Okay,
We
Are
Family
is
the
official
adaptation
of
Chris
Columbus'
Stepmom
(1998)
and
lots
of
us
have
already
watched
this
Julia
Roberts
-
Susan
Sarandon
starrer.
Even
otherwise,
the
story
of
a
woman,
diagnosed
with
a
terminal
illness,
entrusting
her
kids
to
the
'other
woman'
before
she
does
the
final
salute,
gives
the
feeling
of
deja
vu.
But
We
Are
Family
is
not
a
tear-jerker.
Sure,
it
has
dollops
of
emotions,
but
also
integrates
the
light
moments
wonderfully
in
those
12
reels.
In
the
good
old
days,
in
the
1960s
and
1970s
specifically,
well-made
family
films
struck
an
instant
chord
with
viewers
across
the
spectrum.
But
with
the
changing
times,
the
quantum
of
well-made
socials
made
a
rapid
decline.
We
Are
Family
belongs
to
the
Rajshri
gharaana
and
tells
the
story
of
a
family
facing
two
life-changing
developments:
The
woman
of
the
house
is
diagnosed
with
a
terminal
illness
and
two,
there's
a
Stepmom
on
the
scene.
A
difficult
subject
to
handle,
without
doubt.
But
debutant
director
Siddharth
P.
Malhotra
surprises
you
constantly.
Casting
the
best
available
talent
for
two
pivotal
parts
and
doing
complete
justice
to
their
roles
is
tough.
Very
tough.
But
the
ease
with
which
he
handles
the
tense
moments
between
the
women
and
also
the
emotional
finale
shows
he
has
learnt
his
lessons
well
from
his
peers.
Final
word?
We
Are
Family
is
for
the
family.
It
is
well
acted,
deftly
written,
entertaining
and
broadly
appealing
drama.
Watch
it
with
someone
you
love!
Maya
(Kajol)
is
the
perfect
mother.
Her
life
revolves
around
her
three
children,
Aleya
(Aanchal
Munjal),
Ankush
(Nominath
Ginsberg)
and
Anjali
(Diya
Sonecha).
Despite
being
divorced
from
her
husband
Aman
(Arjun
Rampal),
Maya
has
ensured
that
everything
runs
smoothly
in
her
house,
under
her
watch,
and
that
they
continue
to
remain
a
happy
family
unit.
When
Aman
introduces
his
girlfriend,
Shreya
(Kareena
Kapoor),
a
career-oriented
woman,
the
situation
takes
an
unexpected
turn.
However,
Maya
is
diagnosed
with
a
terminal
illness
and
circumstances
bring
the
two
women
under
the
same
roof.
Can
two
mothers
make
a
home?
With
a
plot
like
this,
you
expect
We
Are
Family
to
be
an
out-and-out
serious
outing.
However,
the
film
has
its
serious
moments,
but
the
director
ensures
that
it
doesn't
come
across
as
a
gloomy
and
serious
fare.
In
fact,
the
generous
dose
of
light
moments
in
the
narrative
keeps
the
drama
fluid.
There's
an
inherent
sensitivity
that
the
director
brings
in,
which
keeps
you
involved
for
most
parts.
On
the
flip
side,
the
film
tends
to
stagnate
in
the
middle
of
the
second
hour.
One
expects
the
story
to
move
forward,
but
there's
not
much
movement
here
(thankfully,
the
film
picks
up
wonderfully
towards
the
penultimate
reels).
Also,
the
music
by
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
is
a
complete
letdown.
You
feel
it
all
the
more
because
Dharma
is
synonymous
with
excellent
music.
The
only
redeeming
track
in
the
enterprise
is
'Let's
Rock',
which
is
high
on
energy.
S-E-L
need
to
reinvent
themselves
by
experimenting
a
little
more.
Director
Siddharth
P.
Malhotra
handles
the
dramatic
portions
best.
The
tense
moments
between
Kajol
and
Kareena,
the
confrontation
between
the
two
and
also
the
cold
stares
that
they
exchange
time
and
again
have
been
captured
very
well.
The
gradual
transformation
in
Kajol's
looks,
from
striking
and
energetic
to
pale
and
morose,
is
also
well
projected.
The
finale
is
the
best
part
of
the
enterprise
and
can
be
best
described
in
one
word:
Outstanding.
However,
like
I
pointed
out
earlier,
the
writing
could've
been
tighter
towards
the
second
hour.
Mohanan's
cinematography
is
eye-catching
and
the
locales
of
Australia
only
enhance
the
look
of
the
film.
Niranjan
Iyengar's
dialogue
are
decent
at
places,
but
a
few
lines
are
amazingly
real.
The
background
score
(Raju
Singh)
is
first-rate.
We
Are
Family
gives
the
two
popular
actresses
an
opportunity
to
sink
their
teeth
into
strongly
drawn,
juicy,
challenging
and
interesting
female
roles
that
move
beyond
the
normal
stereotypes.
The
scene
stealer
is,
without
doubt,
Kajol.
She
expresses
the
gamut
of
emotions
brilliantly
and
speaks
a
million
words
even
when
silent.
This
is
yet
another
incredible
performance
from
an
actor
par
excellence.
Kareena
excels
yet
again
and
her
sequences
with
the
kids
are
a
delight.
In
fact,
casting
Kareena
as
the
Stepmom
is
just
right,
since
she's
the
only
actor
who
can
stand
up
to
Kajol
in
high-voltage
scenes
and
that's
because
Kareena
is
a
powerful
actor
herself.
Arjun
continues
to
surprise.
Rock
On,
Housefull,
Raajneeti
and
now
We
Are
Family
indicates
the
growth
of
this
actor.
He
handles
the
emotional
moments
well
too.
The
kids
-
all
three
of
them
-
are
superb.
In
fact,
the
casting
of
the
kids
[done
by
Shanoo
Sharma]
is
an
ace.
On
the
whole,
We
Are
Family
is
a
perfect
family
film
with
a
good
mix
of
emotions
and
humour.
Plus,
a
brilliant
climax,
which
will
ensure
that
the
film
grows
with
a
strong
word
of
mouth.
The
last
film
which
came
close
to
being
a
family
outing
was
Paa.
Before
that,
the
only
quintessential
family
film
was
Baghban.
We
Are
Family
is
the
kind
of
film
that
should
work
instantly
with
ladies
and
when
ladies
watch
such
films,
they
bring
their
spouses
and
children
along.
Recommended!
Director:
Siddharth
P.
Malhotra
Cast:
Arjun
Rampal,
Kajol,
Kareena
Kapoor