This film, released on Netflix at the end of December 2023, is a poignant tale about the bond between grandchildren and grandparents.

The cast includes Paresh Rawal who stars as Manohar Shastry; Neena Kulkarni, who plays his wife; Urmila Shastry; and Shiv Panditt who stars as Malhar Shastry, his younger son. Actress Mimi Chakraborty plays Malllika Shastry, Malhar’s wife; Kabir Pahwa plays Yaman Shastry, their son, a seven-year-old boy who has been living with his paternal grandparents since he was three months old.

The initial reels reveal a strong bond the youngster shares with his grandparents. While his parents live in Mumbai, the grandparents live in Panchgani with their grandson.

Manohar Shastry was a music teacher at the school which Yaman, fondly called Momoji, attends. His grandmother retired as an art teacher. Paresh Rawal is portrayed as an extremely accomplished musician who due to his insistence on staying in his hometown; never achieved the heights of glory in his career that he had a chance to attain.

He has two sons, Lalit and Malhar. A fleeting reference is made by Malhar to Lalit’s death. He is struggling in his career as a game designer. The company he works for in Mumbai cheats him out of the recognition he deserved as the creator of the game launched by them. After a showdown with the owner, he quits.

His wife, on the other hand, has a steady job and has been progressing steadily in her career. She gives a certain amount to her mother-in-law every month for looking after their son which she places in a fixed deposit for Yaman.

When Malhar visits Chintu, a friend who offers him a lucrative business opportunity in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, after hearing about what happened at his workplace, Malhar is over the moon. He wants to take his family along.

When he breaks the news to his mother, she cautions him not to mention it to his father, who in the meantime, has had a cardiac arrest on his way back from school after picking up his grandson.

He spends some time in Mumbai for his treatment and then insists on returning home. On the way, he and his son have a heated altercation. In the heat of the moment, the son informs him of his plans to move to the US with his family.

Manohar is rendered speechless. Later, he files a lawsuit against his son with the help of a lawyer friend. He tells his son that he will see him in court about who gets to decide his grandson’s future.

Inevitably, a lot of dirty laundry is washed in public. It turns out that Manohar’s elder son had had a cardiac arrest at the age of twenty-four due to a drug overdose. In a note in his diary addressed to his father, produced in the court, he apologises for not living up to his expectations.

Manohar admits that his elder son was exceptionally gifted. He says he had wanted him to open a music academy and stay back in Panchgani although he wanted to explore greener pastures abroad. Frustrated with his father’s refusal to encourage his ambitions, ending his life had appeared to him a better option.

The courtroom drama opens up a Pandora’s Box but, at least, a number of underlying issues burning beneath the surface are brought to the fore, discussed and resolved.

His younger son, Malhar was always the black sheep in his father’s eyes as he considered him an alcoholic, highly irresponsible and incapable of holding a steady job. The court case turns uglier and uglier still until finally, the seven-year-old boy is brought to court where in the judge’s chamber, he expresses his desire to live with both his parents and grandparents.

Will Yaman, or Momoji, as he is fondly called, get his wish? Will the father and son ever reconcile, or will the court case be the final nail in the coffin for their relationship? How long will the question mark on Malhar and Mallika’s parenting abilities persist?

The lawyers representing the senior and junior Shastry both put forward a convincing argument each. They both act well. The viewer can see that there will be no winners in this case. Both have a point of view on how children should be raised and belong to two different generations. They have never agreed on anything in their life, ever. Both have a very low opinion of each other. It is obvious that Manohar has never been able to get over the death of his blue-eyed boy, Lalit. He sees his son in his grandson, as his son Malhar points out, which is why he refuses to let go of him.

The film touches on a very relevant theme. As life gets busier, parents no longer have the kind of time which grandparents do to devote to their children, since they are at a different stage in their lives.

Paresh Rawal is superb in his role as the stubborn and dictatorial father. Manohar and Mallika excel in their roles as the modern couple grappling with the challenges of modern living. Neena, as the grandmother, is also superb. The young child artist is cute but struggles with some challenging scenes. Music is average and mostly situational.

The supporting cast lends adequate support. This inter-generational conflict will resonate with the young modern couples of today who have to deal with issues which their parents never had to face.

Life is faster, more competitive and becoming increasingly expensive. Young couples are always on the lookout for better opportunities. The father, Manohar, is an old stick in the mud who sacrificed his own ambition and career goals, as he was adamant about staying in Panchgani. However, expecting his sons to do the same is highly unfair.

Embark on this poignant journey of Momoji who is caught in the crossfire between the father and son in Shastry Viruddh Shastry. As the narrative moves forward, the viewer is exposed to conflicting emotions.

The courtroom drama opens up a Pandora’s Box but, at least, a number of underlying issues burning beneath the surface are brought to the fore, discussed and resolved. No one is wrong; both sides have their perspectives and points of view, shaped by their own life experiences.

Enjoy this rollercoaster emotional ride as the family drama plays out in the courtroom and the egos of the father and the son clash. Who will win and who will pay the price? Can a case like this ever have an amicable resolution? Tune into Netflix to find out.

The writer is an educationist. She can be reached at gaiteeara@hotmail.com