, this new perspective enables viewers to move beyond the stage of
sustaining and performing ethnicity, and being able to relate to characters in an increasingly
organic manner.
Kapoor & Sons also portrays familial relations in a similarly nuanced manner. In the
scene where they attempt to take a family photograph to fulfil one of Dadus last wishes-- the
climax of the film-- Batra masterfully weaves plotlines in order to deliver an understanding of

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the rising tensions within the Kapoor family. The narrative darts between the storyline of Rahul
discovering his fathers affair, Sunita discovering that Rahul is gay and Arjun discovering that
Tia kissed Rahul-- while constantly cutting away to the location where they are supposed to be
taking the photograph. While these events are significant in the development of the plot, Batra
refrains from over-dramatizing, instead using soft, non-diegetic music and close-up shots to
realistically depict the central conflicts within the film. Batra also uses pathetic fallacy in the
build-up to the photoshoot, through the looming threat of rain, which creates a sense of urgency.
This was a particularly useful technique, as it made the scene seem authentic in its frenzied state,
while mirroring reality, where our best efforts are sometimes in vain due to extenuating
circumstances.
Moreover, the climax delivers a strong impact, as these plotlines merge during the
photoshoot. The juxtaposition between the intent of the photoshoot-- to bring the family
together-- and the reality of the situation, where the family seems to be falling apart, is a vital
element of the climax. The audience realizes the extent of the rifts in familial relations, since
they are unable to stand together to take a family photograph. As characters discover the myriad
of lies that they have been told, we see them unravel: a stark contrast to family dramas of the
00s, where there was one central conflict that separated the family. In K3G, the central conflict
was the romance between the upper-class Raichand boy and the working-class Chandni Chowk
girl. In DDLJ, it was Raj and Simrans relationship. However, Kapoor & Sons is built on the
problems of an entire family, and the wide scope of issues they face enable the audience to easily
relate to the film; as opposed to earlier films, which showed unrealistic depictions of conflict.
This scene ends with multiple fights breaking out within the family, and culminates with
the death of Harsh Kapoor, as he gets into a vehicular accident after Sunita finds out about his

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affair. On one hand, this can be viewed as a poor use of deus-ex-machina, where an act of God
forces the family to reconcile and repair their relationships. This interpretation suggests that
Kapoor & Sons follows the typical narrative arc of most family dramas, where the characters
return to an equilibrium state after the climax.
However, an alternative interpretation of Harshs death examines the nature of death
itself, and its unique portrayal within the film. Death is a common theme throughout the film;
often treated with humor through Dadus character. In the first scene of Kapoor & Sons, Dadu
pretends to die on the table, and the rest of the family continues without missing a beat.
Moreover, Sunita casually mentions that he has been rehearsing his death for a week, detailing
an instance where he was lying on the lawn with ketchup on his chest. When the neighbors
found him, he invited himself to dinner at their place! We see that Dadu is dealing with the
eventuality of his death, and uses humor as a mechanism to cope with his mortality. Thus, for the
first half of the film, we laugh at allusions to death.
This is a stark contrast to the archetypal portrayal of death in family dramas, such as
K3G, where death is never casually discussed, and mentioning death is seen as inauspicious. In
K3G, when Bauji (Anjalis father) offhandedly says What will you do when Im gone? to
Anjali, she responds by exclaiming Dont ever say that. Death is treated as a taboo subject, and
the fact that Dadu in Kapoor & Sons is able to joke about taking a dead photo and an alivelooking photo reflects on how Indian societys treatment of death has developed over the past
decade. In this context, Harsh Kapoors unexpected death is a jarring, yet appropriately climactic
moment. We can see the juxtaposition between Dadus humorous rhetoric and Harshs sudden
demise. We are able to understand the damage that death can cause in a family; how its
unpredictable nature can manifest in reality. We expect Dadu to die, but Harshs death affects us

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more because we do not anticipate it. Therefore, Harsh Kapoors death is not a poor use of deusex-machina, since it adds to the overarching narrative about death in the film.

Love has been a focal point of family dramas, and Kapoor & Sons is no exception.
However, it plays with stereotypes and stock characters in order to showcase a modern
interpretation of love. This manipulation starts in the promotional materials associated with the
film, which suggest that the plot centers around a love story:
Rahul (Sidharth Malhotra) and Arjun Kapoor (Fawad Khan) are estranged
brothers and their grandfather forces them to return to their childhood home.
While living under one roof, family secrets unravel and misunderstandings are on
the verge of turning into tragedy. Adding to this, both Rahul and Arjun fall in love
with the same girl (Alia Bhatt). (Hooli)

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Figure 1: Official poster for Kapoor & Sons (Wordpress)

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The promotional materials for Kapoor & Sons imply that the film is about a love triangle
between two brothers and a girl. We see this clearly in the summary-- Rahul and Arjun fall in
love with the same girl -- and in the official poster where we only see the three of them sitting
close to each other. However, the actual plot of the film is far more complex; it is about the
struggles of a family, where romance is not the focus of the narrative. We also see that the
alleged love triangle does not exist within the movie; Arjun and Tia fall in love with each other,
whereas Rahul is gay.
This was an excellent marketing decision by Dharma Productions, since the film was
marketed as a typical family drama, allowing it to access the mainstream market and earn Rs.
46.93 cr (Express Web Desk) in one week. By concealing the true plot of Kapoor & Sons, the
film was able to attract large audiences and show them a nuanced portrayal of homosexuality,
along with complex family dynamics. It is uncommon for mainstream films to depict
homosexuality, and when they do: it is a flamboyant, effeminate stereotype.
This stereotype is exemplified in Dostana (also produced by Dharma Productions), where
two straight men pretend to be gay in order to live with an attractive girl. Tarun Mansukhanis
Dostana is the first commercial popular feature film from India to exclusively engage in a queer
dialogue using the device of mistaken identity and misreading (Dasgupta 91). The
protagonists, Sameer and Kunal, exaggerate certain characteristics in order to appear gay, such
as being overly emotional, wearing flamboyant clothes, or speaking in a higher register.
Additionally, the film is set in Miami, and by situating it (geographically and morally) outside
of Indian culture and populating it with diasporic figures: an emphatic rejection of family valuescentric Hindi film ideals is enabled (97). On the other hand, Kapoor & Sons uses Rahul, who
embodies the perfect older child stereotype, and carefully employs the narrative to showcase

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his sexuality. Throughout the film, Rahul does not conform to Indian cinemas stereotype of a
gay man, instead using subtleties in dialogue to suggest that he is not interested in women. The
audience sees Tia kiss Rahul, and he does not kiss her back, instead choosing to draw his head
back. When asked about his assumed girlfriend, he replies She...is good. This hesitation in
saying the gender of his partner is a subtle way of alluding to his sexuality, which is a stark
contrast from the overly effeminate portrayal of homosexual men in Indian cinema.
Rahuls coming-out scene is similarly well-crafted, as his mother finds photos of him and
his boyfriend vacationing in Hawaii on his laptop. When she confronts him about it, she says
thats disgusting, do you feel no shame? and you were supposed to be my perfect child, where
did I go wrong?. The audience can recognize how the average Indian mother would react upon
learning that her child is gay; through internalized homophobia and self-blame for their childs
transgressions from the norm. We also notice how homosexuality is seen as a perversion, and as
a reproachful act, as Sunita repeatedly refers to shame and disgust. The lack of non-diegetic
music in this scene is vital, as it allows the viewer to focus on the nuances of dialogue, such as
the lack of specific terms, i.e. gay or homosexual. This highlights the taboo that has formed
around homosexuality in India, where people feel uncomfortable using specific terms in
discussion.
The concept of the perfect older child transgressing from the norm is a common theme
in family dramas. In K3G, Rahul is initially portrayed as the perfect child; he listens to his
parents and follows the familys parampara (traditions). However, when Rahul marries a
working-class girl without his familys consent, he is banished from the family. K3G is about
accepting your childs decisions, as the patriarch accepts the marriage between Rahul and Anjali
(the working-class girl) by the end of the film, after realizing his error in judgement.

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Kapoor & Sons frames a similar narrative, where Sunita ultimately accepts Rahuls
sexual orientation after a period of time. In the reunion scene towards the end of the film, where
several months have passed after Rahul came out to his mother, Batra shows how Sunita is
coming to terms with accepting her son back into her life. In this scene, Rahul and Sunita are
sitting on the bed-- in the same room where they fought months ago-- and Sunita asks how is
your...your friend? The hesitation in her delivery implies that she is talking about Rahuls
boyfriend, and it efficiently shows how difficult it is for her to vocalize her thoughts. Again, the
use of vague language emphasizes her discomfort, and the existing taboo around discussing
homosexuality in the Indian household. Yet, Batra uses the strong mother-son relationship to
show how Sunita is able to overcome her initial homophobic response in order to accept her son
back into her life: a reflection of evolving trends in the acceptance of homosexuality in India.

Family dramas have undergone a transformation since in the 90s, as contemporary

filmmakers are attempting to showcase the realities of the modern Indian family. By exploring
key family dramas, from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham to Kapoor
& Sons (since 1921), we have analyzed the evolution of the genre and the elements of the
modern Indian family. Kapoor & Sons is a pivotal film, as we are able to examine changing
representations of women, homosexuality, familial relations and death, and see how these themes
critique Indian familial norms. The film beautifully highlights the issues within a middle-class
family and uses the conventions of melodrama, without becoming overly dramatic or losing the
audience. Although Kapoor & Sons does not redefine the genre, it is a key step in the evolution
of family dramas, and has set the benchmark for future films.

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Works Cited

Dasgupta, R. K. (2015), The visual representation of queer Bollywood: Mistaken

identities and misreadings in Dostana, Journal of Arts Writing by Students, 1: 1, pp. 91101. 21
May 2016.
Express Web Desk. (2016), Kapoor and Sons box office collections: Alia, Sidharth
starrer earns Rs. 65.07 cr, The Indian Express. Web. 8 June 2016.
Hooli, S. (2016), Kapoor and Sons movie review: Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan, Alia
Bhatt starrer impresses audience, International Business Times. Web. 12 May 2016.
Kapoor & Sons, since 1921. Dir. Shakun Batra. Prod. Karan Johar. Perf. Sidharth
Malhotra, Fawad Khan, Alia Bhat, Rajat Kapoor, Ratna Pathak, Rishi Kapoor. Dharma
Productions, 2016. Film.
Kapoor & Sons Official Poster. Digital image. Shyfyy. Wordpress, n.d. Web. 4 June
2016. <https://shyfyy.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/kapoorsons2.jpg>.
Malhotra, S & Alagh T. (2004), Dreaming the Nation: Domestic dramas in Hindi films
post-1990, South Asian Popular Culture, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 19-37. 12 May 2016.
Punathambekar, A. (2005), Bollywood in the Indian-American Diaspora, International
Journal of Cultural Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 151-173. 15 May 2016.
Wikipedia contributors. "Dostana (2008 film)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 May. 2016. Web. 8 Jun. 2016.