Chintooji Namumkin: My quick take on Rishi Kapoor’s “Sharmaji Namkin”
Maybe it's because of the tale, which appeals to my middle-class sensibilities, or because of the adorable characters played by Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal, or because it transports me back to the filmmaking school of Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Whatever the case may be, the film is a brief, pleasant, and endearing result.
The film focuses on the post-midlife crises of working men who unexpectedly find themselves in a vacuum after retirement. After accepting a VRS from his company, the protagonist Sharmaji overcomes this difficulty, only to rediscover his culinary skills, which adds 'spice' to his life. This simple plot is made watchable by great performances by Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal, who play the same character — this is the film's true highlight. We discovered 'actor' Rishi Kapoor in his post-retirement phase when he had done some outstanding performances in Mulk, Agnipath, Kapoor and Sons, 102 not out, Otherwise, in his prime, he wore pristine sweaters and danced around trees as a teenage heartthrob or the second lead in multi-starers. (On a lighter note, in the Kapoor clan, you are either size zero or you end up looking like zero; Rishi Kapoor's bloated structure in the film is appropriate for the gourmand character he plays.)
The incomplete film (due to Rishi Kapoor's unexpected death) was completed thanks to Paresh Rawal's willingness to finish the production. The best part of the film is that there are no prosthetics on Paresh Rawal, and no high-tech VFX was used to duplicate Rishi Kapoor, yet when these actors appear on screen, you forget who is playing Sharmaji because the character of Sharmaji is so captivating. The director should be commended for this effort. Juhi Chawla stands out among the rest of the group; she has the best comedy timing of all of the female actresses in the industry, in my opinion.
I truly appreciated the film because I had witnessed my father's post-retirement shenanigans. It also warns you of what is in store for you in the next 4-5 years of active service. This plain vanilla movie would bring a smile to your face after watching high-octane RRRs and emotive The Kashmir Files, but once you realize that this was Rishi Kapoor's swan song, your aankhen is bound to turn “namkeen”.
We miss you Chintooji
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