What Is the Story About?
‘Home Shanti’, Disney Plus Hotstar’s latest offering in its Hotstar Specials category, is a slice-of-life show that centres on the Joshi family of Dehradun – Umesh Joshi, writer and poet; Sarla Joshi (Supriya Pathak), vice-principal of the local government school; and their teenaged kids, Jigyasa (Chakori Dwivedi) and Naman (Poojan Chhabra). As Sarla’s retirement looms, so does the prospect of having to give up the government living quarters. The Joshis prepare to build their own dream home from scratch, but it is not to be without tribulations.
Performances?
As expected, Supriya Pathak and Manoj Pahwa take the cake in the performance department. Both veterans are convincing and persuasive in their roles. The younger cast members, Chakori Dwivedi and Poojan Chhabra, hold their own before the seasoned actors. Together, the four of them build a world that is pleasant and relatable.
Happy Ranajit is good as the warm-hearted, trustworthy contractor, Pappu Pathak. Amarjeet Singh catches the eye in his short role of head labour, Shankar Dhoni. The cameos by Nidhi Bisht, Biswapati Sarkar, Saurabh Khanna, Sameer Saxena and Rajesh Bedi add a fun element to the proceedings on screen.
Analysis
Home Shanti falls smack in the stereotypical ‘The Viral Fever’ category of agreeable family dramas. The six-episode series will give you heavy ‘Gullak’ and ‘Yeh Meri Family’ vibes. Home Shanti’s connection with the latter is obvious – the two series share the same co-writer – Saurabh Khanna. Home Shanti’s TVF aura is a foregone conclusion, given that Home Shanti is the creation of Posham Pa Pictures, run by Saurabh Khanna, Sameer Saxena and Biswapati Sarkar, all three being erstwhile members of The Viral Fever.
Home Shanti picks up a bit slowly in the opening episode of the series. The jokes don’t land, the one-liners seem pretentious, and you don’t feel any affinity towards the characters on screen. But stay with it patiently, and Home Shanti grabs your attention from the next episode onwards. You slowly become invested in the characters, and their joys feel like your own.
Each episode begins with a new subject to bicker over for the Joshi family members. Or a new concern regarding their dream home raises its head, causing them renewed consternation and worry. However, each issue is resolved in a breezy, light-hearted way at the end of the episode, leaving behind soothing satisfaction for the viewer. The sublime poetry at the start and end of each episode, recited in Manoj Pahwa’s soft dulcet voice, bookends each episode elegantly — much like the clay piggy bank’s voiceover in Gullak.
The world-building, including the friends of all four members of the Joshi family, is a strength of the show. It makes watching the show that much more enjoyable, something that was missing in Gullak and Yeh Meri Family.
To sum it up, Home Shanti doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It doesn’t do anything that hasn’t been done before in its genre. It even seems to be a doppelganger of Gullak. But set aside these quibbles and you’ll find that Home Shanti is a watchable new addition in the slice-of-life content space.
Music and Other Departments?
Shashwat Singh’s background score for Home Shanti is perfect for the storyline – rousing when needed, and subdued when not. Dhirendra Shukla’s camerawork is average, nothing spectacular to write about. Ashutosh Matela’s editing is fluid and efficient.
Highlights?
Supriya Pathak, Manoj Pahwa’s performances and the easy chemistry between them
Light-hearted, breezy handling of the story
Drawbacks?
The first episode is a serious drag
Seems to be a Gullak doppelganger
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, somewhat
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but with the disclaimer – don’t go looking for inventiveness or something radically different, and maybe Home Shanti will grow on you. But then, maybe it won’t.
Home Shanti Web Series Review by Binged Bureau
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