Aachar & Co. review: This simple coming-of-age tale is best watched with parents and grandparents

One would have heard that their parents and grandparents had at least half-a-dozen children; some even had 10-12. Well, it was the same with one of my grandparents. She had 12 kids (seven males and five females).

Despite some flaws, Aachar & Co. is relevant in many terms; for it talks about the essence of family bonding and how life moves on despite all the hurdles one may face in their life.

Synopsis

Aachar & Co. is a simple tale that dates back to the 1960s and early 70s. It revolves around a typical traditional family headed by Madhusudan Aachar (Ashok).

He has ten children — three sons and seven daughters.

Madhusudan works as a government civil engineer and avails facilities like telephone, car, and even house helpers — a dream life to live, back in the 1960s when even owning a bicycle was a luxury!

Though the father wants one of his sons to become an engineer like him, the eldest becomes a survey officer and another a sales executive. The youngest has no interest in studies but has a passion for acting.

The eldest daughter is soon married and settled in London with her husband. The years keep ticking with one after another getting married.

Suma, the second eldest daughter, portrayed by the director of the film, is the protagonist. She dreams of marrying a well-educated man and settling abroad.

Soon, all her dreams come crashing down when her father dies of a heart attack. What’s next is a decent take on life back in the 1960s with loads of issues about women empowerment, family bonding and more.

Related: Producer Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar talks about ‘Aachar and Co’

Back in time

PRK Productions, which has been backing newcomers in bringing their unique stories to life on screen, deserves appreciation. Aachar & Co. is special for the reason that it is spearheaded by women.

Sindhu Sreenivas Murthy, who wrote, directed and acted in the flick, touched upon some vital aspects of the life of a nuclear family and the bond between siblings.

It looks pretty simple, but when deciphered, the film sheds light on the life of a woman back in the day and how they gradually broke the shackles by making themselves able to become self-sufficient in every sphere of life.

In bits, it also talks about domestic harassment, divorce, women’s education, self-reliance, and women’s entrepreneurship.

‘ಆಚಾರ್ & ಕೋ’ ನ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಸುಪ್ರಭಾತ ಹಾಡಿಗೆ ಅದ್ಭುತ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ನೀಡಿದ ನಿಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಕೃತಜ್ಞತೆಗಳು..

Thanks for the overwhelming response to Bengaluru’s Suprabhata song.
Streaming now on PRK Audio YouTube channel and major audio platforms.

Experience in theatres on 28th July, 2023. pic.twitter.com/mYoQfRZbsD

— PRK Audio (@PRKAudio) July 21, 2023

Not so flawless

The coming-of-age tale also comes with some flaws.

For instance, when the head of the family — who is a government servant — dies in service, there is no mention of the pension facility.

And then, the eldest brother who gets a promotion and moves to Delhi is forgotten for the rest of the film. He is not even seen when his brother dies in a road mishap or did he?

While the physical characteristics of some children change as the years pass by, some remain the same to look at, including protagonist Suma!

There are quite a few similar instances that look odd and surprising.

Nevertheless, the art department strived hard to recreate the 1960s on screen.

Also, the music — a couple of songs and the background score — certainly gives a nostalgic feeling. Right from Ashok to all the newcomers put up a decent performance.

Related: ‘Aachar & Co’ is spearheaded by women: Director Sudha Sreenivas Murthy

Verdict

Watch Aachar & Co. along with your parents and grandparents to know how it was to live in their times, especially as a woman; more so to learn the essence of family bonding with every member residing under one roof.

(Views expressed here are personal.)