Home Shanti is a family TV series directed by Aakanksha Dua and stars Supriya Pathak, Manoj Pahwa, Poojan Chhabra and Chakori Dwivedi, alongside other cast members. The series has 6 episodes, each with a runtime of around 30 minutes.
Hotstar describes the series as:
How hard can building a dream home be? The Joshis, a middle-class family in Dehradun, find that out in the worst possible ways.
– Home Shanti review does not contain spoilers –
Home Shanti, although a welcome change from the very heavy-handed shows that come out on OTT platforms right now, goes a bit overboard with its humour. This is your typical family drama, with a bunch of untoward problems faced by the family and the humour stemming from their disfunction. However, in the end, the dysfunction also gives birth to heartwarming moments among the members.
There’s something extremely heartwarming about the way the series goes about its lessons on family and responsibilities. The central plot revolves around the new house that the Shastri’s are building after spending most of their lives in the government quarters. Throughout building that house, from the puja to the finishing touches, the series takes its characters on various journeys that bring the characters together.
Unfortunately, the series’s humorous bits fall short of funny. Most of the time, the funny bits are a bit over-the-top. You can figure out from a mile away that something funny is coming toward you and when it does reach you, you’re left underwhelmed. The main reason for that is that the series delivers similar humorous quips that we’ve seen before in light-hearted shows such as these. They have stopped being funny and although some might say that this is exactly how families function, I’d beg to differ. Plus, their moments go on for far too long and by the end of it, it just feels annoying.
Nevertheless, the characters are heartwarming and relatable and provide a welcome break from the monotony of serious stories. It will remind you to hug your parents a little tighter today as well as make you think about the sacrifices they make to keep their children happy. These are the moments that will put a smile on your face and make you happy – the normal, happy and relatable bits that are truly wonderful to watch. Sure, things don’t always go the way we want them to, but, in the end, the path can still be quite rosy.
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The best parts of each episode are the ending moments when the family realises their connection with each other and their responsibilities towards their relationship and house. The house is just a metaphor for the love that they share for each other, their labour of love if you will. These are moments when the series truly shines and leaves you feeling quite warm in your heart.
Supriya Pathak and Manoj Pahwa are seasoned actors and, of course, they do a great job as the parents who are trying to get their home made while also juggling with their kids’ demands. On the other hand, Poojan Chhabra and Chakori Dwivedi, the two kids, do their best to deliver the punchlines but sometimes get a bit too smart for their own good. Regardless, they play their roles with enthusiasm and heart.
I do have one major problem though – in 2022, the corporal punishment detail really needs to stop at this point. It might be a reality, but it needs to stop existing in media.
Summing up: Home Shanti
Home Shanti is an entertaining watch. Although it isn’t as funny as you’d expect it to be, riddled with the same “family jokes” we’ve been subjected to for years now, it’s still silly and heartwarming. The characters are sweet, and regardless of their quirks, have their hearts in the right place. If you are someone in the mood for something light without the heaviness of thrillers and murder mysteries, this one is a short, quick pick.
Home Shanti is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
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