If asked which was the last wholesome comedy film that you watched with your entire family in a theatre, you would probably be hard pressed to remember.
Gone are the days when families would sit together to watch a film and end up shedding tears of laughter! There was a time when trips to the movie theatre were planned with excitement, an era of classic comedies like Chupke Chupke, Khatta Meetha, Angoor, Bawarchi, the list just goes on…
And yet these kind of films seem to have disappeared. We either have action or suspense thrillers or romance or adult comedy films! Wholesome comedy which can be enjoyed by the entire family seems to have been lost in the evolution of adult comedies and slapstick affairs, and even the so-called family comedies do not have a connect with everyday family lives.
But now there’s a ray of hope!
As Harsh Chhaya makes his directorial debut with a family comedy, produced by Amrit Sethia of Welcome Friends Productions, we hope it will revive the wholesome comedy entertainer and bring back the genre which has created so many classics that we’ve all enjoyed in the past!
The story begins with the news that one family member in Mumbai, Devendar, is extremely unwell, so his siblings - Jeetendar, Ravindar and Lalita, rush down to be with him and his family for support, along with their families from across the country. It's another matter that Devendar's wife and son would prefer to not deal with his truly 'item family' all at once.
The film is a tongue-in-cheek look at what a typical family goes through when on the outside one is supposed to behave politically correct but from the inside, each one is desperately frustrated and restless due to the tormenting uncertainty, and the comic hijinks that accompanies this unique get-together.
Here's what the director and the cast have to say:
Harsh Chhaya: From joint families we came down to nuclear families and from nuclear we have now become as if single units, it reflects in the lives we lead now… Each one with his own set of headphones and a screen and each one watching what suits them and the entertainment industry caters to that, maybe that's why we do not see too many films which all can sit together and watch. Our film will get all together in front of one screen because the film is such that the more people watch it together more the fun will multiply.
Our film aims at bringing all of them together under one roof in an enjoyable relatable comedy!
Vinay Pathak:
A family comedy means the one which a whole bunch of family members can make an evening out of, right?
Well then Khajoor Pe Atke is right up there, with films like Khosla Ka Ghosla, Bheja Fry, Chalo Dilli, ... Oh wait .... I just mentioned all the films I have done ... :))
Oh well ... Khajoor Pe Atke is next! :)
Manoj Pahwa: Comedy is divided in itself. There are so many versions of it; Adult comedy, deadpan comedy, dark comedy… But we with our culture and setting have always enjoyed family comedies most. Such films which do not cater to a particular target audience. Their audiences are the masses and the families all together! I’ve personally enjoyed such films and feel that there is a void! I’m happy to be a part of a film which will hopefully fill it!
Khajoor Pe Atke is a laugh riot starring Manoj Pahwa, Vinay Pathak, Dolly Ahluwalia, Seema Pahwa, Sanah Kapoor, Suneeta Sengupta, produced by Welcome Friends Productions, and presented by S.O.I.E., the film hits cinemas nationwide this Friday and is distributed by PVR Pictures with music on Zee Music.