'Goodbye' review: Amitabh Bachchan, Rashmika Mandanna's film has got its heart at the right place

Dealing with death is never easy. Be it in life or on celluloid. In recent years, Hindi films have dabbled with the morose theme in satires and slice-of-life films where families of the bereaved form the core of the story. Filmmaker Vikas Bahl's latest film 'Goodbye' starring Amitabh Bachchan, Neena Gupta, Rashmika Mandanna and Pavail Gulati deals with the same theme and manages to tug at your heartstrings.

Busy celebrating a career milestone one night, Tara misses a few calls from her mother Gayatri (Neena Gupta), and father Harish (Amitabh Bachchan). The next morning, Tara finds out that her mother has had an untimely demise. Ridden with guilt, Tara reaches Chandigarh at her parent's home to find a house full of guests, all dictating how Gayatri's last rites should be performed.

As her siblings, all of who have been living outside of their homes and barely keeping in touch with each other, start arriving for her mother's last rites, Tara finds herself visiting old memories of the house with her mother. Does Gayatri's death scatter the already dysfunctional family further or does it bring everyone closer forms the rest of the story.

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Bahl, who has also written the film, uses humour in the initial hour to define the contrast in emotions of the various characters. There are a few neighbours who pretend to cry even as they discuss designer shoes and expensive refrigerators and whats app group names. There is also a nosy family friend, who fusses over the right rituals that need to be performed as the body is kept at home before its cremation. As friends and priests squabble over what is right and wrong, there lies an undercurrent of tension between the father and his children who are trying to cope with the loss.

Like most Indian families, here too, it is the mother who holds the family together and so, after her death they all find themselves clashing with each other. The daughter is against the rituals insisting that her mother never wanted her last journey like this, the father wants to follow rules as per rituals and customs, the sons are not sure what is the right way to mourn their mother, one is reluctant to shave his head off as per rituals while the other unknowingly orders butter chicken for lunch.

'Goodbye' takes time to establish the story. At the interval, I was still wondering what exactly is the plot of the film or will there be more drama added to the rather flat narrative. The second half takes a more emotional turn as the family travels to Haridwar to perform the last rites and meets a philosophical priest played by Sunil Grover, who teaches a lesson or two to Tara - a complete nonbeliever. Grover is effortless in his role and while the screenplay is sketchy, the actor manages to bring in the required charm to his character and uplifts some of the most mundane scenes with his presence.

Despite the flaws, 'Goodbye' manages to make you emotional. Some of the scenes will make you tear up like the cremation scene, Big B's monologue, and a scene in the second half where a birthday celebration takes place amid the gloom.

Big B, now almost 80, is naturally the star of the show. He is pitch perfect as the overprotective, conservative father who has invariably built a gap between himself and his children. His scenes with Gulati, Mandanna and of course Gupta are delightful to watch. The monologue, where he talks to his dead wife's ashes and gives a final goodbye to her - complaining to her all along- leaves a lump in your throat. There is a reason why Big B has remained an undisputed superstar all these years and the scenes is a testimony to his talent.

Mandanna who makes her Bollywood debut with this film is quite natural but her accent is not quite suitable for a character who has lived in Chandigarh. Nevertheless, she holds her own in front of stalwarts like Bachchan and Neena Gupta and makes it a memorable performance.

Pavail Gulati emotes with his eyes. This is the actor's second release this year after 'Dobaaraa' and he does not disappoint. Wish there was more of Neena Gupta on screen as she lights up the screen whenever she is there in it.

The film may appear slightly rudderless at several junctures because the story doesn't really elevate itself in its 2 hours runtime but still manages to make you smile through your tears. Bahl has observed a lot and borrowed from real life as he writes out the poignant scenes well. Many of us lost our loved ones in the past two years of the pandemic and 'Goodbye' may bring back some of those memories and make you cry.

'Goodbye' ultimately wins for its heartfelt message of living in the moment and cherishing each day of life. Tough I know, but the film makes you wonder why we take so long to reach out to our loved ones and invariably regret it once they are gone.

'Goodbye' is a sweet film, that celebrates familial bonds, and the bitter-sweet moments of life and lets you get that closure that one needs after losing a loved one. It releases in cinemas this Friday.