Sharmaji Namkeen Review: Fans Get Nostalgic About Juhi Chawla & Rishi Kapoor's Chemistry

The late actor Rishi Kapoor's last film Sharmaji Namkeen with Juhi Chawla was released on an OTT platform on March 31. It is a simple story about a retired man and his love for cooking, directed by Hitesh Bhatia. As the trailer claims, this is the first film in the Hindi film industry that the same character has been played by two different actors.

The reason for this was that Kapoor passed away at the age of 67 in April 2020, while shooting for the film. He died after a two-year-long battle with leukaemia. After his death that the creators of the film roped in Rawal to finish the project, which is about a freshly retired man on the journey of self-realisation and discovery.

The cast also includes Suhail Raina, Sheeba Chadha, Isha Talwar, amongst others. The film was released after a delay, it was initially supposed to release on Kapoor's birth anniversary in September last year.

Suggested Reading: Late Rishi Kapoor, Paresh Rawal And Other Members Of ‘Sharmaji Namkeen’ Cast

Sharmaji Namkeen Review

Whenever a new film comes out, social media becomes the battlefield of opinions with various commentaries on-camera work, plot lines, acting, amongst many other nuances. Sharmaji Namkeen, however, left viewers unanimously emotional, as they watched Kapoor's last performance.

The fans also highlighted the moments and the screen time shared between Juhi Chawla and Kapoor. The nostalgia of the 90s hits hard on seeing the couple interact and even flirt with each other. It took most people back to the hit film Bol Radha Bol, which was released in 1992 and was directed by David Dhawan, featuring the actors as Radha and Kishen.

A fan page on Twitter pointed this out and stated, "So nostalgic, @iam_juhi & #RishiKapoor shared the screen space for the first time in 1992 release, Bol Radha Bol. Now, their last onscreen appearance is going to be in #SharmakiNamkeen, surely will be the special one as also Rishi Kapoor & #JuhiChawla chemistry for one last time."

Rishi Kapoor and Juhi Chawla worked together in numerous Hindi films like Daraar, Luck By Chance, Karobaar and Eena Meena Deeka.

The netizens cannot stop raving about the film online. One user wrote, "It's all about self-love and single fatherhood. How children overestimate their parents. I personally liked this movie. Both #RishiKapoor and #PareshRawal ji have done a great job. Rishi ji was a gem. Missed my grandfather after looking at this. (emoji)"

Another user stated how the film acted as the "midweek dopamine dose," while adding, "Both Rishi Kapoor and @SirPareshRawal are heartwarming to watch. The character BG Sharma reminded me of Satish Duggal from Do Dooni Chaar, another wholesome gem that deserves a rewatch this weekend."

Before its release, people were a little concerned about how two actors playing the same role will pan out in the film and whether the transition will be smooth or jarring. A user confirmed that no such disruption could be seen, writing, "The essence is not lost during the transitions, must-watch (emoji)."

(Feature Image Credit: Tribune India)