Home Shanti review: Supriya Pathak, Manoj Pahwa series comes off as Gullak lite

Between the two powerhouses that Pahwa and Pathak are, Home Shanti should have felt less bland, more substantial. Nothing wrong with being a ‘kalaakar type of vyakti’ with a yen for roadside goodies, which Pahwa plays with such warmth, or the Masterni who uses the dining table to correct her answer sheets, that falls to the affectionate Pathak. Their coming together should rightfully have had more weight, but Home Shanti stays stuck firmly to its middling, pleasant ground.

The series is clearly going for the Gullak vibe, which has colonised the middle-class family drama space so beautifully in its three seasons. The Joshi family is seen having slightly more in terms of worldly goods than the Mishras of Gullak, but the writing in Gullak is superior, not scared of corralling in slightly more ‘serious’ topics. In that department, Home Shanti comes off as Gullak lite.

What’s similar amongst the Mishras and the Joshis is the strong sense of togetherness-despite-momentary-irritations that we see on display, and both families appear equally happy with episodic wraps of ‘pyaar’ and ‘samajhdari’, and the earned wisdom that comes from rubbing shoulders at much-too close quarters with parents and siblings. Those who have long memories may remember the venerable Ashok Kumar showing up at the end of each Hum Log episode, to put the happenings in perspective, and scatter a few pearls as he bade us farewell till the next episode.

So natural are the veterans that they end up inadvertently showing up the ‘acting’ of the youngsters, but you smile when Jigyasa dubs Naman ‘useless’ and yet watches out for him. An episode in which a wedding anniversary is celebrated, overcoming a few road bumps and sulking participants, has a sweetness to it, as does another which features a supposed clash over a nameplate. The combined horrified aspect of the Joshis when their overbearing grandma starts lecturing them on how to build their house, and live in it too, is a little underlined, but funny all the same.

This is your ‘halka-phulka parivarik’ space; relatable and mildly amusing. Will we see a little more weight in the next season?

Home Shanti director: Aakansha Dua
Home Shanti cast: Manoj Pahwa, Supriya Pathak, Chakori Dwivedi, Poojan Chhabra