Shastry Virudh Shastry - Sins of the Father are visited upon the Sons

 

Shastry Virudh Shastry

2023, Hindi

Director: Shiboprasad Mukherjee

Stars: Paresh Rawal, Shiv Panditt, Kabir Pahwa, Neena Kulkarni, Mimi Chakraborty

Watch on Netflix

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐

Sadly, the most genuine scenes in this family drama are those shown in the courtroom.  Shastry Virudh Shastry tells the tale of a grandfather who files suit against his own son for the custody of the grandson.  The testimony in the courtroom weaves a very good story about two proud and stubborn men, each struggling with their own personal demons and vices, all the whole too arrogant to come to compromise.  Powerful stuff, but weakened by biases towards one side, then the other.

But, it is the rest of the movie where use of hyperbole and stereotypes weaken the story considerably.  Even in the trial, we are told how good natured grandparents are the only ones who can keep away the dangers of the progressivism of the parents.  Exaggerations of how parents depend on grandparents in the USA are spelled out to fake news levels.  And lastly, there is the utter lack of emotion in both couples, who seem to think raising a child is a burden, a sacrifice, rather than the gift that it is, despite all its suffering.

A weak tale leads a ridiculous ending, making all that has happened...childish.