The story
The Bhalla’s are a quirky lot! The members of this ‘Fun’jabi family are stuck in different cities, owing to the lockdown. (Yes, the series is shot in the recent times) Mrs Lovely Bhalla (Lubna Salim) plays a cute, caring and a tech savvy Punjabi mother. She aptly uses video calling to keep track of every member of her family. The scene opens with Lovely inviting her beloved family and friends to her birthday party (obviously she is recording a video message). After being upset over her appearance, she asks her son, Sahil Bhallla (Leenesh Matoo), daughter, Lisa (Gracy Goswami) and husband, Rajesh (Rajesh Kumar) to take over. A family webinar gives us an insight into what is going on in each one's life. Sahil Bhalla is stuck in Mumbai, Lisa is in Jodhpur and Rajesh in Chandigarh. The lockdown has been announced and getting back home is a priority and a challenge at the same time. But, the kids don’t want to give up their freedom and go home to their parents. What happens next is for you to find out.
Review
Director, Deven Munjal, introduces filmmakers to the norms of the 'new normal' in the post Covid-19 world. The production saves on mammoth costs, as the cast is involved in becoming their own crew. Thanks to the presence of cutting edge technology and smartphones, it becomes relatively easy to shoot an HD quality series.
To comprehend the nuances of filmmaking in the sate of lockdown, we asked Gaurav Gera to shed light on the same. He says “Shooting this one was a bit of a roller-coaster ride, and yet a fun experience. The script was sent to us and we were in constant touch with our director, to help us with camera angles and other things. The scenes are actually executed in our homes, with our family helping us with the camera. I wasn’t quite certain of how things would pan out until I saw the series.” The dialogues are funny, but could have been funnier. Given the fact that everyone was trying to adapt to change, there is little one can get critical about. However, in the given situation of trial and error, things have panned out relatively well! As the plot advances, and the cast comes to terms with technology, they get into the skin of their characters and deliver a more profound series. The 'new normal' comes with its own set of challenges. Yet, it isn’t impossible to pencil out an interesting plot. ‘Bhalla Calling Bhalla’ absolutely discounts the glamour quotient, putting intelligence in the spotlight, yet again. The language is simple, and bereft of any cuss words, ensuring that everyone can enjoy watching this series with their family.
