The Mehta Boys

The Mehta Boys is testament to how a good story is often enough to make a watchable film. Add great performances and other technical nuances and you have a splendid watch on your hands. This one is for all those who lament that 'Bollywood' has moved away from making films that are real and relatable. The Mehta Boys is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Where the film falters is in its resolution—ultimately, Amey returns to his father, conceding that his upbringing was merely preparation for the tough world outside. It’s problematic how many Indian films glorify parental authority without acknowledging its flaws. Additionally, the film never fully explores why the father-son rift escalated to the point where they couldn’t even share a roof. Boman also succumbs to the temptation of a pre-climactic monologue, though this time, it’s about Amey asserting his self-respect. The soundtrack, too, leaves much to be desired, with none of the songs having significant recall value. Overall, The Mehta Boys is an honest film that brings realism to the screen.

While the writing is on point, things get constricted in a few places, making the film lose a bit of its fluidity. You wish those scenes had been given more breathing time. At a crucial point, Mehta Sr looks out from the balcony of Mehta Jr’s flat, shaking his head at all the ‘glass and steel’, and you know that the phrase will come up for air when the latter’s grasp and reach finally meet. But those are minor niggles. In all the duds that Bollywood is serving up these days, ‘The Mehta Boys’, which looks at daddy issues with understanding and empathy, and the things that make relationships tick, and stick, is well worth your time.