FILM REVIEW: FAMILY (2006)

Director: Raj Kumar Santoshi
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Bhoomika Chawla, Akshay Kumar

RajKumar Santoshi’s ‘Family - Ties of Blood’ - a story of two conflicting families has some big names to its credit like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Shernaz Patel who gave touching performance in ‘Black’, Sushant Singh (Seher, Jungle) who delivers sincere performance altogether. Names like these compel you; attract you to watch the movies but after watching a film like this, one comes to understand that along with a talented star cast, a good story, dialogues - that touch your heart and direction skills are equally important to make a movie successful. It is sad that Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar who have so far given many hits together will not been able to save the movie from its sorrowful fate.

This age old saga of two conflicting families starts with introduction and comparison of all the characters.

The Bad Family:
Viren Sahai (Amitabh Bachchan) is a ruthless don who lives and operates his dirty work from Dubai. He will hurt, humiliate and even kill anyone who dares to stand against him but when it comes to his family he is very protective.

Abhir (Sushant Singh) is spoilt, egoistic and heartless son of Viren who does not hesitate to indulge in the most dreadful of crimes, confident that his father will always save him. In the opening sequence of the film he kills a guy in a drunken bar brawl, sneer at the guy’s fate and flies off to Dubai. When it comes to his family - he comes first, family be dammed.

Viren wife (Shernaaz Patel) a simple and dignified lady who does not agree with his husband despicable activities and therefore she, her daughter, a daughter in Law and a grand daughter (5 years old) lives in Mumbai.

The Good Family:
Shekhar (Akshay Kumar) is a hard working and sentimental being who owns a catering business. His life is full of laughter and sunshine. Akshay has a mere 20 minute role in the film where he has to show what a happy-go-lucky guy he is, his love for a naughty and witty girl (Bhoomika Chawla) and his marriage to her. Even Bhoomika who is playing a doctor, has just small patches of scenes here and there.

Aryan (Aryeman - son of Keshu Ramsay, producer of Family) is a good-for-nothing kid brother to Shekhar. His intro is relevant as the film itself is a launch pad to showcase his talents - which he has none. He is obviously provided with the most significant part in the film and the result is fatal because the newcomer cannot deliver his dialogues properly and obviously cannot act whatever his role required him to comply.

Viren Sahai and Shekhar family has nothing in common but one fateful night changes all and both families entangled in a web of tragedy and revenge.
Aryan has a fight at home and leaves home with his friends. Shekhar goes to look for him to bring him back. Viren has also come there to kill Kader Khan to take his revenge and in the process the bullet accidentally hits Shekhar in the back. But ruthless Viren just to make sure he’s left no witnesses kills him and drives away. Stunned Aryeman vows revenge and along with his friends, abducts the family of Viren Sahai (abducts the family of a don? Wow! he should join police force). The second half is only left with action scenes and chases and finally Viren’s realization that what a blunder he did by killing a member of a happy family. What actually RajKumar Santoshi wanted to bring out from this movie is still not clear? It’s a story with no point.

Apart from the sacked screenplay, performance from the whole cast was just OK, nothing exciting. Akshay - who is a master of comedy is making a complete fool of himself (a complete song featuring Akshay as a dancing cook is placed). Aryeman as earlier said is incompetent. Sushant Singh is irritating. Shernaz is wasted. Kader Khan is unexciting. Gulshan Grover, Raza Murad and Vivek Madan are intolerable in their respective roles. The climax too is not convincing. Music is average, with two decent numbers - ‘Katra’ and ‘dance remix’. The dialogues are painful and complex (going over head).

Bhumika Chawla is the only plus point in the film. Her sequence with Amitabh in the hospital shows her potential. Now don’t expect too much from Amitabh Bachchan for here, he too is just average.

This Family is frustratingly boring.

RS Rating: 3/10

Credit: This review was submitted by Ankit Jain of Footprints.in. They run their own movie Blog at DCECinemas. To submit your own review for posting on radiosargam.com please email.