Lost in translation

We are family

Cast Kareena Kapoor, Kajol, Arjun Rampal

Director Siddarth Malhotra

Rating G

What happens when you tweak the perfect spaghetti bolognese recipe by swapping Italian herbs with Indian spices? A dish so disastrous that not many would want to attempt. So, while the warnings were in place, I had to ignore them and endure Malhotra's shoddy remake: We Are Family. I watched in disbelief as he muddled a fairly simple tale by throwing in numerous Bollywood clichès.

From innocent kids, who believe all dead people turn into stars, and faithful lovers, who return to their dying ex-partners only to extend emotional support, to understanding wives, who invite their former husband's girlfriends to live with them, you will be amazed at how every character is a stereotype.

Apart from being touted as the first official Hollywood adaptation, Malhotra barely adds any insight to the tale, blindly swapping situations without applying his mind. So, if it's Christmas that unites the two women in the original, then in the remake it's Diwali. Apart from the obvious swap-overs, all situations are over-dramatised, desperately trying to make each a tearjerker. Case in point being the slideshow of old photographs that already appear on the walls of their house.

While Kajol appears convincing in a handful of scenes, she doesn't match up to Susan Saradon's powerful act. The rest of the cast, however, are extremely unimpressive. Kapoor lacks the conviction that Julia Roberts brilliantly portrayed, in fact, she is merely obsessed with flaunting her figure. Though Rampal's character gets more screen space than Ed Harris', his flawed act makes it look comical, unintentionally, of course! The kids, however, are an earnest lot and can't be penalised for the fault of their unimaginative director.

For those who haven't ventured out to the cinemas, yet, be grateful!