Goodbyes are always hard, especially when they are unpredictable. What always hurts the most is failing to take a moment to say goodbye. “I suppose in the end, the whole life becomes an act of letting go.” These heart-wrenching lines are from the film “Life of Pie.” It is the core of the film “Goodbye.” Goodbye is a tale based on coping with grief, with a comic twist, and has a poignant premise. The film is penned down and directed by Vikas Bahl.
The film will make you emotional at some points and, at other it will make you laugh with its dark humor. Despite Amitabh Bachan’s being the star of the show, the performances are flaky. The writing style is inconsistent and yet convincing, despite the occasional sharp twinge. So, the film is based on a story of a dysfunctional family who lives in Chandigarh. But untimely death of Gayatri, the character played by Neena Gupta, results in the reunion of a dysfunctional family with Harish Bhalla, aka Amitabh Bachan.
Accepting reality and adjusting to one another’s lifestyle is the central themes in the story. The children of Bachchan and Neena Gupta are portrayed by Rashmika Mandanna, Pavail Gulati, Sahil Mehta, and Abhishek Khan. A tragicomedy about a funeral shows the conflict between traditional and modern values in the society. The film switches back and forth between the moods of past and present; the connection feels slapdash and episodic.
The narrative toggles between touching passages and completely unrelated material. Even though it tries to lean toward Piku, the family’s conflict is more like Baghban’s than Piku’s. Beyond a certain point, the story feels uninteresting. The movie succeeds because it quietly observes how people and society as a whole react to tragedy, despite some minor distractions.
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The story speaks volumes when silence is allowed to pierce the confusion. It makes a difference when a family makes the transition from talking to conversing with one another. Sunil Grover, who plays that change’s face in the story, deserves a lot of credit. With the help of a witty and sympathetic character, the actor brings the action to life.
Neena Gupta makes the most of her endearing part, even though we would have liked to see more of her in the movie. Whereas Neena Gupta makes the most of her endearing part, even though we would have liked to see more of her in the movie. Goodbye is a film which shows how family learns to laugh through their suffering while dealing with loss. Before you watch this keep the tissue in your hand.
