Kapoor & Sons

Plot Summary

Dadu Kapoor (Rishi) is playing with his dog Keshu. At the breakfast table in their Coonor family home, Dadu pretends he's dead but his son Harsh (Rajat) and daughter-in-law Sunita (Ratna) are used to this and ignore it while they argue about Harsh's business being cash-strapped.

Dadu meanwhile has a real heart attack.

In London, the Kapoors' elder son Rahul (Fawad) is having a meeting with his literary agent who's congratulating him on his successful book and emphasising his new deadline. Suddenly, Rahul gets a call from home about Dadu. Rahul calls his brother Arjun (Siddharth) who's working as a barman in New Jersey while completing his own book. Rahul tells Arjun to come home and he'll buy his ticket but Arjun says he'll manage. The airline misplaces Arjun's luggage and says it'll be sent later on.

The two brothers reach the family home where they explore the house and Arjun finds his room taken over by his mother. The parents reach home from hospital and have dinner with the sons where Arjun is upset that Sunita has made bhindi which only Rahul likes and taken his room too. Sunita says she needs a hard mattress for her back and the parents start arguing again as Sunita wants to start catering like her sister Timmy and also suspects Harsh of an affair with his former colleague Anu.

Arjun says he's left his online job and Harsh isn't pleased to hear this. Meanwhile, Rahul presents his mother with pretty ear-rings and she calls him the perfect bachcha.

The sons visit Dadu in hospital where he's yelling at the nurse. Arjun meets his friend Wasim downstairs, Wasim being the local photographer, his brother Bubli, a body-builder and aspiring Mr. Ooty. Wasim invites Arjun to a party later on.

Back home, the family again argues as Dadu needs to be taken for treatment to Bangalore. As a plumber fixes a leak, Harsh says he will have to ask his younger brother for help as Dadu's stents have cost lakhs. Sunita tells him to open her FD instead - and he says he's already done this at which she's furious and suspects he's given the money to Anu.

Arjun goes to the party Wasim had mentioned and meets the estate owner Tia (Alia). The two bond and share a cigarette while in their house, Harsh tells Rahul he had taken the FD money for family needs since the financial crisis had impacted savings. Meanwhile, Dadu is preparing for his 90th birthday and says he wants to be buried and wants a complete family photo with his sons and their families.

Rahul and Arjun bond over family memories.

Rahul goes to see Greenwood Estate, owned by Tia, to buy it as a Writer's Retreat. Tia finds Rahul very hot and gushes over him. In the hospital, Dadu tells Arjun how he lusted after Mandakini in Ram Teri Ganga Maili - Arjun gets Wasim to prepare a life-size cut-out of Mandakini in her famous wet sari for Dadu.

Arjun meets Tia in the market and they agree to go for Bubli's body-building contest.

In the house, Sunita prepares dishes for Dadu's party and Rahul asks her to come to London with him and see his life. Arjun's suitcase arrives and Rahul sees his manuscript in it.

Rahul visits Greenwood where Tia's domestic help is taking the evening off. So they go out for dinner and bond and kiss upon their return home. The next day, Tia goes with Arjun to Bubli's body-building contest which is bizarrely funny. They also chat about family and Tia tells him she's alone in the world. Arjun tells her he suspects Rahul stole his first story and made a best-seller from that. Tia cheers Arjun up with her jokes and banter.

At the party, Sunita introduces Rahul to an eligible girl, Preet, but he's not interested. Tia and Bubli also arrive and Tia sits to play cards with Dadu and his friends. Meanwhile, Anu, Harsh's former colleague, also comes and Sunita is furious. As a fight breaks out amongst the card-players, the parents also have a huge public argument.

The party breaks up.

Rahul and Arjun chat about writing and Rahul offers to read Arjun's manuscript but Arjun says he's not carrying it. The two brothers manage to damage the family car. Later, Dadu wants to know who invited Anu - Rahul owns up. The sons are quite sure Harsh can't be unfaithful to their mom.

Dadu then says they should call his younger son over now as he wants his family photo and a burial. Arjun takes Tia to a graveyard to select Dadu's plot and they bond deeply. Tia tries to tell Arjun he might be mistaken about Rahul - who meanwhile has begun to read Arjun's manuscript secretly.

Dadu's younger, richer son, who was away on a cruise, arrives with his family and the Kapoors have a pleasant evening, singing, drinking and dancing. Harsh tells Sunita later he regrets the anger and bitterness between them and wants her to do her catering work. Dadu bonds with the two grandsons over a fag and a mudpack. Teased by Dadu for being too good, Rahul says he's got a wild side and shows off a tattoo.

It's the day of the family photo and also, Tia's birthday but she's feeling very low as she tells Arjun it was the day she fought with her parents before she lost them. Arjun comforts her but then she tells Arjun about the kiss between her and Rahul and he's furious with Rahul.

Outside, a storm is brewing but the family simply cannot get together in time for the photo. Arjun hits Rahul and the family session gets disrupted. Harsh tells Sunita he'll take the car to the mechanic and drives off while Rahul takes a ride in his uncle's car - and finds his father at Anu's house.

Rahul confronts his dad and goes home angrily - but his mother, searching for recipes, has found pictures of Rahul's gay lover on his laptop and confronts him.

They have a huge fight which Harsh joins when he returns as he says he went to Anu's to end the affair - but Sunita doesn't forgive him. Arjun finds his manuscript in Rahul's room and rushes to attack him, accusing him of stealing his story again. Sunita intervenes and says she had given Arjun's first story to Rahul as he had writer's block and Arjun anyway didn't seem sure of a writing career.

Arjun is extremely hurt.

Harsh has meanwhile driven off in his car when Sunita rings him and he has a terrible road accident. Harsh dies. The family is shattered.

The two sons eventually leave for abroad. Arjun gets a good publishing deal while Rahul resumes his life with his boyfriend but is deeply unhappy within. Dadu rings and tells them both he's lonely and they should come home. They return to Coonor where Sunita hesitantly asks Rahul about his partner and also reaches out to Arjun.

The family reconcile - and Tia and Arjun also confess their feelings for each other.

The Kapoors have a family photo with a cut-out of Harsh.

'Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921)', which is directed by Shakun Batra, is made with the objective of entertaining the family audience. However, its biggest draw is the young lead cast comprising Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Fawad Khan. The stellar supporting cast, including Rishi Kapoor, Rajat Kapoor and Ratna Pathak Shah, has given this film gravitas. Let's take a look on what celebrities have to say about this movie on social media.

Just saw #KapoorAndSons @_fawadakhan_ you make me proud.. You were faultless in the film.

— Sonam Kapoor (@sonamakapoor) March 19, 2016

@S1dharthM is effortless. @aliaa08 is virtuoso (' ur eyebrows) @_fawadakhan_ pls stay back in india @chintskap Charan Sparsh #KapoorAndSons

— Ayushmann Khurrana (@ayushmannk) March 18, 2016

#KapoorAndSons is a delightful, universally identifiable film. With the best ensemble acting one can hope to see. Top notch! @shakunbatra

— Boman Irani (@bomanirani) March 18, 2016

Loved #KapoorAndSons .. well written, well directed, well performed, well edited, well.. Just go watch it.. @shakunbatra @karanjohar

— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) March 17, 2016

#KapoorAndSons is very good film for urban audience. It will work in multiplexes of big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta etc.

— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) March 17, 2016