PARIVARIK MANURANJAN is a sweet, heartwarming entertainer

Parivarik ManuRanjan Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating

Director: Varun V Sharma

Parivarik ManuRanjan Movie Review Synopsis:
PARIVARIK MANURANJAN is the story of a man’s bond with his housekeeper. Lucknow-based Ranjan Dubey (Pankaj Tripathi) works in the electricity department. He’s 40 and unmarried and resides all alone in the palatial Dubey Niwas. Ranjan does all the work alone and his neighbour, colleague and best friend, Rajaram (Brijendra Kala), asks him to hire a maid. Rajaram posts a video on Facebook asking for those interested in 24-hour housekeeping to apply. Rajaram further states in the video that lodging and boarding would be provided for free. The next day, Helen (Aditi Rao Hydari) lands up at Dubey Niwas to apply for the position. She hesitates at first when she realizes that there are no ladies in the house. But Ranjan’s kind behaviour motivates her to take up the job. Ranjan’s life gets better as he now gets ironed clothes and delicious homecooked food. He also finds himself getting attracted to Helen. Unknown to Ranjan, Helen is hiding a secret. In fact, her real name is not Helen but Manu Joshi. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Parivarik ManuRanjan Movie Story Review:
Brijendra Kala, Ali Abbas Zafar and Varun V Sharma’s story is sweet and much needed in today’s times of hyper-macho films. Brijendra Kala, Ali Abbas Zafar and Varun V Sharma’s screenplay is breezy and heartwarming. However, the writing suffers in some places. Brijendra Kala’s dialogues add to the fun. The monologue in the climax is dramatic and very well worded.

Varun V Sharma’s direction is simple and reminds one of the films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee. Another parallel that can be drawn is with the recently released Malayalam film, BETHLEHEM KUDUMBA UNIT [2026], as both stories revolve around an older man falling for a younger woman. However, the similarities end there, as the milieu, setting and characterizations are completely different. The bond shared by Ranjan and Manu is heartwarming. In fact, the film brings a smile to one’s face from start to finish. As is often the case in small towns, a young, beautiful woman staying in a single man’s house raises eyebrows, and this aspect is also nicely depicted. An unexpected twist at the midpoint adds to the intrigue. The finale is dramatic and justified.

On the flipside, it is strange that Ranjan never asks for identity proof when a mysterious woman turns up seeking a job. This is a basic precaution in today’s times. Manu’s family is mentioned several times but is never shown. It would have been interesting to know more about her family members. A few developments are bewildering, such as Ranjan’s sisters forcing Manu to work during the mundan ceremony. The circumstances that lead Ranjan to hire a full-time maid also seem sudden and unconvincing. Lastly, the manner in which Mukesh Tiwari’s character gets hoodwinked is difficult to digest.

Parivarik ManuRanjan Movie Review Performances:
Pankaj Tripathi is aptly cast as Ranjan Dubey, a man with a gentle and non-threatening personality. Thanks to Pankaj’s persona and demeanour, it is completely believable that Helen agrees to stay in Ranjan’s house despite him being the only occupant. The actor brings humour to the film in his own style and does very well in the confrontation sequences. Aditi Rao Hydari looks stunning and gets completely into the skin of her character. Again, her arresting presence and pleasing personality add to her fine performance. The chemistry shared by both is too good. Brijendra Kala and Sunita Rajwar (Tamanna) are dependable as always. Mukesh Tiwari (Bhoop Singh) makes his presence felt. Vijayant Kohli (Harishankar) and Neelu Dogra (Babita) lend able support. Kumar Saurabh (Chaurasiya; panwallah) raises laughs. Others who do well are Ghanshyam Garg (Ghanshyam; office colleague), Jyoti Pandey (Jyoti Kumari; cop), Sunil Kumar Verma (Sunil Gupta; boss) and Niharika Porwal (Swati; office colleague).

Parivarik ManuRanjan movie music and other technical aspects:
Songs are okay but ‘Jingle Bell’ and ‘Sir Sir Sir’ stand out. ‘Chaaap Tilak’ works due to the picturization. Joel Crasto’s background score is in sync with the film’s mood.

Anup Singh’s cinematography is satisfactory. Vikram Singh and Ravin Karde’s production design is authentic. Vineet Chauhan’s costumes for Pankaj Tripathi are realistic, while Chandrakant Sonawane’s costumes for Aditi Rao Hydari are straight out of life and yet a bit glamorous. Malvika Bajaj’s costumes for the rest of the characters are fair. Steven Bernard’s editing is breezy.

Parivarik ManuRanjan Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, PARIVARIK MANURANJAN is a sweet, heartwarming entertainer that stands out in today’s times of larger-than-life, action-packed films, thanks to its simple storytelling, feel-good moments and the lovely chemistry between Pankaj Tripathi and Aditi Rao Hydari.