Kapoor & Sons, also known as Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921), is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language family comedy drama film directed by Shakun Batra and produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, and Apoorva Mehta under Dharma Productions. Fox Star Studios served as the distributor and co-producer. The film explores themes of a dysfunctional family and stars Rishi Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan, Alia Bhatt, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Rajat Kapoor. This was the second collaboration between Malhotra and Bhatt after their first film together, Student of the Year (2012), and Mehta’s first film as a producer. The story follows two brothers who have not spoken in a long time and return to their family after their grandfather has a serious heart problem.
The film was made with a budget of 280 million rupees. It was released in theaters on March 18, 2016, and earned 1.48 billion rupees worldwide. It was considered a major success at the box office and received high praise from critics in India and other countries.
At the 62nd Filmfare Awards, Kapoor & Sons received 8 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Batra), and Best Supporting Actress (Pathak Shah). It won 5 awards, with Rishi Kapoor winning Best Supporting Actor over his co-stars and fellow nominees Khan and Rajat Kapoor. The film is available to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Plot
Rahul and Arjun Kapoor, who have not spoken in a long time, must return to their childhood home in Coonoor when their 90-year-old grandfather, Amarjeet, has a heart attack. Rahul lives in London and is a successful writer and business owner. Arjun lives in New Jersey and works part-time as a bartender while trying to publish his books. Their parents, Harsh and Sunita, favor Rahul because of his success, which makes Arjun feel upset. Harsh and Sunita have a difficult marriage. Harsh does not support Sunita’s plan to start a catering business, and he had an affair with a former coworker named Anu, which caused problems in their relationship. While Amarjeet is in the hospital, he says his final wish is to have a family photo titled "Kapoor & Sons, since 1921."
Sunita discovers Harsh used her savings to pay a loan, which upsets her because she had been saving to start her business. She argues with Harsh, and the brothers get involved in the fight. Arjun leaves the house and goes to a party, where he meets Tia Malik, a young woman who lives on the property. The next day, Rahul also meets Tia and goes to dinner with her. During the meal, Tia kisses Rahul unexpectedly. Later, Arjun tells Tia he believes Rahul copied his book idea for his successful novel. Arjun avoids confronting Rahul to prevent more family conflict. After their date, Tia tells a friend she has feelings for Arjun and regrets kissing Rahul.
The family throws a party to celebrate Amarjeet’s birthday. Arjun learns Tia and Rahul know each other and worries they are close. Rahul explains he is in a serious relationship in London. Tensions rise when Harsh invites Anu to the party, leading to another argument. The party ends, but it is later revealed Rahul suggested inviting Anu. Harsh and Sunita later remember happier times and apologize to each other. On her birthday, Tia tells Arjun she lost her parents in a plane crash when she was 13. She regrets not speaking to them before their death.
The family tries to take the photo Amarjeet requested, but secrets are revealed. Rahul learns his father lied about ending his affair with Anu. Sunita discovers Rahul’s relationship in London is with another man. Tia tells Arjun about her kiss with Rahul, and the photo is interrupted when Sunita walks away. Harsh tries to talk to her but fails. Arjun later finds out Rahul read his latest manuscript and confronts him. Sunita interrupts and admits she gave Arjun’s first book to Rahul, thinking Arjun was not serious about writing. After calming down, Sunita calls Harsh. While driving, Harsh answers his phone and crashes into a truck, dying from his injuries. The family is deeply saddened. After the funeral, Rahul tells Arjun his partner is a man, and they leave for London and Newark, respectively. Four months later, the brothers receive a video from Amarjeet, asking them to return because he feels lonely. Sunita accepts Rahul’s sexuality. Arjun’s book is finally published, and he reconnects with Tia. The family takes the photo Amarjeet wanted, with a picture of Harsh missing to honor his memory.
Production
In early 2015, Karan Johar announced his next film, Kapoor & Sons, which will include Fawad Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, and Alia Bhatt in leading roles. Johar stated in an interview, "We have a very stylish star cast." The film is about two brothers, played by Fawad Khan and Sidharth Malhotra. Rishi Kapoor will portray the grandfather of the male leads. Johar shared in an interview, "Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921) was a difficult film to cast. At one point, we almost gave up on the project. We put it on hold for more than a year. No one wanted to take on Fawad Khan's role. We approached six actors, but all refused. After six rejections, I told Shakun Batra (the director) that we should abandon the idea. He then began working on a different screenplay."
Soundtrack
The music for the film was created by Amaal Mallik, Badshah, Arko, Tanishk Bagchi, Benny Dayal, and Nucleya. The background music was made by Sameer Uddin. The lyrics were written by Badshah, Kumaar, Manoj Muntashir, Dr. Devendra Kafir, and Abhiruchi Chand. Sony Music India bought the music rights for the film. Sameer Uddin won the Best Background Score award at the 62nd Filmfare Awards. The first song, called "Kar Gayi Chull," which is a party song, was released on February 17, 2016. The second song, "Bolna," was released on February 24, 2016. The full music album, which had 5 songs, was released by Sony Music India on March 4, 2016.
Critical response
The film received good reviews when it was first released, especially for its writing, direction, music, and acting (particularly by Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Shah, and Rajat Kapoor).
Srijana Mitra Das from The Times of India gave it 4 stars and said, “Kapoor & Sons’s strength is its story. It follows a real family dealing with uncomfortable secrets, awkward jealousy, and painful situations like brothers stealing, parents cheating, and siblings suspecting each other. The characters do not have perfect love lives.” Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times gave it 4/5 stars and called it “a fantastic family drama after a long time.” Harshada Rege of DNA gave it 4/5 stars and praised all the characters, especially Fawad Khan, saying, “Fawad shines in his role as the ‘perfect’ son with a secret. He shows versatility and vulnerability with ease. There is more to him than just good looks and charm.” Anupama Chopra of Film Companion gave it 3.5/5 stars and said, “The actors bring life to the film’s movements.” Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave it 3.5/5 stars and said, “Kapoor & Sons is intense and incisive in showing human flaws but remains entertaining.” Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave it 3/5 stars and said, “It is a likeable film with good characters, but it tries too hard to make viewers emotional, turning from a calm drama to a melodrama at the end.” Ankush Bahuguna of MensXP.com gave it 4/5 stars and called it “a breath of fresh air” and “one of the best family films ever made in Bollywood.” Subha Shetty-Saha gave it 4/5 stars and praised the casting, saying, “The near-perfect casting helps the film succeed.” Rachit Gupta of Filmfare said, “It will be hard for any film this year to be as good as Kapoor & Sons.” Dhriti Sharma of Zee News said, “The movie is like a beautiful tiara, combining humor, twists, and chemistry to create a realistic yet perfect family story.”
Bollywood Hungama gave it 4 stars and said, “It is an excellent movie to watch with your family. This film is beautiful, kar gayi chull!” Stutee Gosh of The Quint gave it 4.5/5 stars and said, “The first half is funny, and the second half has exciting plot twists. While Khan’s performance is praised, his looks sometimes distract from the film.” Mehul S Thakkar of Deccan Chronicle gave it 4.5/5 stars and praised the director, Shakun Batra, saying, “He holds the cast together like a perfect photo in an album. His direction sets a new standard for family dramas.” Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave it 2 stars out of 5, saying, “Sidharth shows vulnerability, and Fawad plays his role well. However, Rajat Kapoor’s performance was disappointing.” Namrata Joshi of The Hindu called it “the ultimate family film” and said, “The writing builds up scenes layer by layer, revealing relationships, secrets, and conflicts. Khan’s role is charming, Malhotra’s is solid, Bhatt’s is lively, and Kapoor’s was out of place.”
Ananya Bhattacharya of India Today gave it 3.5 stars and called it a “madhouse-drama,” saying, “Batra’s film shows how families handle problems. He portrays characters well, and Rajat Kapoor and Pathak’s roles are unforgettable. The cinematography and music are also praised.” Anna M.M. Vetticad of Firstpost said, “It is the best film of 2016 so far. It is funny, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. It subtly addresses social issues and leaves viewers with warm feelings.” Nirmalya Dutta of Daily News and Analysis said, “Khan’s role as a gay man was a big step forward for India’s LGBT movement.”
Surabhi Redkar of Koimoi gave it 3.5 stars and said, “It is a modern family drama that is emotionally touching and lovable. You can laugh, cry, and smile while watching it.” She praised the characters’ realism. Manjusha Radhakrishanan of Gulf News said, “The film is the sum of strong performances by the Kapoor family.” Rachel Slatz of New York Times said, “The film moves from comic to dramatic to melodramatic but stays realistic.” Deepa Gaurl of Khaleej Times gave it 2.5/5 stars and said, “It is heartwarming but fails to build on its strong start. Fawad Khan’s performance is still praised.” Suprateek Chatterjee of HuffPost said, “The film feels bloated despite some editing issues.”
ARY News praised Shakun Batra’s direction, saying, “He creates a compelling portrait of a family in crisis.” It also praised Rajat Kapoor, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Fawad Khan. Zeshan Ahmad of The Express Tribune gave it 4/5 stars and said, “It is entertaining, emotional, and thought-provoking. A must-watch with a strong script and performances.” Sana Fatima of The Nation gave it 8/10 stars and said, “It is one of the most carefully planned family dramas.” Daily Times said, “The story dives into the audience’s psyche with beautiful imagery.” Arva Aslam of Daily Pakistan said, “The film’s success is due to its cast.”
Box office
On the first day, the film was shown on 1500 screens with 900 prints. It earned ₹6.85 crores in India, making it the fourth highest opener of the year. On the second day, the film earned ₹7.75 crores, bringing its total for the first two days to ₹14.60 crore. During its first Sunday, the film earned ₹11.75 crores, increasing its domestic weekend total to ₹26.35 crores. This was the second highest opening weekend collection of the year. During the weekdays, the film became the fourth highest grossing Bollywood film of the year, surpassing the total earnings of Mastizaade and Jai Gangaajal. In its first week, the film earned ₹47 crore, the second highest opening week collection of the year after Airlift. The film was shown on more than 1000 screens in the following week. In the second week, the film earned ₹17.14 crore, raising its domestic total to ₹65.07 crore. After three weeks in theaters, the film earned ₹71.57 crore domestically and ₹102.24 crore overall. It became the third film of the year to earn more than ₹100 crore.
The film earned ₹19.27 crore in its opening weekend overseas, making it the highest first weekend opener of the year. In Pakistan, the film was shown on 67 screens and earned ₹1.3 crore on the first day. During its first weekend, it earned ₹3.6 crore in Pakistan, becoming Fawad Khan’s highest weekend opener in the country, surpassing his debut film Khoobsurat. Kapoor & Sons had the biggest opening week of the year in international markets, earning ₹0.42 crore.
By the end of its theatrical run, the film earned ₹17.9 crore (US$2.1 million) in North America, ₹11.7 crore (US$1.4 million) in the UAE, ₹6.39 crore (US$760,000) in Pakistan, ₹5.28 crore (US$620,000) in the UK, ₹1.73 crore (US$200,000) in Australia, ₹0.63 crore (US$75,000) in New Zealand, ₹0.14 crore (US$17,000) in Malaysia, and ₹0.19 crore (US$22,000) in Germany. The film’s total overseas earnings were ₹47.8 crore (US$5.7 million), making it the fourth highest grossing Bollywood film overseas in 2016, following Sultan, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, and Fan.