Kapoor & Sons is a Hindi-language family dramedy film from India. It was directed by Shakun Batra and was released on 18 March 2016.
The film centers on the Kapoor family, comprised of ailing grandfather Amarjeet (Rishi Kapoor), his son Harshvardhan "Harsh" (Rajat Kapoor) and daughter-in-law Sunita (Ratna Pathak Shah), who have a struggling marriage, and their sons Rahul (Fawad Khan) and Arjun (Sidharth Maholtra), estranged brothers who are both aspiring writers.
Rahul and Arjun return to the family home upon hearing that Amarjeet has had a heart attack, and learn that their grandfather wishes to take one happy family photo before he passes. The family tries to fulfill their patriarch's wish, but various complications, such as marital theft, accusations of plagiarism and favoritism, and the introduction of a pretty young woman named Tia (Alia Bhatt), threaten to tear them apart.
Tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: The film ends with Harsh dying in a car crash, but his previously dysfunctional family members begin truly loving and appreciating each other as a result.
- Coming-Out Story: Part of what eventually pushes the family together is that they eventually learn and accept that Rahul is gay.
- Dysfunctional Family: The Kapoors are comprised of an ailing grandfather, a bickering middle-aged couple, and two estranged grandsons.
- Family Portrait of Characterization: The ironic variant, as the family does not get along but the patriarch wants a happy family photo titled Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921). On the day of the shoot, dark secrets come to light and they don't wind up taking it. They eventually take it after Harsh dies, and place a cutout of him in the new photo in his memory.
- Family Title: Kapoor & Sons is a movie about the Kapoor family.
- The Mistress: Harsh and Sunita's marriage is on the rocks in part because he had an extramarital affair with a family friend named Anu, which has not yet ended.
- Parental Favoritism: Between their two sons, Harsh and especially Sunita like Rahul more because he found success in his writing career. Somewhat deconstructed, as he's reluctant to come out as gay to them, since they think so highly of him but it wears on him throughout the film.
- Parting-Words Regret:
- Tia relates to Arjun that she was angry her parents missed her 13th birthday and told them over the phone to never come back before they died in a plane crash.
- Harsh's family blows up at each other over the revelation of his affair. He gets into a fatal car accident shortly after, and they are filled with regret.
- Plagiarism in Fiction: Part of why Arjun dislikes his brother is that he suspects Rahul stole his idea for a novel. It turns out Sunita gave Arjun's manuscript to Rahul because she didn't believe that Arjun was serious about becoming a writer.
- Rich Sibling, Poor Sibling: Arjun wants to be a successful writer like his brother, but doesn't have a hit yet and has resorted to bartending to make ends meet while he tries to write his big break. He finally gets his first book published at the end after his father's death.
- Sibling Triangle: Tia kisses Rahul but admits to his brother Arjun that she has feelings for him. Rahul comes out as gay by the film's end and Arjun ends up with Tia.
