Parivarik ManuRanjan review: Pankaj Tripathi and Aditi Rao Hydari shine in an otherwise bland watch

Parivarik ManuRanjan, the new release on SonyLIV, wins you over from the first frame. Set in Lucknow, the film features an unlikely pair—the ever-affable Pankaj Tripathi and the gorgeous Aditi Rao Hydari—playing the leads. They are not a pair one would usually think of, and yet once you see them sharing screen space, you almost say, “Why not?” Perhaps the film’s biggest draw is its lead pair. Coupled with a feel-good premise, this slice-of-life film with a dash of romance thrown in seems like a nice comfort watch for the weekend. But is the film able to cash in on its actors and unusual casting? Let’s find out.

Set in Uttar Pradesh’s capital, the film has been written by Varun V. Sharma, who also serves as the director, along with Brijendra Kala (who plays a supporting role) and producer Ali Abbas Zafar. The film sets off on a promising note and builds an interesting premise.

Plot of Parivarik ManuRanjan

Tripathi plays Ranjan Dubey, a bachelor who never gave love a chance. Having worked in the Electricity Department, Ranjan took up the responsibility of getting his sisters married and thus never found the time to consider his own. Now at forty, he lives alone and, at the behest of his neighbour-cum-colleague, is looking for a housekeeper-cum-cook who can help him with the upkeep of his huge ancestral home.

Enter Helen (Aditi Rao Hydari), who claims she is a househelp willing to take care of the house. Helen cleans, cooks up a storm, and makes Ranjan’s life simpler and happier. Ranjan’s family, friends, and colleagues aren’t convinced about Helen’s background and are suspicious of her. The twist in the tale comes when two police officers come calling for Helen and claim her actual name is Manu Joshi.

What Works and What Does Not

Sharma transports the viewers to a small town in North India—to a locality somewhere in the cramped bylanes of the older part of the city where everybody knows everyone’s business. It’s a premise that was used in several comedy slice-of-life films before COVID—the sort of films that Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao were associated with at some point in time. In all those films, Tripathi always played the supporting role—that of an annoying cousin, the father of the heroine, or the friend of the hero. In Parivarik ManuRanjan, Tripathi takes centre stage and handles his role of a no-frills Ranjan Dubey with absolute ease. Earlier this year, Tripathi prominently played Kaleen Bhaiyya, a cold-blooded mafia lord—a role that he has aced over the years across various seasons of Mirzapur. Thus, it was refreshing to watch him play someone as mellow as Ranjan Dubey in Parivarik ManuRanjan.

Complementing him on screen is Aditi Rao Hydari. Known to be part of big-budget projects where she is presented in the most ethereal way possible, Hydari’s simpleton Helen/Manu act is refreshing and feels quite real. Over the years, Aditi has created a niche for herself in both Hindi and Tamil films, but a role like Manu Joshi seems like a first.

The film’s pairing is very new and thus makes it exciting. Both Pankaj Tripathi and Aditi Rao Hydari feed off each other, making for a convincing Ranjan and Manu.

Despite strong leads and a promising premise, the film is quite bland. It plays things too safe and simple. Post the big reveal, the story spirals and sticks to a predictable course.

The supporting cast comprises Manoj Tiwari, Brijendra Kala, and Sunita Rajwar, among others. These actors are the usual faces of films typically set in small towns in North India. They, too, are unable to elevate the narrative after a point, leaving much to be desired.

Final Verdict

I wish Parivarik ManuRanjan had trodden unknown territory. It never cashes in on its lead pair, nor is it able to do justice to the unusual pairing of Tripathi and Rao Hydari. The film ultimately suffers from being too plain and unexciting. Sure, it has its moments, mostly when Ranjan is trying to adjust to Manu and her vibrance in his boring life. But once he settles into his new life, the narrative slackens.

Parivarik ManuRanjan is now streaming on SonyLIV.