Any mention of the Kapoors elicits certain images — a twinkle-toed Raj Kapoor in Mera joota hai Japani, Shammi Kapoor’s ducktail hair having a life of its own as he brought every scene and song alive, a boyishly handsome Shashi Kapoor memorably declaring: “Mere paas maa hain” and Rishi Kapoor’s infectious smile, easy moves and enviable collection of pullovers.... What also comes to mind when we think of the Kapoors is the clan — across generations — gathering for their annual Christmas lunch, a tradition that the youngsters in the family have made a point to keep alive.
Dining with the Kapoors, a 61-minute easy-breezy watch on Netflix, is simply an extension of that. It captures five generations of the Kapoor family in their element — sitting at the dining table, bantering non-stop, talking to, about and over each other, reminiscing about times past and simply being a family. A large, rambunctious Punjabi family at that. Conceptualised and created by Armaan Jain — whose mother Rima Jain is Raj Kapoor’s daughter — and directed by Smriti Mundhra, Dining with the Kapoors will leave you with a smile. Here is what we liked...
The warmth and camaraderie
“It is very rare to have a family with so many unique, interesting characters... who are also nice!” This is how Saif Ali Khan — married to Kareena, making him Raj Kapoor’s grandson-in-law — puts it at the outset, in his inimitable, deadpan style. The Kapoors are a tight bunch and irrespective of their busy schedules, the family makes it a point to meet as much as they can. And by that, we don’t mean only the immediate family. On Dining with the Kapoors, we see a large part of the extended family come together, from Shammi Kapoor’s wife Neila Devi to Shashi Kapoor’s son Kunal to TV actor Jatin Sial (whose mother was Raj Kapoor’s sister) to Navya Naveli Nanda, who counts Raj Kapoor as her great grandfather. A majority of the family comprises good actors but the easy comfort between all members is definitely not an act for the cameras.
The #winner format
“Retire when people ask why and not when.” This is a quote from Sunil Gavaskar (which is also sometimes attributed to Vijay Merchant). What is a quote about cricket and cricketers doing here, you may ask. Well, it stands true for anything that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Dining with the Kapoors gets the memo and gives us the Kapoors in quick, easy and optimum doses. Not too much, not too little... just enough.
The nostalgic beats
Dining with the Kapoors reveals some rarely-seen-before footage of Raj Kapoor, not only from the sets of his films or at home with his family, but also with industry stalwarts like Sivaji Ganesan, Dilip Kumar and Satyajit Ray, to name a few. The sights and sounds of the Kapoor family through the decades — pictures, videos, voiceovers — not only lend authenticity to Dining with the Kapoors but also bring in a wave of unbridled nostalgia. The addition of the talking heads at the begining — Ranbir, Kareena, Karisma, Neetu, Riddhima and Agastya set the ball rolling — is a good move.
But what truly gives you goosebumps is a part of the family stepping into the family home, Deonar Cottage, one last time before it was sold. The most prominent here are Randhir and Rima — the siblings who practically spent their whole lives in the family bungalow. The sight of them sitting on their father’s favourite jhula is high on nostalgia.
Towards the end of Dining with the Kapoors, the moment comes full circle for the family with Armaan rolling in a miniature version of Deonar Cottage that the family couldn’t get enough of.
The food and family feel
If they took a shot every time the word ‘ghee’ was uttered in Dining with the Kapoors, all the Kapoors would be intoxicated for a week (which is not mission impossible). But yes, it is fun to hear them talk about the times when Krishna Kapoor, Raj Kapoor’s wife, would make sure that almost everything that everyone ate in the family came with more than a drizzle of ghee. In the docu-reality watch, the cousins barging into the kitchen and taking matters into their own hands to assuage their hangry family outside, is also a fun touch.
Aadar Jain’s — Armaan’s brother’s — toast (or rather, roast) for his family members adds to the watchable factor, especially when he thanks Saif for “singlehandedly raising the IQ level of the room”. We agree.
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