The Great Shamshuddin Family – Film Review

by @RaziaBoston

Just finished watching the independent film The Great Shamshuddin Family, a warm, layered family drama laced with gentle comedy and sharp social insight. Writer-director Anusha Rizvi deserves full credit for both the writing and direction—she takes a sprawling family story and smartly contains it within the intimate space of a modest two-bedroom apartment, proving that strong storytelling doesn’t need scale, only sincerity.

The film unfolds largely inside the home of Bani (Ahmed), played with restraint and relatability by Kritika Kamra, who is struggling to meet a work deadline. What begins as a quiet, focused day quickly turns chaotic as family members arrive one after another. Her two khalas—Safiya Khala (Sheeba Chaddha) and Akko Khala (Farida Jalal)—bring warmth, nostalgia, and old-world wisdom, followed by her Ammi (Dolly Ahluwalia). Soon, cousin Iram, elder sister Humaira Aapa (Juhi Babber), and later Nabeela Mumani (Natasha Rastogi) walk in, and with them arrive unresolved emotions, generational clashes, and simmering family tensions.

Set over the course of a single day, the film beautifully explores family bonds, generational divides, and the everyday realities of Muslim families in India. Rizvi balances humor with subtle social commentary, letting conversations and silences speak louder than overt statements.

While some moments feel slightly rushed and the pacing uneven, the strength of the ensemble cast more than compensates. Farida Jalal is especially delightful—effortlessly commanding the screen—while Kritika Kamra anchors the film with a grounded, honest performance that holds the chaos together.

The Great Shamsuddin Family is intimate, thoughtful, and deeply human—a film that stays with you not for its drama, but for how real it feels.

As I always say, if you have a story and you know how to tell it to the world, you can create magic. That magic is often born in independent cinema and nurtured by independent filmmakers. The Great Shamsuddin Family is a perfect example of this belief.

At the IIFFB platform, we support independent films for this very reason—because they are rooted in simplicity and a genuine love for storytelling. These stories make us pause, reflect, question our surroundings, and, ultimately, help us become more empathetic and better human beings.

Cast:

Kritika Kamra

Sheeba Chaddha

Farida Jalal

Natasha Rastogi

Juhi Babbar

Dolly Ahluwalia

Manisha Gupta

Purab Kohli, (Amitabh)

Joyeeta Dutta,

Nishank Verma,

Anushka Banerjee,

Rahul Misha,

Jeff Goldberg,

Rana Pratap Sengar