Revisiting the genre of family comedies with 'Khajoor Pe Atke'

With the growing popularity of adult comedies, slapstick and risqué humour, Indian filmmakers too have started to focus on new and edgy audience tastes in cinema. If it’s not a comedy, it’s either an action flick or a thriller. The good old family comedies and entertainers have become a rarity. They just don’t make films like ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Khatta Meetha’, ‘Angoor’ and ‘Bawarchi’ anymore.
Actor Harsh Chhaya, who’s been a popular name on Indian television and films, makes his directorial debut with ‘Khajoor Pe Atke’, a comedy that he claims will revive memories of yesteryear family films.It’s a movie that an entire family can enjoy together. A throwback to the days when watching a movie at the theatres used to be like a family outing.
The actor-turned-director says, “Earlier we used to have joint families, which changed as nuclear families became the norm. And now, from the nuclear family concept, society had changed to single units. This change reflects in the lives we lead now and the way we consume entertainment. Every person has his own set of headphones and a personal screen. Each one watches what suits them and the entertainment industry caters to that, maybe that’s why we do not see too many films where the entire family can sit together and watch it. Our film will bring families together, because the experience will get better with more number of people watching it.”
The story of the film begins with the news that one family member in Mumbai, Devendar, is extremely unwell. His siblings — Jeetendar, Ravindar and Lalita, rush down with their own families to be by his side. It's another matter that Devendar’s wife and son would prefer to not deal with his dramatic family all at once. The film takes a tongue-in-cheek look at family dysfunctions during a time of emergency. The film has an ensemble cast with Manoj Pahwa, Vinay Pathak, Dolly Ahluwalia, Seema Pahwa, Sanah Kapoor and Suneeta Sengupta.
Manoj Pahwa who plays the role of a Jeetendar in the film says, “There are several types of comedy; adult, deadpan, dark… But our culture has always preferred family comedies. These films are not made to cater to a specific target audience. They’re watched by the masses and families. I’ve personally enjoyed watching such films the most and I feel they are scarce now. I’m happy that our film will change that.” Manoj’s character in the film is at times excessively emotional but he’s always honest. He rushes to the side of his family during a medical emergency, even though he’s not really needed by the patient’s side.
Vinay Pathak plays the younger brother Ravindar in the film. His character is the youngest of the four siblings. He’s laid back and self-centred and reluctantly comes to his family’s side because of his elder brother’s emotional outburst. Vinay compares ‘Khajoor Pe Atke’ to the family entertainers he’s work on before. He says, A family comedy is a film that gives the entire family a reason for an evening outing. For me, this film is right up there, with movies like ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’ and ‘Chalo Dilli’.”
‘Khajoor Pe Atke’, produced by Welcome Friends Productions, presented by S.O.I.E and distributed by PVR Pictures, with music on Zee Music, releases on May 18.