It’s that time of the year when long-awaited meetups and reuniting with family members become top priority, culminating in the celebration of the festival of light. In keeping with the mood, we pick seven family shows that you can watch with your loved ones on Diwali.
Sutliyan
Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, Sutliyan is a heartwarming family drama set in Bhopal. Ramni (Plabita Borthakur), Raman (Vivaan Shah) and Rajan (Shiv Panditt) lost their father during the pandemic, but none of them could make it to the funeral because of the lockdown, much to the chagrin of their mother Supriya (Ayesha Raza). Angst and wistfulness finds an expression in the Diwali family reunion, resulting in the unravelling of the thread that binds the family. But the family bonds turn out to be too strong to keep them apart.
Watch it on: Zee 5
Yeh Meri Family
Set in the summer of 1998 in Jaipur, Yeh Meri Family is a trip down nostalgia lane. The story revolves around the Gupta family and is told from the perspective of 12-year-old Harshu Gupta (Vishesh Bansal). It is a simple tale of the various trials and tribulations faced by a middle-class family in the 1990s. Starring Mona Singh as a caring mother, Ruhi Khan as the adorable baby sister, Akarsh Khurana as a cool father and Ahan Nirban as the nerdy elder brother, Sameer Saxena-directed Yeh Meri Family combines an engaging plot with a dose of nostalgia.
Watch it on: Netflix
Home Shanti
Directed by Akansha Dua, Home Shanti tells the story of a middle-class family in Dehradun that wants to build a house of their own. Supriya Pathak’s Sarla Joshi is a school teacher on the verge of her retirement, while Manoj Pahwa’s Sujan Joshi, Sarla’s husband, is an eccentric who spends a lot of time watching cricket on his phone. Their children Jigyasa (Chakori Dwivedi) and Naman (Poojan Chhabra) are teenagers with dreams of their own. The family soon realises that building a house is no mean feat as they start to face hurdles for the most simple things — from conducting a bhoomi puja to getting the floor plan approved.
Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar
The Aam Aadmi Family
Touted as Hum Log of the millennial generation, The Aam Aadmi Family is a poignant and joyful tale of a middle-class joint family. The show, directed by Apoorv Singh Karki and Debatma Mandal, deals with the everyday problems faced by the Sharmas with a generous mix of comedy and nostalgia. Brijendra Kala and Lubna Salim play Mr and Mrs Sharma in this web series. The issues that this joint family deals with are quirky but commonplace. What sets this show apart is the unique handling of the problems faced by the family members.
Watch it on: Zee 5
What The Folks
What the Folks breaks stereotypes by exploring modern-day familial ties. Anita (Eisha Chopra) and Nikhil (Veer Rajwant Singh) are a newly married couple, who struggle with responsibilities while dealing with their personal lives. The dramedy, directed by Ruchir Arun, Mandar Kurundkar, Omar Iyer, Pranjal Dua, Sumit Arora and Bharat Misra, focuses on relatable struggles and reminds us that it is the little things in life that matter the most. This show is full of funny dinner table conversations, problems relating to generation gap and uncomfortable family get-togethers.
Watch it on: Voot
Home
Annu Kapoor, Supriya Pilgaonkar, Amol Parashar, Parikshit Sahni and Chetna Pandey star in this web series about family values, directed by Habib Faisal. The Sethis lead a happy life until their world comes crashing down when the family is handed an eviction notice by the authorities. Despite interpersonal issues, the family members come together to fight the system in order to save their home.
Watch it on: ALT Balaji
The Great Indian Dysfunctional Family
The show directed by Rajlaxmi Ratan Seth explores the relationship between two estranged brothers — Samar (Barun Sobti) and Vikram (Kay Kay Menon) — after the former returns home with his wife. Samar had run away from home eight years ago to join the armed forces. The return of the prodigal son sets off a reunion marked by emotional turmoil, heartbreaks and betrayals. The Great Indian Dysfunctional Family reminds us that familial love is complicated; it can be messy and annoying. As layers are peeled off, new relationship dynamics emerge.
Watch it on: ALT Balaji
